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From The Lives of the Popes from the Time of our Saviour Jesus Christ to the Accession of Gregory VII. Written Originally in Latin by B. Platina, Native of Cremona, and translated into English (from an anonymous translation, first printed in 1685 by Sir Paul Rycaut), Edited by William Benham, Volume I, London: Griffith, Farran, Okeden & Welsh, [1888, undated in text]; pp. 130-132.

The Lives of the Popes,
BY
B. Platina

Volume I.


[130]
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PELAGIUS  I.

A.D. 555-560.

PELAGIUS, a Roman, lived in the time when Totilas, King of the Goths, advancing with a great army from Treviso, overran and spoiled Italy in such a manner, that from his savage cruelty he was called God’s Scourge. Coming as far as Mount Cassino, in his way to Campania, though he were in the habit of a common soldier, yet he was discovered by St Benedict, who spared not by threatening of Divine vengeance to terrify him from raging so furiously against the Christians. Moving thence towards Abruzzo he dismantled Beneventum, besieged Naples, took Cumæ, where yet he exercised an extraordinary respect and civility towards the Roman women whom he found in it, permitting them to go to Rome with their friends without any violence or rudeness offered to them. After this having taken Naples, and made himself master of all that part of Italy which lies towards Sicily, he marches to Rome; and having first seized the port, by which supplies should come to the city, he reduced them to such extremity for want of provisions, that some were forced to feed upon man’s flesh. At length, forcing his entrance at the gate which leads to Ostia, he possessed himself of the city, which, having plundered, he set on fire. Some tell us that Totilas designed to save the buildings of the city, and sent messengers about by night to publish his pleasure in that particular, but his orders therein were not obeyed. Justinian having intelligence of these proceedings, speedily despatches Narses, the eunuch, with a great army into Italy. It is said that this Narses was at first a bookseller, but being advanced to an office near the Emperor’s person, Justinian, finding him to be a man of great merit, raised him to the dignity of a patrician. And, indeed, in all the accomplishments of religion, and virtue, and clemency, and generosity, and sweetness of temper, he was a most exemplary and extraordinary person. Narses, with the addition of some auxiliary forces from Alboinus, King of the Lombards, advances 131 against the Goths, routs them, and makes a great slaughter in the pursuit of them. Totilas lost his life ingloriously at Brissillo, and Theias, who was chosen king in his stead, though he behaved himself bravely, yet was slain by Narses not far from Nocera. And thus both the name and power of the Goths were extinct together, in the seventy-second year after that their King Theodoric first entered Italy. Not long after died Justinian, in the fortieth year of his reign; a prince worthy to have his memory perpetuated to all posterity, and who, according to the custom of preceding emperors, deserves the additional titles of Alemanicus, Gotthicus, Vandalicus, Persicus, Africanus, though he only advised, but did not act, in the successful expeditions made against those nations.

Pelagius, in the midst of these disturbances not neglecting the affairs of the Church, ordained that heretics and schismatics might be suppressed by the secular power, when they would not be reclaimed by reason and argument. Being accused that he was the occasion of the calamities that befell Vigilius, as having a greater interest with Justinian than Vigilius had, in the sight of the clergy and people, he laid his hand upon the Cross and the Gospel, and by a solemn oath purged himself from that charge. Narses, coming to Rome, made a procession from the church of St Pancras to St Peter’s, with thanksgiving for his late success; and set himself with all possible application to repair the damage which the city had received by the Goths. In conjunction with Pelagius, he ordained that no person should be admitted to any holy orders or ecclesiastical dignity by the way of canvassing or bribery. Pelagius, making his notary, Valentinus, a very religious person, treasurer of the church, begins the building of the church of St Philip and St James. Some tell us that the learned monk, Cassiodorus, who had been first consul, then a senator, and afterwards renouncing all human greatness, embraced a monastic life, lived to this time; and that Victor, Bishop of Capua, now wrote a book concerning Easter, in which he particularly discovered the mistakes of Dionysius, the Roman abbot, who had, with little care and skill, composed a Paschal Cycle. Moreover, Sabinus, Bishop of Canosa, and Gregory, Bishop of Langres, and Vedastus, a scholar of St Remigius, and Bishop of Arras, were ornaments to the Pontificate of Pelagius; and Herculanus, Bishop of Perugia, who had been put to death by Totilas, was canonised. Pelagius, 132 having at two Decembrian ordinations made twenty-six presbyters, eleven deacons, thirty-nine bishops, died, and was buried in St Peter’s. He was in the chair five years, ten months, twenty-eight days. The see was then vacant twenty-six days.

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Previous Pope:  61. Vigilius I. 62. Pelagius I. Next Pope: 63. John III.

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