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. 176-182.
The Lives of the Popes,
BY
B. Platina
Volume I.
GREGORY II.
A.D. 84-85.
GREGORY the Second, a Roman, son of Marcellus, entering into holy orders in the time of Sergius, was, upon the reputation of his great fidelity and integrity, made the Pope’s almoner and library-keeper. Being afterwards ordained deacon, he attended Pope Constantine to Constantinople, where there being a warm debate concerning some articles of religion, he disputed so smartly, that all men admired his learning, wit, and eloquence, by which he easily confuted those who held any erroneous opinions. Soon after his being created Pope, he rebuilt the walls of the city, which in several places were fallen down through age, and repaired the decayed churches of St Peter and St Laurence without the walls, laying in the water anew, by mending the battered and disjoined pipes, which formerly had conveyed it into them. He repaired also, and enriched with presents of gold and silver, divers other churches, which it would be tedious to enumerate. Yet I will not pass by in silence his reviving a monastery in the Via Ostiensis, not far from St Paul’s, whose ruins are yet to be seen, and also that of St Andrew, settling monks therein, who were to be continually employed in the exercise of devotion. Moreover, it was the peculiar commendation of this Pope, that through his means the Germans were converted to Christianity; he having sent among them Boniface, a monk, to bring them out of darkness by 179 setting up the light of truth. Of these Germans a great number came to Rome, and were baptized with the Pope’s own hands. He also by his authority compelled Luithprandus, who at first refused it, to confirm the donation of Arithpertus, of which we have spoken before; which Luithprandus did at the beginning of his reign both possess himself of a great part of Bavaria, and also besiege and take Ravenna. In the time of this Pope there was such an inundation of the river Tiber, which flowed into the city through the Porta del Popolo, that in the Via Lata the water was almost a man’s height, and form Ponte Molle to the steps of St Peter’s, men rowed about in large boats. This inundation continued seven days, to the great loss and damage of the citizens, it having borne down houses, and rooted up trees, corn, plants, and herbs. The moon also being now in an eclipse, appeared of a bloody colour till midnight; and there was seen a comet, with its tail extending towards the north, betokening some future calamity. Whereupon Gregory, that he might avert the displeasure of Almighty God from the Christians, ordered frequent litanies in procession through the whole city. While the Pope was thus employed at Rome, there came advice that the Lombards under the Duke of Beneventum had surprised the fort of Cumæ; at which Gregory, being very much disturbed, sends to admonish them to restore this fort, which contrary to the articles of peace they had unjustly possessed themselves of, or otherwise they would soon feel the indignation of Almighty God upon them. But after several messages of the like nature, they not quitting it, he encourages the Neapolitans, upon the promise of a sum of money, and the sending some Roman soldiers for their assistance, to recover it by force. Theodunus the arch-deacon, having the management of this affair, the Neapolitans set briskly to the work, and re-take the fort, killing three hundred of those who were in garrison therein, and taking five hundred prisoners, whom they carried to Naples, where the soldiers forthwith received the reward which had been promised them. Gregory now enjoying peace, applied himself to church work. For he repaired the church of St Cross in Jerusalem, which had long lain neglected, and new arched and roofed the porches on every side of it; he built from the foundations the oratory of St Susanna on Mount Cœlius; and after the death of his mother, dedicated his father’s house to the honour of St Agatha, building it into a 180 monastery, which he plentifully endowed for the maintenance of the monks therein.
The Saracens, now encouraged by the discord they observed among the Christians, setting sail from Septa in Africa, and arriving in Spain, ravage all the country except Granada, which was inhabited by those of their own nation already, and at length with their wives and children pass as far as Aquitain, designing to possess themselves of that province also. Charles Martel, the son of Pipin, was at this time famous throughout the world. This Pipin, after the death of Grimoald, had two other sons left, Carloman and Charles Martel; which Charles, this brother also dying, gained afterwards to himself the kingdom of France, though not without great opposition, especially of Eudo, Duke of Aquitain and Chilperic, whom some of the French, upon the death of Theodoric, had sent up to be their king. But Martel having passed the river Seine, and advanced to Orleans, at the first attack puts them to flight, and becomes sole possessor of the kingdom of France. After this he passed the Rhine, and conquered the Saxons, Alemans, Suevi, and Bavarians. But having intelligence that the Saracens had been invited by Eudo into France, by great marches he comes forth against them, and obliging them to fight, gains a mighty victory not far from Tours. Historians write that in this battle there were slain of the Saracens three hundred and sixty thousand, but of the French only one thousand, one hundred and fifty, and it is said, that Eudo hereupon came over to Martel’s side. The Saracens being by this means through Martel’s valour diverted from any further attempts upon the Spaniards and French, turn all the rage and indignation which upon so great an overthrow had been raised in them, upon the Constantinopolitans, whose city they besieged by sea and land in the space of three years. But suffering all the extremities of war, being pinched with hunger and cold, and a pestilence moreover raging among them, they raised the siege and returned home. It is said, that of this plague there died in Constantinople, three hundred thousand. As for the affairs of Italy, the Lombards now under the conduct of Luithprandus after a long siege took and sacked Ravenna, carrying away from thence to Pavia all things of considerable value, and amongst the rest, as I believe, the famous statue on horseback in brass. Thus according to the usual vicissitude of human affairs, it so fell out, that what 181 Theodoric and other kings of the Goths, and after them the exarchs, had taken from Rome and carried to Ravenna, was by others afterwards scattered about and dispersed into several places. In the meantime there was at Rome a plot laid by some seditious people against the Pope, the heads of the conspiracy being Basilius, Jordanus a notary, John a sub-deacon, surnamed Lurion, and Marinus, an officer of the guards, who at this time was Governor of Rome under the emperor. But upon the emperor’s recalling Marinus, the business was deferred to another time. The conspirators tampered also with Paul the exarch, being willing in a matter of so great importance to have him to head them. The whole design being at length discovered by the people of Rome, they appear in arms, kill John Lurion, and dissipate the other conspirators. Basilius was confined to a monastery, where he died. The forementioned Paul being highly enraged at the Pope for prohibiting his levying new taxes, did by the emperor’s orders seek all ways, both secret and open, of taking away the good man’s life; but the Romans and Lombards taking up arms, defended him. The Emperor Leo hereupon publishes an edict, commanding all those who were subjects of the Roman Empire to rase out and take away all the pictures and images of saints, martyrs, and angels out of their churches, with design, as he professed, thereby to prevent idolatry; and declaring that whosoever refused so to do should be accounted a public enemy. But Gregory not only not obeyed this order, but also encouraged all Catholics to stand up stoutly against it. Whereupon the people of Italy were so animated, that they were near choosing another emperor, had not Gregory by his authority interposed to prevent it. Notwithstanding which there arose such a dissension at Ravenna, some pleading for obedience to the emperor, others to the Pope, that Paul the exarch, together with his son, was slain in the tumult, to succeed in whose place the emperor sends Eutychius, an eunuch, who by gifts and promises was to endeavour to break the friendship and alliance between the Lombards and the Pope. But that attempt having been often made in vain, was dropped for a time; and the Pope being freed of this trouble, began to visit the hospitals and churches, and to repair those of them which, through age or neglect, had fallen to decay. Moreover, he made a peace between the King of the Lombards and the Dukes of Spoleto and Beneventum, which that 182 king had intended to crush, but having marched in a peaceable manner as far as Rome to confer with the Pope about the matter, Gregory, by his Christian counsel, so mollified his mind, that, laying aside all thoughts of war, he offered up his sword and other arms in the church of St Peter. The Emperor Leo now, in another wild humour, commanded all the images, either of wood, brass, or marble, to be brought to him, which he forthwith caused to be burnt, and seized upon and put to death those who refused to bring them. Germanus, the patriarch, who vigorously opposed it, he banished, and put into his place Anastasius, an heretic, whom Gregory afterwards in a synod deprived, and interdicted the exercise of sacred offices if he refused to return to the Catholic faith. Furthermore, as became a pious prelate, he oftentimes by letters admonished the Emperor to quit the erroneous opinions into which some ill men had seduced him, and at length to embrace the truth, and to cease the destroying of the images of the saints, by whose example and memory men might be excited to the imitation of their virtues. Some write that in this pope’s time, Boniface came out of Britain to Rome, and for his sanctity was of a monk made a bishop, and sent into Germany, that by his preaching and example he might confirm that people in the faith, which he performed so well, that he was deservedly made Bishop of Mentz; but passing thence into Africa, he was for his preaching the Word of God put to death by the enemies of Christianity. It is said also that St Ægidius, a Grecian, was now famous for the holy life he led and the miracles he wrought; and that Petronax, a citizen of Brescia, did by vow repair at his own charge the monastery of St Benedict, which was almost quite left desolate. As for Gregory, who by his good example excited all men to the practice of piety and virtue, having been in the chair sixteen years, nine months, eleven days, he died, and was buried in St Peter’s, February the 11th. By his death the see was vacant thirty-five days. He is said to have consecrated during his pontificate one hundred and forty-eight bishops.
Previous Pope: 90. S. 91. Gregory II. Next Pope: 8. Gregory III.