The Historians' History of the World 08

514 Hormisdas. 523, John I. Theodoric sends John to Constantinople to obtain indulgence for the Arians. Not entirely successful, Theodoric imprisons the bishop on his return (525), and he dies the following year. 526, Felix III or IV. Dionysius Exiguus collects and publishes the canons of the councils and the papal decretals. 530, Boniface II. His election contested by Dioscorus until the latter’s death, the same year. Boniface obtains the power of appointing his own successor, but a second synod annuls it.

532 John II. 535, Agapetus I. Theodotus sends him to Constantinople in his behalf. 536, Belisarius enters Rome; the pope becomes the vassal of the emperor. Silverius. 537, Through the intrigues of the empress Theodora and the deacon Vigilius, Silverius is deposed and banished to the island of Pandataria. Vigilius becomes bishop of Rome. The bishops now become mere puppets of the Eastern court.

552 Vigilius, resisting the will of Justinian, is imprisoned.

553 Vigilius again seized, and sent to exile.

554 Pelagius I. 560, John III. 574, Benedict I. 578, Pelagius II.

FROM GREGORY THE GREAT TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PAPACY AS A LEGISLATIVE POWER [590-867 A.D.]

590 Gregory (I) the Great elected pope. He raises the papacy to eminence and determines its future policy. Gregory’s work is of threefold character. (1) He perfects the church ritual and introduces a new mode of chanting, and organises the revenues of the church. (2) He exercises supreme authority over the churches of western Europe. The Lombards are converted from Arianism, 599, and Britain is converted by St. Augustine. (3) He makes the pope a temporal sovereign. By this time the bishop of Rome has become the largest landholder in Italy. The Lombard invasion has given the bishops opportunity for temporal control, and in Rome and its vicinity the people recognise Gregory at the head of affairs.

604 Sabinianus.

607 Boniface III. The emperor Phocas bestows title of universal bishop on Boniface, but the patriarch of Constantinople resumes it on Phocas’ death.

608 Boniface IV. He converts the Roman Pantheon into a Christian church.

615 Deusdedit.

618 Boniface V.

625 Honorius I. The monothelitic controversy begins.

638 Severinus. He is not confirmed until 640.

640 John IV. The monothelite doctrine condemned.

642 Theodore I.

649 Martin I. The whole West repudiates monothelitism. Martin condemns the Type of Constans II.

653 Martin seized by the exarch and carried to Constantinople, by order of Constans.

654 Eugenius I elected in place of the absent Martin.

655 Martin banished to Cherson, where he soon dies.

657 Vitalianus.

672 Adeodatus.

676 Domnus or Donus I.

678 Agatho. Time of Wilfrid’s preaching in Britain and Gaul.

680 The Sixth Œcumenic Council at Constantinople settles the monothelitic question.

682 Leo II. 683, Benedict II. 685, John V. 686, Conon.

687 Sergius I. Paschal and Theodore are supported as anti-popes by different factions. The exarch finally recognises Sergius.

701 John VI. He saves the life of the exarch in a rising of the army. He drives the invading duke of Benevento back to his own territory.

705 John VII. The emperor Justinian II tries to force certain decrees objectionable in the West upon the church of Rome.

708 Sisinnius lives but twenty days after election. Constantine. Justinian perseveres in his aim to reduce the West to obedience.

710 Constantine goes to Constantinople at order of Justinian, who remains content with this act of submission.

715 Gregory II. Time of Bede’s teaching.

725 Boniface establishes the German church.

726 The emperor Leo issues edict against image-worship. Italy rebels.

728 Rebellion of Ravenna over the iconoclastic edict. Liutprand, the Lombard king, captures the city. The papacy begins to free itself from the Eastern Empire. The popes are unwilling to submit themselves to the Lombards. Gregory appeals to Charles Martel for aid against the Lombards.

731 Gregory III. He defies Leo in the matter of image-worship.

739 War with the Lombards. Appeal of Gregory to the Franks for help against them.

741 Zacharias. He is the first pope to be elected without obtaining the customary consent of the exarch. The papacy is now free of the empire. It has become practically a political dukedom.

742 Zacharias visits Liutprand and obtains treaty of peace. Many possessions of the church restored by the Lombards.

749 The Lombards renew attacks on the pope.

751 Zacharias sanctions the transfer of the French crown to the Carlovingian line.