Silverius, Saint

Silverius, Saint

▪ Italian saint
born , Frosinone, Campania [Italy]
died Dec. 2, 537?, island of Palmaria, near Naples; feast day June 20

      Italian pope from 536 to 537, a victim of the intrigues of the Byzantine empress Theodora.

      Silverius was born to the future pope St. Hormisdas (Hormisdas, Saint) before Hormisdas had entered the priesthood. Silverius was a subdeacon when the Ostrogothic king Theodahad nominated him to the papacy. He was consecrated on June 8, 536, as successor to St. Agapetus I (Agapetus I, Saint), who had angered Theodora by condemning Patriarch Anthimus of Constantinople and thus ruining her plans to restore monophysitism, a doctrine that Christ has only one nature rather than two (i.e., human and divine).

      When Silverius refused to restore Anthimus, Theodora ordered the Byzantine general Belisarius to enter Rome (Dec. 9, 536) and depose Silverius; she replaced him with the deacon Vigilius, then nuncio to Constantinople. The Ostrogothic king Witigis then surrounded Rome and besieged Belisarius, who in March 537 falsely accused Silverius of treasonable collaboration with the Goths.

      Silverius was degraded to the rank of monk and was driven from his see to Lycia, in Anatolia. He appealed to Theodora's husband, the emperor Justinian I the Great, who, apparently unaware of the situation, sent Silverius back to Rome for an inquiry. Vigilius, however, was ultimately able to banish his rival by force to the island of Palmaria, off Naples, where Silverius died by murder or starvation.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Silverius, Pope Saint — • Son of Pope St. Hormisdas. Named pope while yet a subdeacon, to thwart the Monophysites. Exiled through a forgery of his political and religious enemies, died of starvation in prison, probably in 537 Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006 …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Saint Peter — For other uses, see St. Peter (disambiguation). Saint Peter the Apostle Painting of Saint Peter by Peter Paul Rubens depicting the saint as Pope (1611 1612). Prince of the Apostles, First Pope, Martyr, Preacher …   Wikipedia

  • Silverius — /sil vear ee euhs/, n. Saint, died A.D. 537, pope 536 37. * * * …   Universalium

  • Silverius — /sil vear ee euhs/, n. Saint, died A.D. 537, pope 536 37 …   Useful english dictionary

  • Pope Silverius — Infobox Pope English name=Saint Silverius birth name=Silverius term start=June 8, 536 term end=March 537 predecessor=Agapetus I successor=Vigilius birth date=??? birthplace=??? dead=dead|death date=death date|537|6|20|mf=y deathplace=Palmarola,… …   Wikipedia

  • St. Silverius —     Pope St. Silverius     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Pope St. Silverius     (Reigned 536 37).     Dates of birth and death unknown. He was the son of Pope Hormisdas who had been married before becoming one of the higher clergy. Silverius entered… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Pope St. Silverius —     Pope St. Silverius     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Pope St. Silverius     (Reigned 536 37).     Dates of birth and death unknown. He was the son of Pope Hormisdas who had been married before becoming one of the higher clergy. Silverius entered… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Hormisdas, Pope Saint — • Died 523. The father of Pope Silverius Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006 …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Hormisdas, Saint — ▪ pope born , Roman Campania [Italy] died Aug. 6, 523, Rome; feast day August 6       pope from 514 to 523. He reunited the Eastern and Western churches, which had been separated since the Acacian Schism (q.v.) of 484.       Born of a wealthy… …   Universalium

  • Popes and antipopes — ▪ Table Popes and antipopes1 antipopes in italics Peter (Peter the Apostle, Saint) ? c. 64 Linus (Linus, Saint) c. 67 76/79 Anacletus (Anacletus, Saint) 76 88 or 79 91 Clement I (Clement I Saint) 88 97 or 92 101 Evaristus (Evaristus, Saint) c. 97 …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”