E01372: The short Life of Vigilius, bishop of Rome 537-555, in the Liber Pontificalis, written in Latin in Rome, probably during the 6th c., mentions several churches and other places dedicated to saints, namely the basilica of *Peter (the Apostle, S00036), the church of *Caecilia (virgin and martyr of Rome, S00146), the city-gate of *Paul (the Apostle, S00008), and the grave of *Marcellus (bishop and martyr of Rome, S00529), all in or around Rome, as well as a church of *Euphemia (martyr of Chalcedon, S00017) in Constantinople.

Liber Pontificalis 61

The empress Theodora tries to force pope Vigilius to restore Anthimus to the bishopric of Constantinople:

Quo audito Augusta misit Anthemum scribonem cum iussiones suas cum virtutem maiorem ad Romam dicens: Excepto in basilica sancti Petri parce. Nam si in Lateranis aut in palatio aut in qualibet ecclesia inveneris Vigilium, mox inposito in navem perduc eum usque ad nos. Nam per viventem in saecula excoriari te facio. Qui Anthemus scribon veniens Romae invenit eum in ecclesia sanctae Ciciliae X kal. decemb., erat enim die natalis eius; et munera eum erogantem ad populum tentus et deposuerunt eum ad Tiberim; miserunt eum in navem.

'Hearing this the empress sent the scribo Anthemus to Rome with her mandates and with greater authority, saying: ‘Leave him be if he is in St Peter’s basilica—otherwise if you find Vigilius in the Lateran, or in the palace, or in any church, put him on a ship immediately and bring him to us—or by Him that Lives for ever I will have you flayed’. Anthemus came to Rome and found him on 22 November in the church of saint Caecilia—it was her feast day. He was arrested as he distributed the gifts to the people, and they took him down to the Tiber and put him on a ship.'


Vigilius is brought to Constantinople and is accused of the murder of Silverius, his predecessor.


Tunc fugiens in basilicam sanctae Eufemiae, tenens columnam altaris.

'Then he fled into saint Euphemia’s basilica and clutched a column of the altar.'


...


Tunc Gothi fecerunt sibi regem Badua, qui Totila nuncupabatur. Descendens Romae et obsedit eam; et facta est famis in civitate Romana, ut etiam natos suos vellent comedere. Quadam die intravit Romam a porta sancti Pauli, indictione XIII.

'Then the Goths made Badua, called Totila, their king. He came down on Rome and besieged it. Such a famine occurred in Rome that they even wanted to eat their own children. One day in the 13th indiction [549/550] he entered Rome by St Paul’s Gate.'


During the campaign of Narses, Vigilius is sent back to Italy.


Venerunt Sicilia in civitate Syracusis. Adflictus, calculi dolorem habens, mortuus est. Cuius corpus ductus Romae, sepultus est ad sanctum Marcellum via Salaria.

'They came to the city of Syracuse in Sicily. In agony from his affliction with gallstones, Vigilius died. His body was taken to Rome and buried at saint Marcellus on the via Salaria.'


Text: Duchesne 1886, 296-299. Translation: Davis 2010, 55-57. Summary: Robert Wiśniewski.