Easter Cycle 1 part 1/4

An excerpt from the fourth chapter of the cited work, presenting prefatory remarks composed in the French tongue. Having examined the earlier monuments concerning the succession of the Roman pontiffs, the most learned authors undertake the catalogue here under discussion, to be elucidated in the following manner. Hitherto we have not been able to consult the archives of the Roman Church itself concerning the succession of the pontiffs. The ravages of the persecutions, and still more the injury of the times, have deprived us of all documents prior to the fourth century—yet not without a profound design of divine Providence.

It was a fitting thing that the first page of the annals of the Apostolic See, being lacking in its own archives, should be recovered in the traditions of all the Churches, and that, even before Christian Rome had found the leisure to compose its domestic chronicles, the ecclesiastical histories should bear witness to its lofty action upon the churches throughout three centuries.

The peace given to Christianity by Constantine brought, among other advantages, that of a tranquil stability, by whose aid it became possible to draw up memoirs and to gather a thousand traditions whose titles the persecution of Diocletian had caused to perish, or which at least, for want of being recorded in the more general chronicles, ran the risk of disappearing along with the isolated monuments upon which they rested. The existence of the Christians was no longer furtive and hurried; they henceforth dwelt at rest in a world which until then they had only traversed in all haste: the Church had a place, and the first place, in the annals of humanity.

This was the idea that Eusebius sought to render in his Chronicle, where he groups around the sacred and ecclesiastical history the eras, the Olympiads, the kingdoms, the dynasties, so that it is a marvel to see all the annals of the earth exhaust themselves one after another, while the Jewish Church, then the Christian Church, pass majestically through the ages. On all sides men gave themselves up to the research of origins and antiquities, and, as we have seen previously, the West wished to have its Latin version of the Chronicle of Eusebius, until it might itself explore on a grand scale the Science of times.

A reason which moved the Christians no less powerfully to this kind of labor was the computation of the feast of Easter, a question of the highest religious interest in all times, but above all then, when it had been the object of lively controversies, and which required for its solution profound investigations in chronology as well as learned astronomical observations. It was thus that, as early as the preceding century, Saint Hippolytus, in composing his Paschal Cycle, had been led to set down his researches in a veritable Chronicle. Everything therefore combined at that period to engage the Christians to collect their primitive monuments;

it is also the period in which was drawn up the Chronicle that is the subject of this chapter. In 1634, Father Gilles Boucher, a learned Jesuit, published at Antwerp a celebrated commentary on the Paschal Cycle of Victorius of Aquitaine (a), and among the monuments which he inserted in this work, one remarks above all five chronological opuscules of the highest interest, which the author attested he had extracted from one and the same manuscript. The first was a series of Consular Fasti from Antoninus for the second time, and Geta, down to Constantius Augustus for the seventh time and Constantius Caesar for the third time.

The second was a list of the Prefects of Rome, from Lollianus, in office under the consulate of Valerian for the second time and Gallienus, down to Vitrasius Orfitus under that of the two Constantii named above; which comes to the year 354. The third was an ancient Ecclesiastical Calendar containing the feast and the day of death of several holy martyrs and bishops of Rome, the last of whom is Pope Saint Julius, who died in the year 352. The fourth is the Chronicle of the Popes that is the subject of this chapter, which goes down to Liberius, whose accession it announces under the consuls Constantius for the fifth time and Constantius Caesar, without marking his death, which occurred in the year 366, doubtless because he was still living.

The fifth, finally, is an ancient civil Calendar which marks the births of the principal Caesars, and stops at Constantius, who is there qualified not as Divus like the others, but as Dominus, as one still living at the moment when this calendar was drawn up. It is known that Constantius died in 361. Thus, then, these five monuments must have been written within the space of about ten years, namely, from the year 354 to the year 364. It is clear that they lend one another a mutual support, and that, if one cannot determine the author who composed them, one must at least recognize, with Father Boucher and the whole body of the learned, that their epoch is incontestably fixed at the middle of the fourth century.

Of these five monuments, the fourth is the only one that ought to occupy us specially. It contains the names of the Popes from Saint Peter down to Liberius, with their years distinguished by the consuls and some other particulars whose authenticity we shall discuss later. In a word, this monument is of a truly grave importance, and merits all our attention; for, by the avowal of Pearson, 'if one can find any certainty of these times among the Latin chronologists, it is in this ancient catalogue that one must go to seek it' (a).

However, before examining how much confidence we ought to place in that famous chronicle, which we shall henceforth call the Catalogue of Liberius—for the reason that it stops at this Pope—we shall devote a few pages to recounting the history of its discovery and publication. This precious monument, which had remained in manuscript until 1634, when Father Boucher published it for the first time, had already before that time drawn the attention of the scholars who had occasion to consult it. The first whom we find to have made use of it is Spiesshammer, better known in the world of learning under the name of Cuspinian.

In his commentary on the Chronicle of Cassiodorus he made use of it on account of the consular fasti it contains, and inserted it almost entirely, but in parts, into his commentary as he had need of it. He describes it as a very ancient little work, and speaks in several places of the four other pieces that were joined to it, which Father Boucher likewise published. The manuscript of Cuspinian, which seems to have been the original of the various copies of which we shall speak, had apparently been at first in the hands of a privy councillor of the Catholic king, whom Father

Boucher names in Latin as Assonvillius, who had received it from Jean Brenner, secretary of the same prince and a member of the senate of Luxembourg. However that may be, this original manuscript has not existed for a long time. Henschenius claimed that Onuphrius Panvinius had also had the Catalogue of Liberius in his hands when he was working at Rome on the consular fasti, around the middle of the sixteenth century; Pagi believed the same, as he explains in his Critique of Baronius, but they were both mistaken.

Emmanuel de Schelstrate attests, in his great work on Ecclesiastical Antiquity, that in the Vatican Library—over which he had charge toward the end of the seventeenth century—he found an index of the books and manuscripts which Panvinius had used in his work on the consular fasti, and he declares that no other catalogue of the Popes is mentioned there save the Liber Pontificalis. Now here is something more certain.

Around the year 1620, Nicolas Fabri de Peiresc, councillor of the parlement of Aix, a man of true erudition, received from a magistrate of Arras the communication of a precious manuscript containing the Catalogue of Liberius together with the four other little works—monuments whose importance Peiresc extols in a letter that Pagi inserted in substance at the passage of his Critique which we have already cited. Peiresc, who according to the express intention of his Arras correspondent was only to make a copy of the manuscript and then return it, faithfully fulfilled this double condition, but he did not let the public enjoy the fruit of this discovery.

Pagi speaks further of two other copies of the Catalogue of Liberius which are said to have existed in manuscript at Paris during the course of the seventeenth century: one in the library of the Canons Regular of Saint-Victor, entered in the catalogue under this title, Chronica Damasi; but it had since disappeared, without anyone knowing what had become of it; the other in the library of the Jesuits of the Collège Louis-le-Grand, where it had been deposited by Father Sirmond. It was, moreover, in every respect conformable to that published by the Bollandists, according to the attestation which Father Hardouin himself made to Father Pagi. Father

Boucher, then, is the first who, not content to make use of the precious monument that occupies us, thought of admitting the public into his confidence by publishing separately and in full the famous catalogue, of which Cuspinian had inserted only detached fragments in the work we have cited. In October 1632, having come from Liège to Antwerp to negotiate with the house of Plantin for the printing of his treatise De Doctrina Temporum, he naturally came into contact with Father Bollandus. The latter, intending to assist his confrère in the explanation of the cycle of Victorius, which was the object of this publication, gave him a copy formerly made by Father

Rosweyde from the manuscript that Cuspinian had had in his hands, and this copy contained precisely the five chronological little works that occupy us. The original was by then lost; but Father Boucher nonetheless thought it his duty to give in full, in his work on Victorius, these various pieces, and it was through him that the learned world truly came into possession of them. In 1675 there appeared at Antwerp a new edition of the Catalogue of Liberius, through the care of Father Henschenius, at the head of the first volume of April of the Acta Sanctorum. There was noticed in this new edition—which was repeated word for word by Father

Papebroch, in his Conatus chronologico-historicus ad catalogum Pontificum Romanorum—some rather serious variants from the text published by Father Boucher. Pagi seems inclined to attribute them to corrections that Henschenius is supposed to have allowed himself to make to the reading of the manuscript; but this conjecture appears to lose much of its weight if it can be shown that Father Boucher established his text not only from the manuscript of the Bollandists, but also from another preserved in the imperial library of Vienna.

In that case, Henschenius and Papebroch, publishing their Antwerp manuscript with exactitude, must by that very fact have presented in their reading some differences from that which would have been drawn up from two manuscripts instead of one. As for the manuscript of the Catalogue of Liberius preserved in the library of Vienna, among the Latin manuscripts, no. 56, it was published by Schelstrate in his Commentarius in Victorii Aquitani Canonem Paschalem—to which are added, by way of confirmation, two martyrologies of the Roman Church, as well as a most ancient calendar of the Church of Carthage (from a work edited a few years earlier, entitled Origines de l'Église romaine, by the members of the community of Solesmes), page

269 (Antwerp, Plantin, 1634). This catalogue is rather confused and faulty down to Callistus; after him it is a little more distinct, especially after Lucius. In the reign of Tiberius Caesar, our Lord Jesus Christ suffered, in the consulship of the two Gemini, on the eighth day before the Kalends of April; and after His ascension the most blessed Peter received the episcopate. From that time it was set down by succession who was bishop, and for how many years he presided, and under whose reign. Peter, twenty-five years, one month, nine days. He lived in the times of Tiberius Caesar, of Caius, of Tiberius Claudius, and of Nero, from the consulship of Vinicius and Longinus to that of Nero and Verus.

He suffered, together with Paul, on the third day before the Kalends of July, in the consulship of the same, under the reign of Nero. Linus, twelve years, four months, twelve days. He lived in the times of Nero, from the consulship of Saturninus and Scipio to that of Capito and Rufus. Clement, nine years, eleven months, twelve days. He lived in the times of Galba and Vespasian, from the consulship of Trachalus and Italicus to the sixth consulship of Vespasian and that of Titus. (Eusebius and Baronius place Clement after Cletus.) Cletus, six years, two months, ten days. He lived in the times of Vespasian and Titus and at the beginning of Domitian, from the eighth consulship of Vespasian and the fifth of Domitian, to the ninth of Domitian and that of Rufus. Anacletus, twelve years, ten months, three days.

He lived in the times of Domitian, from the consulship of Domitian (his tenth) and Sabinus, to the seventeenth of Domitian and the consulship of Clemens. Evaristus, thirteen years, seven months, two days. He lived in the latest times of Domitian, and of Nerva, and of Trajan; from the consulship of Valens and Verus to that of Gallus and Bradua. Alexander, seven years, two months, one day. He lived in the times of Trajan, from the consulship of Palma and Tullus to that of Velianus and Verus. Sixtus, ten years, three months, twenty-one days. He lived in the times of Hadrian, from the consulship of Niger and Apronianus to the third of Verus and the consulship of Ambibulus. Telesphorus, eleven years, three months, three days.

He lived in the times of Antoninus Macrinus, from the consulship of Titianus and Gallicanus to that of Caesar and Balbinus. Hyginus, twelve years, three months, six days. He lived in the times of Verus, from the consulship of Gallicanus and Verus to that of Praesens and Rufinus. (Here Anicetus is lacking, to whom they assign nearly eight years.) Pius, twenty years, four months, twenty-one days. He lived in the times of Antoninus Pius, from the consulship of Clarus and Severus to that of the two Augusti. Under his episcopate his brother Hermas wrote a book in which is enjoined and contained that which the Angel commanded him when he came to him in the garb of a shepherd. Soter, nine years, three months, two days.

He lived in the times of Antoninus and Commodus, from the consulship of Verus and Herennianus to that of Paternus and Bradua. (Here again Eleutherius is lacking, whom they would have to have sat fifteen years.) Victor, nine years, two months, ten days. From the consulship of Saturninus and Gallus to that of Praesens and Extricatus. (Likewise Zephyrinus is lacking, to whom they assign eighteen years.) Callistus, five years, two months, ten days. He lived in the times of Macrinus and Heliogabalus, from the consulship of Antoninus and Adventus, to the third of Antoninus and the consulship of Alexander. Urbanus, eight years, eleven months, twelve days. He lived in the times of Alexander, from the consulship of Maximus and Aelianus to that of Agricola and Clementinus. Pontianus, five years, two months, seven days.

He lived in the times of Alexander, from the consulship of Pompeianus and Pelignianus. At that time Bishop Nepotianus and the priest Hippolytus were exiled, deported to the noxious island of Sardinia, in the consulship of Severus and Quintianus. On that same island he was deprived of his office on the fourth day before the Kalends of December, in the consulship of the same. Anteros, one month, ten days. He fell asleep on the third day before the Nones of January, in the consulship of Maximus and Africanus. Fabianus, fourteen years, one month, ten days. He lived in the times of Maximinus, and of Gordian, and of Philip. From the consulship of Maximinus and Africanus to the second of Decius and the consulship of Gratus. He suffered on the twelfth day before the Kalends of February. He divided the regions among the deacons, and ordered many structures to be built throughout the cemeteries.

After his passion, the priests Moyses and Maximus, and the deacon Nicostratus, were seized and cast into prison. At that time Novatus came over from Africa, and separated Novatian from the Church, together with certain confessors, after Moyses had died in prison, having been there eleven months and eleven days. Cornelius, two years, three months, ten days. From the fourth consulship of Decius and the second of Decius, to that of Gallus and Volusianus. Under his episcopate Novatus, outside the Church, ordained Novatian in the city of Rome, and Nicostratus in Africa. This done, the confessors who had separated themselves from Cornelius, together with the priest Maximus who had been with Moyses, returned to the Church; after this they were banished to Centumcellae.

There he received his falling-asleep in glory. Lucius, three years, eight months, ten days. He lived in the times of Gallus and Volusianus, down to the third of Valerian and the second of Gallienus. He was an exile, and afterward, by God's will, was restored unharmed to the Church, on the third day before the Nones of March, in the consulship of the same. Stephanus, four years, two months, twenty-one days. He lived in the times of Valerian and Gallienus, from the consulship of Volusianus and Maximinus, down to the third of Valerian and the second of Gallienus. Sixtus, two years, eleven months, six days. He began from the consulship of Maximus and Glabrio, down to that of Tuscus and Bassus; and he suffered on the eighth day before the Ides of August, from the consulship of Tuscus and Bassus to the day twelve before the Kalends of August, in the consulship of Aemilianus and Bassus.

Dionysius, eight years, two months, four days. He lived in the times of Gallienus, from the eleventh day before the Kalends of August, in the consulship of Aemilianus and Bassus, to the seventh day before the Kalends of January, in the consulship of Claudius and Paternus. Felix, five years, eleven months, twenty-five days. He lived in the times of Claudius and Aurelian: from the consulship of Claudius and Paternus, to the second consulship of Aurelian and that of Capitolinus. Eutychianus, eight years, eleven months, three days. He lived in the times of Aurelian, from the third consulship of Aurelian and that of Marcellinus, to the seventh day before the Ides of December, in the consulship of Carus (his second) and Carinus. Caius, twelve years, four months, seven days.

He lived in the times of Carus and Carinus, from the sixteenth day before the Kalends of January, in the consulship of Carus (his second) and Carinus, to the tenth day before the Kalends of May, in the consulship of Diocletian (his sixth) and Constantius (his second). Marcellinus, eight years, three months, twenty-five days. He lived in the times of Diocletian and Maximian, from the day before the Kalends of July, from the consulship of Diocletian (his sixth) and Constantius (his second), to the consulship of Diocletian (his ninth) and Maximian (his eighth). At which time there was a persecution, and the episcopate ceased for seven years, six months, and twenty-five days. Marcellus, one year, seven months, twenty days. He lived in the times of Maxentius, from the tenth consulship and that of Maximian, to after the tenth and seventh consulship.

Eusebius, four months, sixteen days, from the fourteenth day before the Kalends of May to the sixteenth day before the Kalends of September. Miltiades, three years, six months, nine days, from the sixth day before the Nones of July, from the consulship of Maximian (his eighth) alone—which was in the month of September—to that of Volusianus and Rufinus, down to the third day before the Ides of January, in the consulship of Volusianus and Annianus. Silvester, twenty-one years, eleven months. He lived in the times of Constantine, from the consulship of Volusianus and Annianus, from the day before the Kalends of February, to the day of the Kalends of January, in the consulship of Constantius and Albinus. Marcus, eight months, twenty days.

And he too lived in the times of Constantine, in the consulship of Nepotianus and Facundus, from the fifteenth day before the Kalends of February to the day of the Nones of October, in the consulship of the same. Julius, fifteen years, one month, eleven days. He lived in the times of Constantine, from the consulship of Felicianus and Titianus, from the eighth day before the Ides of February, to the day before the Ides of April, in the consulship of Constantius (his fifth) and Constantius Caesar. He made many structures: a basilica on the Portuensian Way, at the third milestone; a basilica on the Flaminian Way, at the second milestone, which is called Valentini's; the Julian Basilica, which is in the seventh region, beside the forum of the deified Trajan; a basilica across the Tiber, in the fourteenth region, beside Callistus.

A basilica on the Aurelian Way, at the third milestone, near Callistus. Liberius lived in the times of Constantius, from the eleventh day before the Kalends of June, to the day...... from the consulship of Constantius (his fifth) and Constantius Caesar. (Almost all these little works end with these consuls, whence it appears that they were written in that year, A.D. 354, or thereabouts.) Acta Sanctorum of April, vol. I.—Preliminary Diatribe on the ancient Catalogues of the Roman Pontiffs, taken from the most ancient manuscript codices, page 4. In the reign of Tiberius Caesar our Lord Jesus Christ suffered, in the consulship of the two Gemini, on the eighth day before the Kalends of April; and after His ascension the most blessed Peter received the episcopate.

From that time it was set down by succession who was bishop, and for how many years he presided, and under whose reign. Peter, twenty-five years, one month, nine days. He lived in the times of Tiberius Caesar, of Caius, of Tiberius Claudius, and of Nero; from the consulship of Vinicius and Longinus to that of Nerva and Vestinus. And he suffered, together with Paul, on the third day before the Kalends of July, in the consulship aforesaid, under the reign of Nero. Linus, twelve years, four months, ten days. He lived in the times of Nero, from the consulship of Saturninus and Scipio to that of Capito and Rufus. Clement, nine years, eleven months, twelve days. He lived in the times of Galba and Vespasian, from the consulship of Trachalus and Italicus to the seventh of Vespasian and the consulship of Titus.

Cletus, six years, two months, seven days. He lived in the times of Vespasian and Titus and at the beginning of Domitian, from the eighth consulship of Vespasian and the sixth of Domitian, to the ninth of Domitian and the consulship of Rufus. Anacletus, twelve years, ten months, three days. He lived in the times of Domitian, from the consulship of Domitian (his tenth) and Sabinus, to the seventeenth of Domitian and the consulship of Clemens. Evaristus, thirteen years, seven months, two days. He lived in the latest times of Domitian, and of Nerva and Trajan; from the consulship of Valens and Verus to that of Gallus and Bradua. Alexander, eight years, two months, one day. He lived in the times of Trajan, from the consulship of Palma and Tullus to that of Aelianus and Verus.

Sixtus, ten years, three months, twenty-one days. He lived in the times of Hadrian, from the consulship of Niger and Apronianus to the third of Verus and the consulship of Ambibulus. Telesphorus, eleven years, three months, three days. He lived in the times of Hadrian, from the consulship of Titianus and Gallicanus to that of Caesar and Balbinus. Hyginus, twelve years, three months, six days. He lived in the times of...... Anicetus, ... years, from the consulship of Gallicanus and Verus to that of Praesens and Rufinus. Pius, fifteen years, four months, twenty days. He lived in the times of Antoninus Pius, from the consulship of Clarus and Severus to that of the two Augusti.

Under his episcopate his brother Hermas wrote a book, in which is enjoined and contained that which the Angel commanded him when he came to him in the garb of a shepherd. Soter, nine years, three months, two days. He lived in the times of...... Eleutherius, ... years. He lived in the times of Antoninus and Commodus, from the consulship of Verus and Herennianus to that of Paternus and Bradua. Victor, nine years, two months, ten days...... Zephyrinus, ... years. From the consulship of Saturninus and Gallus to that of Praesens and Extricatus. Callistus, five years, two months, ten days. He lived in the times of Macrinus and Heliogabalus, from the consulship of Antoninus and Adventus, to the third of Antoninus and the consulship of Alexander.

Urbanus, eight years, eleven months, twelve days. He lived in the times of Alexander, from the consulship of Maximus and Aelianus to that of Agricola and Clementinus. Pontianus, five years, two months, seven days. He lived in the times of Alexander, from the consulship of Pompeianus and Pelignianus. At that time Bishop Pontianus and the priest Hippolytus were exiled, deported to the noxious island of Sardinia, in the consulship of Severus and Quintianus. On that same island he was deprived of his office on the fourth day before the Kalends of October, and in his place was ordained Anteros, on the eleventh day before the Kalends of December, in the consulship aforesaid. Anteros, one month, ten days. He fell asleep on the third day before the Nones of January, in the consulship of Maximinus and Africanus. Fabianus, fourteen years, eleven months, ten days.

He lived in the times of Maximinus and Gordian and Philip, from the consulship of Maximinus and Africanus to the second of Decius and the consulship of Gratus. He suffered on the thirteenth day before the Kalends of February. He divided the regions among the deacons, and ordered many structures to be built throughout the cemeteries. After his passion, the priests Moyses and Maximus and the deacon Nicostratus were seized and cast into prison. At that time Novatus came over from Africa, and separated Novatian from the Church, along with certain confessors, after Moyses had died in prison—who had been there eleven months and eleven days. Cornelius, two years, three months, ten days, from the consulship of Decius (his second) and Decius, to that of Gallus and Volusianus.