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Lucius Papa, succeeded Cornelius as bishop of Rome according to Baronius in A. D. 255, but according to Pagi and Pearson in A. D. 252. According to Baronius he was born at Rome, and his father was named Porphyrius. Of his history previous to his pontificate little more is known than that he was one of the presbyters who accompanied his predecessor into exile when he was banished by the emperor Gallus to Centum Cellae, now Civita Vecchia. [CORNELIUS.] Lucius himself was banished a short time after his election, but soon obtained leave to return. His return was about the end of the year 252, or early in the year 253 (256 according to Baronius), and he could not have long survived it, as his whole pontificate was only of six or eight months, perhaps even shorter than that. He died, not as Baronius states, in A. D. 257, but in A. D. 253, being, according to some accounts, martyred by decapitation. The manner of his death is, however, very doubtful. (Euseb. H. E. vii. 2; Cyprian. Epistol. 61, 68, ed. Fell. 58, 67, ed. Pamelii; Pearson, Annal. Cyprian. ad ann. 252, 253; Baronius, Annal. ad ann. 255, 256, 257, 258; Pagi, Critice in Baronium ; Tillemont, Memoires, vol. iv. p. 118, &c.)
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Oct 2006 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
ROME (Ancient city) ITALY
Liberius, the successor of Julius as bishop of Rome, was ordained on the twenty-second
of May, A. D. 352, at a period when the downfall of the usurper Magnentius being
no longer doubtful, the Arians were straining every nerve to excite Constantius
against their orthodox antagonists. The conduct of Liberius when he first assumed
the papal dignity is involved in.much obscurity. If we believe that either of
the letters found among the fragments of Hilarius (frag. iv. col. 1327, and 1335,
ed. Bened. fol. Paris, 1693), --the first inscribed Epistola Liberii Episcopi
Urbis Romae ad Orientales Episcopos, and written apparently in 352; the second,
belonging to a much later date, but containing allusions to the same events, Delectissimis
Fratribus Presbyteris et Coepiscopis Orientalibus-- is genuine, there can be no
doubt that at the outset of his career he took a violent part against Athanasius,
and even excommunicated him from the Roman church. On the other hand, Dupin employs
no less than seven distinct arguments to prove that the first must be spurious,
although he says nothing with regard to the second, and both are by many divines
regarded as Arian forgeries. It is at all events certain that the pope soon after
displayed the utmost devotion to the cause of the persecuted Catholics; for after
the legates deputed by him to the council of Arles, (A. D. 353), Vincentius of
Capua, and Marcellinus, another Campanian bishop, had been gained over, after
his representatives at Milan (A. D. 354), Eusebius of Vercelli, and Lucifer of
Cagliari, had been driven into exile, after nearly all the prelates of the West
had yielded to the influence of the court, Liberius stood firm to the truth; and
although violently hurried from Rome to the presence of the emperor, he chose
rather to suffer banishment than to subscribe the condemnation of one, whom he
believed innocent. But after two years spent at Beroea, this noble resolution
began to fail. He made overtures of submission, probably through Demophilus, the
heretic bishop of the city where he had been compelled to take up his abode, and,
having been summoned to Sirmium, signed in the presence of the council there assembled
(the third, A. D. 357), the Arian creed sanctioned by that conclave, and the decrees
against Athanasius. Upon this he was permitted to return to Rome, there to exercise
a divided power along with a certain Felix, who had been nominated his successor.
But the zeal of the people in favour of their ancient pastor frustrated this amicable
arrangement. Violent tumults arose, Constantius yielded to the vehement display
of popular feeling, Felix resigned, and his departure from the city was signalised
by an inhuman massacre of his adherents. Liberius passed the remainder of his
life in tranquillity, dying in A. D. 366, not however, we are assured, until he
had once more changed his profession, by recanting all his errors and becoming
a Catholic.
I. The correspondence of Liberius as exhibited by Coustant comprises twelve epistles. 1. Ad Osium. 2. Ad Caecilianum. 3. Ad Eusebium Vercellensem. 4. Ad Constantium Augustum. 5, 6. Ad Eusebium Vercellensem. 7. Ad Eusebium, Dionysium, et Luciferum exsules. 8. Ad Orientales. 9. Ad Ursacium, Valentem, et Germinium, bishops in the imperial court. 10. Ad Vincentium Capuanum. 11. Ad Catholicos Episcopos Italiae. 12. Ad universes Orientis orthodoxos Episcopos, in Greek.
We find also ascribed to him :
II. Dicta ad Eusebium spadonem, dum ipsum ut in Athanasium subscribens Imperatori obtemperaret adhortabatur.
III. Dialogus Libe ii et Constantii Imperatoris, triduo antequam in exilium deportaretur, habits.
IV. Oratio Liberii Marcellinam S. Ambrosii sororem dato virginitatis velo consecrantis.
Of the letters, eight (1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) have been transmitted to us among the fragments of St. Hilarius, three (3, 5, 6) were first extracted by Baronius from the archives of the church at Vercelli, and one (12) is preserved by Socrates, H. E. iv. 12. The Dicta is found in the treatise of Athanasius Ad Monachos, the Dialogus in Theodoret, H. E. ii. 16, the Oratio in Ambrosius de Virgin. iii. 1, 2, 3.
For full information with regard to the works of this father and discussions
on the authenticity of the various pieces, see Constant, Epistolae Pontificum
Rom. fol. Paris, 1721, p. 421, and Galland, Bibliotheca Patrum, vol. v. p. 65,
fol. Venet. 1769, who rejects epistles 8, 9, 10, as fabrications. (Amm. Marc.
xv. 7; Hieronym. Chron. ; Sulp. Sever. ii.; Socrat. H. E. iv. 12; Sozomen. H.
E. iv. 15; Theodoret, H. E. ii. 17.)
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Oct 2006 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
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