IV483-752
The Byzantine Papacy
Popes under Constantinople's shadow: elected in Rome, confirmed by an emperor a thousand miles east.
Popes No. 48-91
For nearly three centuries after the Acacian schism opened this era, the popes lived inside the East Roman world: their elections awaited imperial confirmation, their theology was contested in Constantinople, and several of them were Greeks or Syrians. One, Martin I, was dragged east and died in exile for defying an emperor's doctrine, the last pope venerated as a martyr.
The era's giant is Gregory the Great, the Roman prefect turned monk who fed the city, negotiated with Lombard kings as if he were a head of state, and sent the mission that converted England. By the era's end, iconoclast emperors and Lombard armies had exhausted Roman patience with Byzantium; the popes began looking north.
The world at the time
- 529
religiousBenedict writes his Rule
Monte Cassino's founder composes the rule that will quietly organize western monasticism, and much of Europe, for a millennium.
- 622
religiousThe Hijra
Muhammad's migration to Medina founds the Islamic era; within a century, half of Christendom's heartlands are under Muslim rule.
- 732
politicalBattle of Tours
Charles Martel halts the Umayyad advance into Francia, marking the Franks as the military power the papacy will soon court.
Popes of this era
Felix IIINo. 48 · 483-492- Gelasius INo. 49 · 492-496
- Anastasius IINo. 50 · 496-498
- SymmachusNo. 51 · 498-514
- HormisdasNo. 52 · 514-523
- John INo. 53 · 523-526
- Felix IVNo. 54 · 526-530
- Boniface IINo. 55 · 530-532
- John IINo. 56 · 533-535
- Agapetus INo. 57 · 535-536
- SilveriusNo. 58 · 536-537
- VigiliusNo. 59 · 537-555
- Pelagius INo. 60 · 556-561
- John IIINo. 61 · 561-574
- Benedict INo. 62 · 575-579
- Pelagius IINo. 63 · 579-590
- Gregory INo. 64 · 590-604
- SabinianNo. 65 · 604-606
- Boniface IIINo. 66 · 607
- Boniface IVNo. 67 · 608-615
- Adeodatus INo. 68 · 615-618
- Boniface VNo. 69 · 619-625
- Honorius INo. 70 · 625-638
- SeverinusNo. 71 · 640
- John IVNo. 72 · 640-642
- Theodore INo. 73 · 642-649
- Martin INo. 74 · 649-655
- Eugene INo. 75 · 656-657
- VitalianNo. 76 · 657-672
- Adeodatus IINo. 77 · 672-676
- DonusNo. 78 · 676-678
- AgathoNo. 79 · 678-681
- Leo IINo. 80 · 682-683
- Benedict IINo. 81 · 684-685
- John VNo. 82 · 685-686
- CononNo. 83 · 686-687
- Sergius INo. 84 · 687-701
- John VINo. 85 · 701-705
- John VIINo. 86 · 705-707
- SisinniusNo. 87 · 708
- ConstantineNo. 88 · 708-715
- Gregory IINo. 89 · 715-731
- Gregory IIINo. 90 · 731-741
- ZacharyNo. 91 · 741-752