AGAPITO II - Silver coin.
Relations with the latter soon became closer. Giustiniano, under the pretext of avenging the murder of Amalasunta, had begun the conquest of Italia. Belisario had already seized Sicilia. Teodato, king of the Ostrogoths, terrified, ordered A. to request from the emperor the renunciation of the conquest of Italia and the withdrawal of the troops, otherwise he would have all the senators massacred along with their wives and children. In order to procure the money for the journey, A. pawned part of the sacred vessels, which were later returned free of charge. He was received triumphantly in the Oriente; but contrary to what the Liber Pontificalis says, an eyewitness (cf. C. Baronio, Annales, ad an. 536, n. 59, IX, Lucca 1741, pp. 543-45) and Liberato (Breviarium causae Nestorianorum et Eutychianorum, 21: PL 68, 1038 ff.) assure us that A.'s political mission failed. Instead, following long and laborious negotiations, he succeeded in obtaining the expulsion of Antimo, who, thanks to the support of the empress Teodora, had transferred from the see of Trebisonda to that of Costantinopoli and was suspected of Monophysitism. To succeed him, A. himself chose and consecrated the priest and monk Mena (March 13, 536). A few days after the approval of Giustiniano's profession of faith (March 18, 536), he fell gravely ill. He died in Costantinopoli on Apr. 22, 536, and was given a splendid funeral there. In the following Sept. he was transported to Roma and buried in S. Pietro. He is venerated as a saint in the Latin Church on Sept. 20, the anniversary of his burial in S. Pietro, and in the Greek Church on Apr. 17 or 18.