PELAGIUS II, Pope. - Of Germanic origin, born in Rome to Unigild. Having entered the clergy, in 579, upon the death of Benedict I, he was elected pontiff and consecrated on 26 November. Given the precarious circumstances in which Italy found itself, devastated by the Lombards who had advanced as far as Rome, the consecration took place without waiting, as was customary, for the approval of the Byzantine Emperor.
As soon as he ascended the papal throne, P. strove by every means to save Rome from barbarian devastation; and assuming also the direction of events together with the Roman Senate, he sent an embassy to Constantinople to solicit military aid. Since this was insignificant, P. thought of turning to the king of the Franks (Oct. 580), urging him to ally with the Empire against the Lombards. Having received no effective defense from the exarch of Ravenna, Smaragdus, he dispatched a new embassy to Constantinople. Following negotiations, in 585 he was able to conclude a truce with Authari, which lasted until 589. Taking advantage of the peaceful political conditions of the truce, P. was finally able to devote himself more intensely to religious and spiritual activity, and in the first place he sought to put an end to the disastrous schism under Pelagius I (v.), writing to Bishop Elias of Aquileia, to give him formal assurance that nothing had been done in conflict with the Council of Chalcedon, the object and pretext of the struggle; but every negotiation on the matter, owing to the obstinacy of the schismatics, came to nothing; indeed, another letter to Elias, in which he explained in detail the attitude of the Apostolic See in the question of the "Three Chapters," of the popes Vigilius and Pelagius I, but at the same time with strong arguments he proved the condemnability of the "Three Chapters." Not even the threats of the emperor Maurice frightened the successors of Elias, and the attempts of the exarch Smaragdus remained without result. During the pontificate of P. there also began the vexatious question raised by the ambitious patriarch John of Constantinople, who arrogated to himself the title of "ecumenical patriarch."
In Nov. 589 a terrible flood of the Tiber caused much damage and brought about a pestilence: among the first victims was P. himself (7 Feb. 590).
Bibliography4 works
Agostino Amore