Heraclius was a Roman who, in 310, opposed the election of

Pope Eusebius Pope Eusebius (died 21 October 310) was the bishop of Rome from 18 April 309 until his exile on 17 August 310. Biography Not much is known about Eusebius' early life, but he was probably a Greek. As in the case of his predecessor, Marcellu ...

, earning him the title of

antipope An antipope () is a person who claims to be Bishop of Rome and leader of the Roman Catholic Church in opposition to the officially elected pope. Between the 3rd and mid-15th centuries, antipopes were supported by factions within the Church its ...

. All that is known of Heraclius appears in an epitaph written by

Pope Damasus I Pope Damasus I (; c. 305 – 11 December 384), also known as Damasus of Rome, was the bishop of Rome from October 366 to his death in 384. It is claimed that he presided over the Council of Rome of 382 that determined the canon or official list ...

for Eusebius. Heraclius and Eusebius disagreed over the policy which should be taken towards the lapsi (those

Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

who had lapsed in their faith during persecution). Damasus' epitaph is ambiguous as to whether Heraclius' position was that the lapsi should be readmitted to the church without compelling them to do penance, or that they should not be readmitted at all,Davis, Raymond (1997). "Pre-Constantinian Chronology: The Roman Bishopric from AD 258 to 314". ''The Journal of Theological Studies'' 48'(2). 467–468. but Luxembourgish ecclesiastical historian

Johann Peter Kirsch Johann Peter Kirsch (3 November 1861 – 4 February 1941) was a Luxembourgish ecclesiastical historian and biblical archaeologist. Life Johann Peter Kirsch was born in Dippach, Luxembourg, the son of Andreas and Katherine Didier Kirsch. At ...

strongly assumes the former. Heraclius was elected pope by his faction in opposition to Eusebius in 310.Graves, Dan. "Pope Eusebius Began Short Reign" ''Christianity.com''. Accessed 7 May 2019
/ref> Public disturbances caused by partisans of the two rivals reached such a state (characterized by Damasus I as sedition, discord, and even warfare) that Emperor

Maxentius Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius ( 283 – 28 October 312) was a Roman emperor from 306 until his death in 312. Despite ruling in Italy and North Africa, and having the recognition of the Senate in Rome, he was not recognized as a legitimate ...

exiled both parties to

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

Kirsch, Johann Peter. "Pope St. Eusebius." ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''. Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. Accessed 7 May 2019
/ref> where Eusebius died, and where nothing more was heard of Heraclius.

References

{{Authority control 4th-century Romans Antipopes 4th-century antipopes Year of birth unknown

See also

References