352 Liberius. 356, First instance of schism in the church of Rome. Felix maintains a rival claim to the primacy.
366 Damasus I elected to the see, after a bitter and violent contest, over his rival, Ursinus. Damasus represents the cause of orthodoxy. 384, Siricius. In his primacy the decretals—pastoral letters—are begun.
398 Anastasius I. The papacy has emerged from obscurity. Paganism is in its death throes.
402 Innocent I. He does much to free the church from political interference. 417, Zosimus. He attempts to temporise with paganism.
418 Boniface I. His election is contested. Eulalius maintains a rival claim. The emperor Honorius intervenes, and the provisions for election are revised. This is the first instance of imperial interference.
422 Celestine I. 432, Sixtus III. 440, Leo (I) the Great, sometimes called the real founder of the papacy. The precedence of the bishops of Rome is now fully recognised. 461, Hilarius. 468, Simplicius. 476, The fall of the Western Empire increases the bishops’ authority. 483, Felix II (or III, if the rival bishop in 356 is reckoned as Felix II). He feels himself powerful enough to summon the patriarch of Constantinople to Rome, and excommunicates him on his refusal to obey. 492, Gelasius I. He enunciates the principle that his acts are not to be controlled by synods. 496, Anastasius II. 498, Symmachus. The election is contested by Laurentius, who maintains a rival claim. The Palmary synod disavows its own right to sit in judgment on the acts of the Roman bishop.
514 Hormisdas. 523, John I. Theodoric sends John to Constantinople to obtain indulgence for the Arians. Not entirely successful, Theodoric imprisons the bishop on his return (525), and he dies the following year. 526, Felix III or IV. Dionysius Exiguus collects and publishes the canons of the councils and the papal decretals. 530, Boniface II. His election contested by Dioscorus until the latter’s death, the same year. Boniface obtains the power of appointing his own successor, but a second synod annuls it.
532 John II. 535, Agapetus I. Theodotus sends him to Constantinople in his behalf. 536, Belisarius enters Rome; the pope becomes the vassal of the emperor. Silverius. 537, Through the intrigues of the empress Theodora and the deacon Vigilius, Silverius is deposed and banished to the island of Pandataria. Vigilius becomes bishop of Rome. The bishops now become mere puppets of the Eastern court.
552 Vigilius, resisting the will of Justinian, is imprisoned.