Boethius was tried in the senate house in Rome while he was lying in prison in Pavia.  Without being permitted to answer his accusers or to be heard by his judges he was sentenced to death by the intimidated senate whose freedom he was accused of seeking to establish.  From Pavia, where in prison awaiting death he had written his De Consolatione Philosophiae which was so largely to inform the new Europe, he was carried to “the ager Calventianus” a few miles from Milan; where he was tortured, a cord was twisted round his forehead till his eyes burst from their sockets, and then he was clubbed to death.  This occurred in 524, and in that same year throughout the empire we find the great movement against Arianism take on new life.

[Illustration:  CAPITAL FROM S. VITALE]

This irresistible attack began in the East and Theodoric seems at once to have seen in it the culmination of all those dangers he had to fear.  He recognised, too, at last, that it was Catholicism he had to face.  Therefore he sent for pope John I. When the pope, old and infirm, appeared in Ravenna, Theodoric made the greatest diplomatic mistake of his life.  He bade the pope go to Constantinople to the emperor and tell him that “he must not in any way attempt to win over those whom he calls heretics to the Catholic religion.”

Apart from the impertinence of this command to the emperor from the king of the Goths, it was foolish in the extreme.  His object should have been, above all else, to keep the emperor and the pope apart, but by this act he forced them together; only anger can have suggested such an impolitic move.  “The king,” says the chronicler[1], “returning in great anger [from the murder of Boethius] and unmindful of the blessings of God, considered that he might frighten Justin by an embassy.  Therefore he sent for John the chief of the Apostolic See to Ravenna and said to him, ’Go to Justin the emperor and tell him that among other things he must restore the converted heretics to the (Arian) faith.’  And the pope answered, ’What thou doest do quickly.  Behold here I stand in thy sight.  I will not promise to do this thing for thee nor to say this to the emperor.  But in other matters, with God’s help, I may succeed.’  Then the king being angered ordered a ship to be prepared and placed the pope aboard together with other bishops, namely, Ecclesius of Ravenna, Eusebius of Fano, Sabinus of Campania, and two others with the following senators, Theodorus, Importunus, Agapitus, and another Agapitus.  But God, who does not forsake those who are faithful, brought them prosperously to their journey’s end.  Then the emperor Justin met the pope on his arrival as though he were St. Peter himself[2], and when he heard his message promised that he would comply with all his requests, but the converts who had given themselves to the Catholic Faith he could by no means restore to the Arians.”

[Footnote 1:  Anon.  Valesii, ut supra.]