'Pope Saint Simplicius' was
pope from
468 to
March 10,
483.
He was born at
Tivoli, Italy, the son of a citizen named Castinus. Most of what is known of him is derived from the ''
Liber Pontificalis.''
Simplicius defended the action of the
Council of Chalcedon against the
Monophysite heresy (and its confirmation of the equality to the Bishop of Rome of the eastern patriarchs), labored to help the people of
Italy against the marauding raids of barbarian invaders, and saw the
Heruli mercenaries revolt and proclaim
Odoacer king of Italy in
476, having deposed
Romulus Augustulus, the last
Western Roman Emperor. Odoacer made few changes in the administration at Rome, firmly in the hands of its Bishop. He worked to maintain the authority of
Rome in the West.
Pope Simplicius is credited for the construction of a
church entitled to the virgin and martyr
St Bibiana.
He has been declared a
saint by the
Roman Catholic Church, with his
Feast day being
10 March.
.