ful charges began to be rumoured against Symmachus,
no less than adultery,' and the alienation of the property
of the see. Faustus, his implacable adversary, with the
Consul Frobinus and great part of the Senate, supported
these criminations. The accusation was brought before
the judgement seat of Theodoric, supported by certain
Boman females of rank, who had been su'bomed, it was
said, by the enemies of Symmachus. Symmachus was
summoned to Bayenna, and confined in Bimini. Tummts in
But finding the prejudices in Bayenna darken- ^*'°**
ing against him, he escaped and returned to Bome.
Laurentius had also secretly entered the capital. The
sanguinary tumults between tlie two factions broke out
with greater fury; priests were sacrilegiously slain,
monasteries fired, and even sacred virgins treated with
the utmost indignity. The Senate petitioned
the King to send a visitor to judge the cause of
tiie Pontiff. A royal commission was issued to Peter,



AJ>. 503.
s Anonym. Vales. ViU B. Ful-
gentii.
7 There are two aoooonta of these
tmnsactionS)— one that of Anaatasius
Bibliothecarias, or the anoojmoua
papal biographer, favoiuable to Sym-
machus; the other the animymoiu



Veronensis, published by Muntori.
1 have endeavoured to harmonize
them. Both agree that some years
elapsed between the aocewon of Sym
machus and this new contest.
" Anonym. Veron^Hxmfirmed by
Ennodius, p. 1366.
300



LATIN CHRISTIANITY.
Boocnr.
