Historic Characters in Banish the Snakes: The Pope(s)

In previous installments, I have described the “main characters” in Banish the Snakes: the historic people that players represent in their attempts to convert Ireland. But now I’m moving on to the “supporting cast” of historic characters, people who were notable in the history of the time and show up in the game on Event cards. The previous articles in this “supporting cast” series can be found here.

According to this card, the Pope is too busy with other things, and ignores the situation in Great Britain- and, by extension, in Ireland. So exactly which Pope are we speaking about? Certainly not Pope Celestine, who first sent Palladius and then Patrick and his compatriots to expand the Christian flock in Ireland. But Celestine died later in the same year that he sent Patrick- 432 AD. He was replaced by Sixtus III, who remained active in the ecclesiastical affairs of the British Isles, sending Germanus to suppress the Pelagian heresy there. This effort was continued by his successor Leo (often called Leo the Great) who sent another mission to Britain in 445 AD. Leo spent much of his time negotiating with the Eastern church, trying to keep all believers united under one doctrine.

But then events in the heartland of the Roman Empire accelerated. Atilla the Hun invaded the Empire in 451 AD, and was turned back at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains. But he was back the following year, looting and pillaging Italy. Leo is credited with convincing Atilla to spare Rome, and indeed it wasn’t sacked, although there probably was a bribe involved. Only three years later, Leo tried to pull off the same feat with the Vandals. This time he failed; Rome was sacked for two weeks in the summer of 455 AD. There is no more mention of Britain in Leo’s chronicles.

Leo’s successor Hilarus continued the policies of Leo, trying to hold things together as the Empire continued to deteriorate. Finally, under Hilarus’s successor Simplicius, all pretenses ended: in 476 AD, Odoacer deposed the last Emperor of Rome, Romulus Augustulus, and declared himself King of Italy. For most historians, this event marks the end of the Western Roman Empire. With the Empire gone, the Pope had scant influence outside of Italy. He became little more than what his humble title says: Bishop of Rome. The following three Popes (Felix III, Gelasius, and Anastasius II) focused on tending to the small community of believers in and around Rome. By the end of the century, the Papacy had completely disintegrated: in 498 AD two men claimed to be Pope, and the situation would not be resolved until one of them died. In this part of the world, the church in the British Isles was little more than a distant memory.

In game terms, this card advances paganism in Great Britain. The church in Great Britain would get no aid from Rome, not ecclesiastical aid and certainly not monetary aid. It would not be able to withstand the calamities of the 5th century without that help.

Previous Articles:

Historic Characters in Banish the Snakes: Palladius

Historic Characters in Banish the Snakes: Patrick

Historic Characters in Banish the Snakes: Auxilius

Historic Characters in Banish the Snakes: Ciarán

Historic Characters in Banish the Snakes: Iserninus

Historic Characters in Banish the Snakes: Secundinus

Historic Characters in Banish the Snakes: Brigid

Historic Characters in Banish the Snakes: Finnian

Historic Characters in Banish the Snakes: Ibar

Historic Characters in Banish the Snakes: Brendan

Historic Characters in Banish the Snakes: Moninne