Dueling Popes: Symmachus vs Laurentius, Both Elected on the Same Day
Two popes. Same day. Different buildings. When Anastasius II died, Rome's clergy couldn't agree — so they didn't. Symmachus won his vote at the Lateran Palace while Laurentius simultaneously claimed the throne at Santa Maria Maggiore. The city split instantly, triggering a schism that dragged on for four bloody years. King Theodoric of the Ostrogoths eventually sided with Symmachus, handing him the victory. But here's the twist — the real loser wasn't Laurentius. It was the idea that the Church spoke with one voice.
November 22, 498
1528 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on November 22
A Breton duke handed a Frankish king his worst humiliation. Nominoe wasn't even royalty yet — just a regional leader Charles the Bald had trusted to govern Brit…
Simon de Montfort's forces breach the Castle of Termes, ending the Cathar stronghold that had defied papal authority for months. This victory shatters organized…
Pope Honorius III crowned Frederick II as Holy Roman Emperor in Rome, formalizing the union of the Sicilian throne with the imperial title. This consolidation f…
Nikolaus III. wird in Viterbo als Nachfolger von Johannes XXI. zum Papst gewählt.
Pope Clement V issued the papal bull Pastoralis Praeeminentiae, ordering every Christian monarch in Europe to arrest the Knights Templar and seize their vast ho…
Im Vertrag von Namslau kommt es zu einem Interessenausgleich zwischen Böhmens König Karl I. und Polens König Kasimir III. Kasimir gibt seine Ansprüche auf Schle…
Talk to History
Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.