Sylvester

Sylvester, name of three popes.—Sylvester I. (314-335) is claimed to have baptised Constantine the Great, and to have received from him the famous Donation. He was canonised, his day falling on December 31.—Sylvester II., whose name was Gerbert, was born at Aurillac in Auvergne about 950, and early acquired from his extraordinary attainments in philosophy, but especially in mathematics and chemistry, the reputation of being in league with the Devil. Made abbot of Bobbio by Otto II., he opposed the papal claims at the Synod of Rheims (991), but afterwards became reconciled with the pope, and was made Archbishop of Ravenna (998), from which he climbed into the papal chair in 999, which he filled till his death in 1003. His Letters were edited by Olleris (Clermont, 1867). See the works thereon by J. Havet (1889) and Boubnov (1889), and the studies by Werner (1878), Nagl (1888), and Weissenborn (1888).—Sylvester III. (1044-46), Antipope to Benedict IX., set aside at the Synod at Sutri.