Abstract This article provides the first critical edition with commentary of the Damnatio Vigilii , an invective letter spuriously ascribed to Pope Silverius (forcefully deposed by the Byzantines in 537) against his successor Vigilius. The discussion begins with issues of authenticity, followed by an overview of the manuscript tradition. The reference text of the Damnatio Vigilii is still based on a (non-critical) edition of a later and highly problematic collection called Pseudo-Isidoriana . In contrast to the current editorial state, a recognition of all canonical collections that transmit the Damnatio Vigilii (not just Pseudo-Isidore, but also a group of manuscripts related to the Collectio Quesnelliana , as well as the Collectio Lanfranci ) permits the establishment of a philologically more reliable text. Commentary notes explain the textual-critical choices, draw parallels with other sources, and elucidate the style and language of this undervalued document. Finally, a comparison with other sources about the deposition of Silverius appraises the value of the DV as a historical document.
Lorenzo Livorsi (Wed,) studied this question.