Saint Silverius

Pope Silverius, died on December 2, 537, was bishop of Rome from June 8, 536, until his deposition and subsequent death a few months later. His rapid ascension to the papacy from deacon status coincided with the political machinations of Ostrogothic King Theodahad, who sought to replace him with a pro-Gothic candidate before the onset of the Gothic War. Silverius was deposed by Byzantine general Belisarius and exiled to the desolate island of Palmarola, where he starved to death in 537. His brief tenure as pope was marked by political intrigue and personal tragedy.