A documentary on the Roman empire

[Minimalist]

Ken Humphrey's discussion on the criminal fucks who were the early "popes."


http://www.jesusneverexisted.com/papal-princes.htm

Damasus I gained the papal throne in circumstances that Christians would rather not talk about. By the second half of the fourth century the city of Rome had lost most of its imperial grandeur and competing clerics 'protected' their own territories within the city. When Pope Liberius died in 366 AD, an ambitious presbyter named Damasus had his sights on the papal throne. Unfortunately for Damasus, a rival presbyter called Ursinus got in first and had his supporters elect him pontiff. Not one to give up easily, Damasus had himself declared pope a week later, and the two rival claimants locked horns.

To better his rival, Damasus had his partisans besiege the Ursinus gang, holed up in the basilica of Mary Major. Unable to break in, they climbed onto the roof of the building, forced a hole and began raining masonry onto the heads of their rivals. When the Ursinus clan capitulated after three days, one hundred and seventy seven dead and dying were brought out from the wrecked church. And thus the one true pontiff emerged. Ursinus himself, however had not been taken and the gangland rivalry would last another fifteen years, from time to time arbitrated by the pagan city prefect and forcing Damasus to move about the city with a bodyguard of armed gladiators.

Praise fucking jesus!