The eighteen years' Pontificate of Damasus came to a close in 384. He is not in the line of heroic Popes. He was, at his elevation, in his seventh decade of life and his remaining energy was largely spent in struggling against the disastrous consequences of his election. He succeeded rather by geniality of temper and the services of others than by strong personal exertion. But he was lucky in his opportunities. He had control of the new wealth of the Papacy, and the Emperors with whom he had to deal were the indifferent or undiscerning Valentinian and the pious and youthful Gratian. Hence he added materially to the foundations of the mediæval Papacy. One might almost venture to say that the dogmatic Roman conception of a primacy inherited from Peter dates from the scriptural discussions of Damasus and Jerome. They were not the authors of that conception, but it would henceforward form the essential part of the Papal attitude. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 26: His latest biographer, the learned Father Marucchi, says 305, but St. Jerome does not say that he was "eighty years old" at death (in 384); he says, "nearly eighty." See Father Marucchi's _Il Papa Damaso_ (1907) and _Christian Epigraphy_ (English trans. 1912), M. Rade's _Damasus, Bischof von Rom_ (1882) is a little more critical.] [Footnote 27: The less flattering statements about Damasus are generally taken from a certain _Libellus precum_, or petition, which was presented to the Emperors by two hostile, though esteemed and orthodox, priests about the year 384. The attack on Damasus is, however, in a preface to the petition, which was probably not put before the Emperors. We must make allowance for bitter hostility, but we shall find some of their strangest statements confirmed by the highest authorities. The _Libellus_ is reproduced in Migne's _Patrologia Latina_, vol. iii.] [Footnote 28: The _Liber Pontificalis_, which gives these events, first lets the schismatic Felix die in peace, and then introduces into the series of Pontiffs a Felix II., saint and martyr! To this day the fortunate Felix bears these honours in the liturgy. It was discovered, in 1582, that the Anti-Pope Felix had been confused with a real saint and martyr of that name, and the question of displacing him was debated at Rome. But the miraculous discovery of an inscription in his favour put an end to criticism. The genuine authorities are agreed that Felix died comfortably in his house on the road to the Port of Rome.] [Footnote 29: XXVII., 3.] [Footnote 30: Year 369.] [Footnote 31: II., 10.] [Footnote 32: _Saint Jerome_, 1867.] [Footnote 33: Mansi, _Sacrorum Conciliorum Collectio_, iii., 625.] [Footnote 34: Mansi, iii., 628.] [Footnote 35: _Ep._, xxi.] [Footnote 36: Mansi, iii., 624.] [Footnote 37: IV., 26.] [Footnote 38: _Ep._, lxx.]