Sylvester I was pope from the year 314 to 335 — a long pontificate during a crucial period in the history of the Church, right after the Edict of Milan, which gave Christians legal recognition. Yet, despite the importance of the era, Sylvester’s role as bishop of Rome does not stand out as much as one might expect.
It is not true —despite what the Roman Martyrology says— that Pope Sylvester baptized Emperor Constantine, nor that Constantine gave him the famous “Donation,” which was actually a legal forgery from the 8th century. It is also incorrect to say that Sylvester confirmed the decrees of the Council of Nicaea. What we know for certain is that the pope sent two priests as his representatives, who were present at the First Ecumenical Council as observers.
However, one point in the legendary accounts of his life may contain some truth: before being elected pope, Sylvester is said to have been a confessor of the faith during the last persecution.
The document known as the Depositio episcoporum (354 AD) records that Pope Sylvester was buried on December 31 in the cemetery of Priscilla. His feast is already attested as early as the 5th century.
