Martin was born at Todi in Umbria. At the beginning of his Popedom, he was careful to send an embassage with letters to Paul, Patriarch of Constantinople, to call upon him to return to the truth of the Catholic faith from the blasphemous heresy of the Monothelites. But Paul, being backed up by the heretic Emperor Constans, had become so rabid, that he sent away the messengers of the Apostolic See into divers places in the islands. This crime moved the Pope to gather together at Rome a council of one hundred and five Bishops, by whom Paul was condemned.
Thereupon Constans sent Olympius into Italy as Exarch, straitly commanding him either to slay Pope Martin, or else to bring him into his Imperial presence. Olympius therefore came to Rome and bade a lictor to kill the Pope while as he was celebrating the Liturgy solemnly in the Cathedral Church of St. Mary-at-the-Manger. But when the lictor went thither, he was struck with blindness.
From that time forth many evils befell the Emperor Constans; but he repented not. He sent the Exarch Theodore Calliopas to Rome, with command to lay hands on the Pope. By him Martin was treacherously taken and brought to Constantinople, till he was sent to the Crimea. There his sufferings for the Catholic faith utterly broke him down, and he left this life for a better, upon the 12th day of November. He was famous for miracles. His body was afterwards brought back to Rome and buried in the church dedicated under the names of St. Silvester and St. Martin. He ruled the Church for six years, one month, and twenty-six days. He held two ordinations in the month of December, wherein he made eleven Priests, five Deacons, and thirty-three Bishops for divers places.
Thereupon Constans sent Olympius into Italy as Exarch, straitly commanding him either to slay Pope Martin, or else to bring him into his Imperial presence. Olympius therefore came to Rome and bade a lictor to kill the Pope while as he was celebrating the Liturgy solemnly in the Cathedral Church of St. Mary-at-the-Manger. But when the lictor went thither, he was struck with blindness.
From that time forth many evils befell the Emperor Constans; but he repented not. He sent the Exarch Theodore Calliopas to Rome, with command to lay hands on the Pope. By him Martin was treacherously taken and brought to Constantinople, till he was sent to the Crimea. There his sufferings for the Catholic faith utterly broke him down, and he left this life for a better, upon the 12th day of November. He was famous for miracles. His body was afterwards brought back to Rome and buried in the church dedicated under the names of St. Silvester and St. Martin. He ruled the Church for six years, one month, and twenty-six days. He held two ordinations in the month of December, wherein he made eleven Priests, five Deacons, and thirty-three Bishops for divers places.
