Sylvester I, Saint ( ? -335), was elected pope in 314. Little is known about his life, but many legends sprang up about his reign. He was pope during the rule of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great. Constantine was converted to Christianity on his deathbed by an Arian bishop. But according to one legend, Sylvester converted Constantine after curing him of leprosy. Such tales were widely known during the Middle Ages and contributed to the hoax called the Donation of Constantine. The Donation was a forged document probably composed in the 760’s. The document falsely stated that Constantine gave most of his property, rights, and honors as emperor to Sylvester and the pope’s successors.
Sylvester was the first pope to acquire for the church significant buildings in Rome. The best known were the Lateran Palace and basilica, which served as headquarters for the papacy until the 1300’s.
