For literature, see Schulte, The Poorer of the Romans over Princes, Countries, etc. (1871) ; Fessler, True and False Infallibility of the Popes (Vienna, 1871 ; Lond. and N. Y. 1875) ; Gladstone, The Vatican Decrees in their Bearbif) on Civil Allegiance (1874), with replies by New- man, IManning, and others.
Syllis, in Greek mythology, was a nymph beloved by Apollo, and the mother Iw him of Xeuxippus.
Sylliturgus (SnAXEiVojrpyoc), a Greek term to designate the assistant during the otfering of the Chris- tian sacritice.
Sylphs, in the fantastic system of the Paracelsists, are the elemental spirits of the air, who, like the other elemental spirits, hold an intermediate place between immaterial and material beings. They eat, drink, speak, move about, beget children, and are sul)ject to intirmi- ties like men; but, on the other hand, they resemble S[)irits in being more nimble and swift in their motions, while their bodies are more diaphanous than those of the human race. They also surpass the latter in their knowledge both of the present and the future, but have no soul: and when they die, nothing is left. In form they are ruder, taller, and stronger than men, but stand nearest to them of all the elemental spirits, and as a
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consequence hold intercourse with human creatures. When tliey have children by marriage with mortals, the children have souls, and belong to the human race. Originally masculine, they have come, probably by the etherealization of poets, to be considered as feminine, Sylvester Gozzoloni. See Sylvestkians, Sylvester I, pope, was born in Rome about the year 270, and was the son of Rufinus and St. Justa. At thirty years of age he is said to have been ordained by bishop (pope) Marcellinus, and on Jan. 31, 314, he was chosen to succeed Melchides in the pontificate. His jidministration is celebrated for the Council of Nicaja (q. v.), held in 325, which, however, Sylvester did not attend, on account of his infirmities; and he was repre- sented by two priests, called Guy and Vincent, while Osius, bishop of Cordova, presided in his name. He is the author of several rules to the clergy. The account given of the donation to him of the city of Rome by Con- stantine is wholly apocryphal. He died in Rome, Dec. 31, 335, and was succeeded by Marcus.
Sylvester II, one of the most learned of the mediieval popes, origiually called Gerhert, was born at Aurillac, in Auvergne, early in the 10th century. He was educated in the monasterj' of his native village, but went early to Spain, where he learned mathemat- ics, and afterwards to Rome. He was appointed abbot of the iMonastery of Bobbio, where he taught with much distinction and success. At a later period he went to (Jermany as preceptor of the young prince Otho, after- wards Otho II, and ultimately became secretary to the archbishop of Rheims, and director of the cathedral school, which became eminent under his care. The archbishop having been deposed, Sylvester was elected to the archbisliopric; but he was afterwards set aside, the deposition of his predecessor having been declared invalid. In the year 998, however, he was appointed archbishop of Ravenna, whence he was called to the pontifical throne, April 2, 999, as the successor of Greg- ory V. He renounced the liberal tendencies of his ear- lier years, confirmed the judgment of John XV with regard to the Synod of Rheims, and established Arnulph in his archbishopric; convened a synod in 1001 at Rome, which placed the Convent of Gandersheim under the jurisdiction of the bishop of Hildesheim; aifd awarded title and crown to the king St. Stephen of Hungary, besides conferring on him the right to determine in ec- clesiastical matters in his kingdom. While considering a plan for a crusade to the Holy Land, he died in Rome, May 12, 1003, and was succeeded by John XVIII. He was a man of rare acquirements for his age. He was an adept in mathematics and in practical mechanics and astronomy, in which departments his attainments ac- (juired for him, among his contemporaries, the evil repu- tation of a magician. He is also believed to have been acquainted with Greek, and perhaps with Arabic. Of all his works, which were numerous, his letters (printed liy Du Chesne in the Historians of F.runce) have attract- ed most notice, from their bearing on the history of an obscure period. His literary remains have been pub- lished by Masson and others, more recently by Pertz, though not complete. See Richeri Hist. Lib. iv, in Pertz, Moinim. Germ. Historica Script. (Hanov. 1838), tom. iii ; Mabillon, Vet. A nalecta (Paris, 1723), p. 102 sq. ; Hock, Gerbert od. Papst Sylvester II u. sein Jahrhundert (Vienna, 1837). See also Budinger on the scientific and political importance of Gerbert (Cassel, 1851) ; Herzog, Rcul-Ennjklop. s. v. ; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s. v.
Sylvester III, antipope, was born in Rome, May 1, 104-t; and while known as John, bishop ofSabina, he was set on the pontifical throne through the influence of the consul Ptolemasus, in place of the juvenile Bene- dict IX, who had been expelled for his vices. Sylvester reigned but three months, when the counts of Frascati took np arms to replace Benedict. The latter, seeing he was despised by the clergy, sold the tiara to John (iratian, whom he crowned as Gregorv VI. The em- X.— E