Editing Pope Pelagius I (section)

==Family and early career==
Pelagius was born into a noble family from [[Rome]].  His father, John, seems to have been vicar of one of the two civil districts into which Italy was then divided.<ref name="ce-pelagius">{{CathEncy|wstitle=Pope Pelagius I|volume=11|author=Mann, Horace K.}}</ref>

Pelagius accompanied [[Pope Agapetus I]] to [[Constantinople]] and was appointed ''[[papal apocrisiarius|apocrisiarius]]''. As such, Pelagius acquired great influence with Emperor [[Justinian I]]. He returned to Rome in 543.<ref name="ce-pelagius"/> In 545, when [[Pope Vigilius]] went to Constantinople on Justinian's orders, Pelagius stayed in Rome as the pope's representative. [[Totila]], king of the [[Goths]], had begun to blockade the city.  Pelagius poured out his own fortune for the benefit of the famine-stricken people, and tried to induce the king to grant a truce.  Though he failed, he afterwards induced Totila to spare the lives of the people when he captured Rome in December 546.  Totila sent Pelagius to Constantinople in order to arrange a peace with Justinian I, but the emperor sent him back to say that his general [[Belisarius]] was in command in Italy.<ref name="ce-pelagius"/>