ABSTRACT
Contemporary sources on Leo’s life before he entered the pontificate on 29 September 440 are regrettably scarce. A few details are provided by the author of The Book of Pontiffs (Liber Pontificalis). The earliest recension of this collection of achievements of the bishops of Rome dates to the early sixth century and is thus more than 150 years removed from Leo’s own day. Liber Pontificalis relates that Leo was born in Tuscany, a dubious claim, and was the son of an otherwise unknown Quintianus. The anonymous author omits to mention that Leo was made deacon under Sixtus III (432-40), in which role he would have received valuable training for the office of bishop. Indeed, this was a common career path in the papal administration. Part of his role as deacon was to undertake diplomatic missions for the imperial government (legationes publicae). According to Prosper’s Chronicle, Leo was acclaimed pope while conducting such a mission in Gaul. He had been sent there to settle a dispute between Albinus, praetorian prefect of Gaul, and the general Aetius.1
