A Spaniard born in Rome he succeeded Pope Liberius in 366. He declared the definitive Canon of Scripture (i.e. those books which are or not to be included in the Bible) and gave to St. Jerome the task of producing that Latin translation of the Bible which we know as the Vulgate and which was standard for centuries. He was concerned to preserve the historical records of the Church and to honour martyrs in their place of burial. To this end he composed many verse inscriptions to be placed at the martyrs tombs and some of the original plaques are still in place in Rome. He died in 384.