liberius died on 24 september 366. the upper-class partisans of felix threw their support to damasus, but the opposing supporters of liberius, the deacons and laity, supported ursicinus; the two were elected simultaneously, in an atmosphere of rioting. supporters already clashed at the beginning of october. such was the violence and bloodshed that the two "praefecti" of the city were called in to restore order, and after a first setback, when they were driven to the suburbs and a massacre of 137 was perpetrated in the basilica of sicininus (as cited in ammianus marcellinus), the prefects banished ursicinus to gaul. there was further violence when he returned, which continued after ursicinus was exiled again.