originally a deacon of the church of alexandria, dioscurus was forced to flee as an opponent of monophysitism, arriving in rome around 506 during the laurentian schism. there, he was adopted into the ranks of the roman clergy, and soon acquired considerable influence in the church of rome. jeffrey richards credits him with persuading king theodoric the great to recognize symmachus as the rightful pope. later, under pope hormisdas, he served as papal "apocrisiarius", or legate, to the court of justinian at constantinople, ending the acacian schism, and was instrumental in persuading pope hormisdas to reject theopaschism. during the pontificate of felix iv he became the recognized head of the pro-byzantine party.