liberius was sent to a prison in berea in thrace. the collectio avellana says that damasus was a deacon in rome; alban butler and the "encyclopedia britannica" name him an archdeacon of the roman church. in any event, damasus followed liberius into exile, though he immediately returned to rome. having sworn to have no pope but liberius, members of the roman clergy then chose the archdeacon felix as his successor, an action that proved unpopular with the general populace. during the period before liberius' return, damasus had a great share in the government of the church.