The Roman Empire was at this point Christian, and if it weren't for Boethius's treacherous end, he probably would have been barely remembered in history. As it happens, he got caught in a conflict between the Roman Emperor, Theoderic, and the Eastern Emperor, a conflict concerning the unification the Roman and the Eastern churches. Theoderic was a Ostrogoth and had invaded Rome in 489, assuming the title of emperor in 493. He was, by all accounts, a good leader and just man; however, he was an Arian Christian--a vile heretic in the eyes of the Roman Church. He seems to have trusted Boethius for a while; however, Boethius's attempts to negotiate with the Eastern Church soon were construed as treason by Theoderic and he slapped him in prison, tried and convicted him of treason and sacrilege, tortured him mercilessly for months, and killed him in the cruelest possible manner.