The Vitae of various popes written by Pandulf and Boso, two of the most important sources on papal history of the 12th century, share a decisive commonality in their connection to the older Liber pontificalis. If one compares both authors in their role as continuators of the papal book, the parallels but also differences in their conceptions of history emerge with new clarity. While Boso, in optimistic trust in God, tried to interweave a golden past with a triumphant future, Pandulf openly addressed the failures and disasters of recent pontificates. His work appears in this light as a memorial of the decline experienced by Anaclet II’s curia.