- Theodorus Lector
Theodorus Lector ( _el. Θεόδωρος Αναγνώστης, "Theodoros Anagnostes") was a lector, or reader, at the
Hagia Sophia inConstantinople during the early sixth century. [Encyclopedia Britannica dates his tenure from 520-530] He wrote two works of history; one is a collection of sources which relates events beginning in 313, during Constantine's early reign, down to 439, in the reignTheodosius II . The other is Theodorus' own work, retelling events from the death of Theodosius II in 450 to the beginning of Justinian's reign in 518. The former work is important to scholarls editing the authors quoted by Theodorus; the latter exists only in fragment and owes its importance more to the "scantiness of our information concerning the period it treats rather than its merits." [quoted from the Catholic Encyclopedia article, see External links]Historia Tripartita
While a lector at Hagia Sophia, Theodorus collected the works of the fifth century historians
Socrates Scholasticus ,Sozomen , and Theodoret of Cyrrhus to create a chronicle of church history from Constantine to Theodosius II. The resulting work, "Selections from Church History", known better by its Latin title "Historia Tripartita", is a single narrative in four books which gives Theodorus' preferred reading for each section of history related, with notes and comparisons in the margins.Historia Ecclesiastica
Theodorus later continued his chronicle, using other available sources to write his "Church History" from the death of Theodosius II down to 518. The date of composition is not known, though it was probably finished before 543, as it can be conjectured that Theodorus would not have spoken of the "holy memory" of Theodoret following the onset of the
Three-Chapter Controversy . [cf. Catholic Encyclopedia article, see External links] The chronicle has not survived; excerpts exist in other chronicles, and it is also quoted in a tract byJohn of Damascus , and by the acts of theSecond Council of Nicaea .Notes
External links
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14577b.htm Theodorus Lector] -
Catholic Encyclopedia article
* [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/wace/biodict.html?term=Theodorus+Lector Theodorus Lector] - "Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the Sixth Century A.D" (atCCEL )
* (In Greek) Theodorus Lector in Migne,Patrologia Graeca , vol. 86a [http://books.google.com/books?id=QF02EF4y4_4C&pg=RA1-PA395&lpg=RA37-PA394&dq=%22patrol.+gr.+LXXX#PPP1,M1 View online.]
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