Theodorus Lector

Theodorus Lector (Greek: Θεόδωρος Ἀναγνώστης, Theodoros Anagnostes) was a lector, or reader, at the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople during the early sixth century.^{[note 1]} 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, during the reign of Theodosius II. The other is Theodorus' own work, retelling events from the death of Theodosius II in 450 to the beginning of Justin I's reign in 518. The former work is important to scholars 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."^[1]

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 (Τριμερὴς Ἱστορία), 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 (Ἐκκλησιαστικὴ Ἱστορία) 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.^[1] The chronicle has not survived; excerpts exist in other chronicles, and it is also quoted in a tract by John of Damascus, and by the acts of the Second Council of Nicaea. It is believed that a badly damaged manuscript of this work survives in the Library of St. Mark's in Venice, however no scholarly research has yet been done into it.^[2] A critical edition based on all extant excerpts of the Church History was published by Polish scholars in 2020.^[3]

Notes

^ Encyclopædia Britannica dates his tenure from 520-530

References

^ ^a ^b This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Theodorus Lector". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
^ Smith, William (1849). A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology: Oarses-Zygia. J. Murray.
^ Kosiński, Rafał; Twardowska, Kamilla; Szopa, Adrian (2020). The Church Histories of Theodore Lector and John Diakrinomenos. Peter Lang GmbH. ISBN 978-3-631-82013-1.

External links

Theodorus Lector - Catholic Encyclopedia article
Theodorus Lector - Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the Sixth Century A.D (at CCEL)
(In Greek) Theodorus Lector in Migne, Patrologia Graeca, vol. 86a View online.

[1] Encyclopædia Britannica dates his tenure from 520-530

[CE-2] This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Theodorus Lector". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

[3] Smith, William (1849). A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology: Oarses-Zygia. J. Murray.

[4] Kosiński, Rafał; Twardowska, Kamilla; Szopa, Adrian (2020). The Church Histories of Theodore Lector and John Diakrinomenos. Peter Lang GmbH. ISBN 978-3-631-82013-1.

[note 1]

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t e Byzantine historians
5th century	Annianus of Alexandria Eunapius John Rufus Malchus Olympiodorus of Thebes Panodorus of Alexandria Philostorgius Priscus Sabinus of Heraclea Socrates of Constantinople Sozomen Theodoret
6th century	Agathias Cyril of Scythopolis Eustathius of Epiphania Evagrius Scholasticus Hesychius of Miletus John Diakrinomenos John of Ephesus John of Epiphania Pseudo-Joshua the Stylite Pseudo-Zacharias Rhetor Jordanes John Malalas Liberatus of Carthage Marcellinus Comes Menander Protector Nonnosus Peter the Patrician Procopius Theodorus Lector Theophanes of Byzantium Zacharias Rhetor Zosimus
7th century	John of Antioch Trajan the Patrician Theophylact Simocatta
8th century	Hippolytus of Thebes
9th century	Theophanes the Confessor George Syncellus Nikephoros I of Constantinople George Hamartolos Scriptor Incertus
10th century	Constantine VII Joseph Genesius John Kaminiates Leo the Deacon Pseudo-Simeon Symeon Logothete Theophanes Continuatus
11th century	Michael Attaleiates George Kedrenos Michael Psellos John Skylitzes John Xiphilinus Yahya of Antioch
12th century	Nikephoros Bryennios the Younger Niketas Choniates Eustathius of Thessalonica Michael Glykas Anna Komnene John Kinnamos Constantine Manasses Joannes Zonaras
13th century	George Akropolites Theodore Skoutariotes
14th century	Nicephorus Gregoras Nikephoros Kallistos Xanthopoulos John VI Kantakouzenos George Pachymeres Michael Panaretos
15th century	John Anagnostes John Cananus Laonikos Chalkokondyles Michael Critobulus Doukas George Sphrantzes Pseudo-George Kodinos

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