TEODORO, saint, martyr. — In the Greek Synaxarion, a T. who was an army officer is commemorated on 8 February as a martyr of Heraclea, and on the 17th of the same month a T. recruit, martyr at Euchaita.
In the Roman Martyrology too, T. is commemorated twice: on 7 February and on 9 November; according to the Passio, the latter date would be his dies natalis and probably also the anniversary of the dedication of the church in his honour beneath the Palatine. In reality there was only one T., namely the recruit, whose cult was very widespread in antiquity. At Constantinople, a church in his honour was built in 452; at Rome, his image is found in the mosaic of the basilica of SS. Cosmas and Damian, erected by Felix IV (526–30), and in the 8diaconia (v.) was dedicated to him beneath the Palatine; monasteries dedicated to him existed in the 6th century at Palermo and Messina (s. Gregorio, Reg. Epist., in MGH, Epist., ed. P. Ewald-L. M. Hartmann, I, Berlin 1887, p. 11; II, ibid. 1891, p. 65). He suffered martyrdom at Amasea, but was buried at Euchaita, where a basilica was built that was frequented by pilgrims and in which s. Gregorio Nisseno delivered a discourse (PG 46, 736–48). The present Passio derives from it and from another lost work, and follows similar writings. Of Eastern origin and enlisted in the army, T. was transferred to Pontus with his legion. When the persecution of Diocletian broke out, he was accused as a Christian and brought before the tribune, who sought by promises and threats to compel him to sacrifice. He was given time to reflect, but T. used it to set fire to the temple of Cybele. He was then tortured and finally condemned to the stake. In the Roman liturgical books, his feast is celebrated on 9 November.
THEODORE. - A priest of the Church of Rome, improperly counted among the antipopes.
He should probably be identified with the namesake legate of Agatho at the Sixth Ecumenical Council, held in Constantinople in 680 (Mansi, XI, 209). He was twice a candidate for the Apostolic See. The first time, upon the death of John V (2 August 686), he was supported by the military faction in opposition to the archpriest Peter, the candidate of the clergy. After more than two months of violent conflicts, the "sacerdotes et clerus," later joined by the "exercitus," chose a third candidate, the venerable priest Conon (v. CONONE), who was consecrated on the following 21 October. The two contenders did not oppose this. The second time (in the meantime, T. had become archpriest), upon the death of the aforementioned Conon (21 September 687), he was in opposition to the archdeacon Paschal. Both elected candidates took up residence in the Lateran, but once again, the most influential representatives of the two factions (the military class was not as united as in the previous election) agreed to choose a third candidate, the priest Sergius (v. SERGIO I, PAPA). As soon as the latter was able to enter the patriarchium by forcing its doors, Theodore "immediately yielded and humbled himself," attests the Liber Pontificalis, while Paschal (v. PASQUALE) rebelled and died in obstinacy.