Jerome. Lives of Illustrious Men 65
65 Theodorus, surnamed Gregory the bishop PL 23, 675
Theodorus, afterwards called Gregory, bishop of Neocæsarea in Pontus, while yet a very young man, in company with his brother Athenodorus, went from Cappadocia to Berytus, and thence to Cæsarea in Palestine, to study Greek and Latin literature. When Origen had seen the remarkable natural ability of these men, he urged them to study philosophy, in the teaching of which he gradually introduced the matter of faith in Christ, and made them also his followers. So, instructed by him for five years, they were sent back by him to their mother. Theodorus, on his departure, wrote a panegyric of thanks to Origen, and delivered it before a large assembly, Origen himself being present. This panegyric is extant at the present day.
He wrote also a short, but very valuable, paraphrase On Ecclesiastes, and current report speaks of other epistles of his, but more especially of the signs and wonders, which as bishop, he performed to the great glory of the churches.
Theodorus, qui postea Gregorius appellatus est, Neocaesareae Ponti episcopus, admodum adolescens, ob studia Graecarum et Latinarum litterarum, de Cappadocia Berytum, et inde Caesaream Palaestinae transiit, juncto sibi fratre Athenodoro. Quorum cum egregiam indolem vidisset Origenes, hortatus est eos ad philosophiam, in qua paulatim Christi fidem subintroducens, sui quoque sectatores reddidit. Quinquennio itaque eruditi ab eo remittuntur ad matrem, e quibus Theodorus proficiscens, πανηγυρικὸν εὐχαριστίας scripsit Origeni: et convocata grandi frequentia, ipso quoque Origene praesente, recitavit, qui usque hodie exstat. Scripsit et μετάφρασιν in Ecclesiasten brevem quidem, sed valde utilem. Et aliae hujus vulgo feruntur epistolae, sed praecipue signa atque miracula, quae jam episcopus cum multa Ecclesiarum gloria perpetravit.
Θεόδωρος, ὃς ὕστερον ἐκλήθη Γρηγόριος, Νεοκαισαρείας ἐπίσκοπος, νέος κομιδῆ, διὰ τὴν παίδευσιν Ἑλληνικῶν τε καὶ Ῥωμαϊκῶν γραμμάτων, ἀπὸ τῆς Καππαδοκίας εἰς Βηρυτὸν, κᾀκεῖθεν εἰς Καισάρειαν τῆς Παλαιστίνης διέβη, ἅμα Ἀθηνοδώρῳ ἀδελφῷ, ὧντινων τὴν ἐξαίρετον εὐφυΐαν ἑωρακὼς Ὠριγένης, τούτους εἰς φιλοσοφίαν προετρέψατο, καὶ κατὰ μέρος εἰς τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ πίστιν εἰσάγων, ζηλωτὰς ἰδίους κατέστησεν. Ἐπὶ πέντε τοίνυν παρ' αὐτοῦ παιδευθέντε ἔτη, πρὸς τὴν μητέρα ἀποπέμπονται, ἀφ' ὧν ὁ Θεόδωρος ἀποδημῶν, πανηγυρικὸν εὐχαριστίας τῷ Ὠριγένει ἔγραψε, καὶ συγκαλεσάμενος πάντας τοὺς ἐπιχωρίους, αὐτοῦ τε τοῦ Ὀριγένους παρόντος, τοῦτον ἀνέγνω τὸν λόγον, ὅστις ἄχρι τοῦ παρόντος ὑπάρχει. Ἔγραψε δὲ καὶ ἔκφρασιν εἰς Ἐκκλησιαστὴν, ἐλάχιστον μὲν, πάνυ δὲ θαυμαστὸν λόγον, καὶ ἄλλας πολλὰς ἐπιστολὰς, ποιήσας σημεῖά τε καὶ θαύματα, ἡνίκα ἐπίσκοπος ἐτύγχανεν.