A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

Smith, William

A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. William Smith, LLD, ed. 1890

3. THEODORUS. Josias Simler in his Epitome Bibliothecae Gesnerianae (p. 784, ed. Frisii. Fol. Zurich, 1583, comp. Vossius, De Scientiis Mathematicis, c. 58.19), speaks of the works of Theodorus Sophianus, which he terms Astronomica et Musica. The subjects would lead to the suspicion that he had in view the works of the later Nicolaus Sophianus, and gave him in mistake the name of Theodorus. There was, however, a Theodorus Sophianus in the last period of the Byzantine Empire : he was nephew of the patriarch Gennadius II. of Constantinople [GENNADIUS, No. 2], as appears from the title of the funeral oration which his uncle the patriarch pronounced for him, A. D. 1457--Ἐπιτάφιος τῷ μακαρίῳ Θεοδώρῳ τῷ Σοφιανῷ ἐν τῇ ἱερᾷ μονῇ Βατοπεδίου ταφέντι, ὒν εἶπεν ἐξ ὑπογυίου ὁ θεῖος αὐτοῦ Γεννάδιος μοναχὸς ἐν τῷ ταφίῳ, σεπτῷ κη, σϟξέ. Oratio funebris beati Theodori Sophiani, in Sacro Monasterio Batopedii sepulti, quam extempore pronuntiarit avunculus ejus Gennadius monachus ad sepulcrum. 28 Septembris, anno 6965. (A. D. 1457.) (Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. 11.382). It is perhaps to this Theodorus Sophianus that we may refer the Sophiani Epistola ad Archiepiscopum Philadelphiensem in the King's Library at Paris. Cod. mccclx. (Catalog. Biblioth. Reg. vol. ii. Fol. Paris 1740). (Vossius, ll. cc. ; Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. xi. pp. 295, 714.)

[J.C.M]