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From The Lives of the Popes from the Time of our Saviour Jesus Christ to the Accession of Gregory VII. Written Originally in Latin by B. Platina, Native of Cremona, and translated into English (from an anonymous translation, first printed in 1685 by Sir Paul Rycaut), Edited by William Benham, Volume I, London: Griffith, Farran, Okeden & Welsh, [1888, undated in text]; pp. 152-153.

The Lives of the Popes,
BY
B. Platina

Volume I.


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[152]

THEODORUS  I.

A.D. 652-649.

THEODORUS, a Grecian, son of Theodorus, a bishop, born at Jerusalem, was no sooner in the chair but he applied himself like a good bishop to all those things which he thought might tend to the advancement of the Christian religion; being a person obliging to all men, but extraordinarily bountiful to the poor.

At this time Heraclius died of a dropsy in the thirtieth year of his reign, having a little before made Theodorus, surnamed Calliopa, his exarch in Italy, in the place of Plato deceased. Heraclius was succeeded by his son Constantine, who in the fourth month after his coming to the empire was poisoned by the procurement of his step-mother Martina and her son Heracleon, whom, it is said, Pyrrhus the patriarch prompted to commit that villany. Heracleon, upon the death of his brother, takes upon him the government, at that time particularly when Cyrus, Sergius, and Pyrrhus reviving the heresy of the Acephali, maintained the opinion of one only nature in Christ, one operation, and one will. Among these, Pyrrhus, hearing of the death of Heraclius, and being very desirous to return out of Africa, whither he had been banished, into his own country, coming to Rome and making a hypocritical retractation of his errors, was restored by Theodorus, and received from him a form of belief. But he lost his life before he could accomplish the end which he sought to compass by such ill means. For the senate and people of Constantinople, being acquainted with the cause of Constantine’s death, first seized Martina and Heracleon, and having cut off his nose, and cut out her tongue, banished them both; then apprehending Pyrrhus, who endeavoured to make his escape, they put him to death. Constantius, the son of Constantine who had been thus treacherously murdered, they create emperor; 153 and instead of Pyrrhus make Paul their bishop; whom yet Theodorus deprived for being in the like kind heretical, his pertinacity therein being favoured by Constantius, who was unadvisedly fallen into the same heresy. But the Pope laying aside this controversy, and applying himself to other cares, caused the bones of the martyrs Primus and Felicianus to be removed out of a sandy grotto in the Via Nomentana to Rome, where he deposited them in the church of St Stephen the protomartyr, sparing no cost in ornaments both of silver and gold upon their tomb. He also built and adorned a church in the Via Flaminia, as likewise two oratories, one near the Lateran Church dedicated to St Sebastian, the other in the Via Ostiensis to Eupolus the martyr. Having finished these things, and been in the chair six years, five months, eighteen days, he died, and was buried in St Peter’s, May the 14th. The see was then vacant fifty-two days.

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Previous Pope:  74. John IV. 75. Theodorus I. Next Pope: 76. Martin I.

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