THEODORETUS (0eadrpnres) was born at Antioch towards the end of the 4th century ; in A.D. 3S6 according to some, in 393 according to others. His early education was received in a monastery near his native city ; and there he re mained until he was called, in 420 or 423, to become bishop of Cyrus, a small town near the Euphrates. The teacher to whom he owed the most was Theodore of Mopsuestia. He was much involved in the theological and ecclesiastical controversies of his time ; and in 449 was deposed by a synod con vened by Dioscurus, patriarch of Alexandria, as a partisan of Nestorius. From this unjust sentence he WaS relieved by the council of Chalcedon in 451. The rest of his life he spent peacefully in his diocese, occupied chiefly in literary pursuits. He clied in 457 or 45S. His writings comprise several controversial treatises, a Histoly af the Church, in 5 books, an apologetic treatise entitled 'EXX7ivocCo 9c pair eur ra0m.tcivo, various orations and ho
milies, and some minor tractates, besides his exe getical works, which are the most valuable of his productions. He has left commentaries on the Pentateuch, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Psalms, Canticles, the Prophets, and on the epistles of St. Paul. His method is partly expository, partly apologetic and controversial. On the historical books of the O. T. he rather dis cusses difficult passages than presents a continuous commentary. He indulges very sparingly in alle gorical explanations, and follows for the most part the grammatical meaning. There are two good editions of his whole works, that by Garnier anc Sirmond in 5 vols. fol., Par. 1642-1684 ; and that