Baring-Gould’s sources: Roman Martyrology on this day. By the modern Greeks on Feb. 8th, but anciently on the 7th. The Acts purport to be written by one Augarius, a notary; he says, "I, the Scribe Augarius, was present, and saw these cruel punishments, and hearing also the pain of his stifled sighs, casting aside my parchments, I threw myself weeping at his feet." He says also that he wrote this account at the request of the dying martyr. If this be not a forgery, the original Acts have been sadly tampered with. To the account of the martyrdom is prefixed—very probably by a later hand—a story of the fight of S. Theodore with a dragon, which belongs to the Western version of the story of S. George. These Acts certainly existed in their present condition in 550, for they were then translated into Latin.

S. Theodore of Heraclea, who is not to be confounded with S. Theodore of Amasea, surnamed Tyro, also a warrior martyr, is numbered among the Great Martyrs by the Greek Church.

Theodore of Heraclea was a general of the forces of Licinius [Roman emperor in the East 308–324], and governor of the country of the Mariandyni, whose capital was Heraclea of Pontus [a region on the Black Sea coast of Turkey]. Here he was sentenced to death by order of the emperor. After having been scourged, and his flesh torn by hooks, and burnt with fire, he was for a short while attached to a cross, and then beheaded.

Relics at S. Saviour's, Venice. S. Theodore is regarded as one of the chief patrons of the Venetian republic. The body of this glorious martyr was brought from Constantinople to Venice by Mark Dandolo, in 1260.

In Art, S. Theodore appears as a warrior in armour, very generally trampling on the dragon. He is to be distinguished from S. George by being represented on foot, whereas S. George usually appears mounted.