Page:LA2-NSRW-4-0450.jpg



THEODOSIUS

I90O

THERMOMETER

discovered in which Boetius the philosopher, his favorite, seemed to be mixed up. After the supposed traitor had been put to death his innocence was proven, and Theodoric's remorse undoubtedly hastened his death in 526. See BOBTIUS and GOTHS.

Theodosius (the'o-do'shl-us) I, The Great, was of Spanish descent, and was born about 346 A. D. His father was Theodosius, the able general who freed southern Britain from the savage Caledonians. Theodosius accompanied his father in his British campaigns, but after his murder retired to his estate in Spam. Prom this retreat he was summoned by Emperor Gratianus, who made him his fellow-ruler and intrusted him with the government of Thrace, Dacia, Macedonia, Egypt and the east. Here he found himself face to face with the dreaded Goths, whom his army dared not confront in the open field. By bribes and promises he succeeded in making peace with them; and the magnificent funeral-honors paid to Athanaric, their king, who died at Constantinople, so pleased the Goths that many served in his armies. On behalf of Valen-tinian II, his brother-in-law, he conquered Maximus, the usurper, and in 392, when Valentinian was strangled by Arbogastes, his general, Theodosius a second time marched on Rome, defeated Arbogastes and became master of the whole Roman world. He had hardly won this vast power, when he died at Milan, Jan. 17, 395.

Theophrastus (the'o-frds'tus), a Greek philosopher, born at Eresus, Lesbos, about 372 B, C., died in 288 B. C. He was the disciple of and successor to Aristotle, and for 35 years presided over the Peripatetic school or teaching and disputing school of logicians, who, as they talked, perambulated along the walks of the Lyceum at Athens. Theophrastus was noted for his observational and scientific habits and for his early contributions to botanical science. Though a member of the Platonic circle at Athens, he specially interested himself in researches about plant-life and left a History of Plants and the remains of a work dealing with the Principles of Vegetable Life. He also wrote a series of sketches of character, which have been taken as models by modern writers.

Theos'ophy, a knowledge of divine things, concerning God and the deeper mysteries in relation to man and nature, having its early source in India and m our day erected into a sort of philosophic system, taught and supposed to be got at by extraordinary illumination. Theosophy to-day has its societies, with a widely extended organization in many countries abroad and at home, treating of soul-science, reincarnation, esoteric matters and what in general is termed occultism. According to the devotees of theosophy much of what they hold and teach formed part of the ancient systems

known as Brahamism, Buddhism, Pythago-reanism, as also of the Greek mysteries, the Roman worship of Isis and of later eclectic philosophies, including the mystic teaching embraced in the Jewish Cabbala In this country theosophy was first propagated by Madame H. P. Blavatsky, a Russian lady, in 1873. Two years later, in conjunction with Colonel M. S. Olcott and Wm. W. P. Judge, she founded a society in New York City, with headquarters subsequently opened at Adyar, Madras, India. The objects of the society were to form "a nucleus of the universal brotherhood of humanity;" "to ^encourage the study of comparative religion, philosophy and science; and to investigate unexplained laws of nature and the powers latent in man." The society has affiliated organizations in almost all countries, and in the United States it to-day has 69 churches, with 2,663 members. Much literature has ^been published, including Blavatsky's Isis Unveiled; Besant's Reincarnation and Karma; and Sinnett's Esoteric Buddhism.

Theresa (te-re'sd) or Teresa (td-rd'sd), St., was born at Avila, Spain, March 28, 1515. She was noted for her piety when a child, and, when only seven, with her little brother she ran away from home to gain the crown of martyrdom among the Moors. She entered a Carmelite convent at 20, and later founded the order of Barefooted Carmelites. Her reform had the support of the pope, and during her life 29 convents of the reformed order were opened. Theresa was made a saint by Gregory XV, and her feast day is Oct. 15. Her letters and treatises, besides being considered by Roman Catholics as among the most precious of their writings, have also gained a place among Spanish classics. St. Theresa died on Oct. 4, 1582. See her Life by Dal ton.

Thermograph, a device for automatically recording the variations of temperature in a room, factory or greenhouse by means of dials electrically connected with registering thermometers in the building or apartment where the tests of temperature are to be made. The thermograph not only registers the fluctuations in the temperature in a room, but serves incidentally as a fire-alarm, since it is made to sound a gong when the instrument records a temperature exceeding 100° P. See THERMOSTAT.

Thermom'eter, an instrument for measuring temperature. There exists a great variety of thermometers based upon a great variety of principles. But those which are most frequently used are dependent upon the fact that the volume of a fluid changes when its temperature changes. For ordinary temperatures the most important thermometers are those which employ mercury or some gas (generally air or nitrogen) as the expanding fluid. (For the measurement of high temperatures see PYROMETER.)