Pope Achillas of Alexandria

Pope Achillas of Alexandria was the eighteenth Pope of Alexandria (head of the church that became the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Greek Church of Alexandria) between 312 and 313.

Achillas had been ordained a presbyter by Pope Theonas of Alexandria with Pierius, and was made the head of the Catechetical School of Alexandria upon the departure of Pierius, who had either left for Rome or been made a martyr at Alexandria. He was apparently very highly thought of for his work in Greek philosophy and theological science, as Athanasius of Alexandria later described him by the honorific "Achillas the Great".^[1]

He came to office after the execution of his predecessor, Peter of Alexandria, during the Diocletian Persecution. He inherited the troubles the church was experiencing at the time, including the Meletian heresy.

He is commemorated in the Synaxarion of the Coptic Orthodox Church on 19 Ba'ūnah.

References

General

"Achillas (311–313)". Official web site of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa. http://www.patriarchateofalexandria.com/index.php?module=content&cid=001003&id=95&lang=en. Retrieved 2011-02-08.

Specific

^ Atiya, Aziz S.. The Coptic Encyclopedia. New York:Macmillan Publishing Company, 1991. ISBN 0-02-897025-X.

Preceded by Peter I	Pope of Alexandria 312–313	Succeeded by Alexander I

Patriarchs of Alexandria

Patriarchs prior to the Chalcedonian schism (43–451)	Mark the Evangelist • Anianus • Avilius (a.k.a. Melius) • Kedron • Primus • Justus • Eumenes • Markianos • Celadion • Agrippinus • Julian • Demetrius • Heraclas • Dionysius • Maximus • Theonas • Peter I • Achillas • Alexander I • Athanasius I • Peter II • Timothy I • Theophilus I • Cyril I • Dioscorus I

Coptic Popes & Patriarchs (451 – present)	Timothy II • Peter III • Athanasius II • John I • John II • Dioscorus II • Timothy III • Theodosius I • Peter IV • Damian • Anastasius • Andronicus • Benjamin I • Agatho • John III • Isaac • Simeon I • Alexander II • Cosmas I • Theodosius II (a.k.a. Theodoros) • Michael I • Mina I • John IV • Mark II • Jacob (a.k.a. James) • Simeon II • Joseph I • Michael II • Cosmas II • Shenouda I • Michael III • Gabriel I • Cosmas III • Macarius I • Theophilus II (a.k.a. Theophanes) • Mina II • Abraham • Philotheos • Zacharias • Shenouda II • Christodolos • Cyril II • Michael IV • Macarius II • Gabriel II • Michael V • John V • Mark III • John VI • Cyril III • Athanasius III • John VII • Gabriel III • John VII • Theodosius III • John VIII • John IX • Benjamin II • Peter V • Mark IV • John X • Gabriel IV • Matthew I • Gabriel V • John XI • Matthew II • Gabriel VI • Michael VI • John XII • John XIII • Gabriel VII • John XIV • Gabriel VIII • Mark V • John XV • Matthew III • Mark VI • Matthew IV • John XVI • Peter VI • John XVII • Mark VII • John XVIII • Mark VIII • Peter VII • Cyril IV • Demetrius II • Cyril V • John XIX • Macarius III • Joseph II • Cyril VI • Shenouda III (current)

Greek Orthodox Patriarchs (451 – present)	Proterius • Timothy II • Timothy III • John I • Peter III • Athanasius II • John II • John III • Dioscorus II • Timothy IV • Theodosius I • Gainas • Paul • Zoilus • Apollinarius • John IV • Eulogius • Theodore I • John V • George I • Cyrus • Peter IV • Peter V • Peter VI • Cosmas I • Politianus • Eustatius • Christopher I • Sophronius I • Michael I • Michael II • Christodoulos • Eutychius • Sophronius II • Isaac • Job • Elias I • Arsenius • Theophilus II • George II • Leontius • Alexander II • John VI • Cyril II • Sabbas • Sophronius III • Elias II • Eleutherius • Mark III • Nicholas I • Gregory I • Nicholas II • Athanasius III • Gregory II • Gregory III • Niphon • Mark IV • Nicholas III • Gregory IV • Nicholas IV • Athanasius IV • Mark V • Philotheus • Mark VI • Gregory V • Joachim I • Silvester • Meletius Pegas • Cyril III • Gerasimus I • Metrophanes • Nicephorus • Joannicius • Paisius • Parthenius I • Gerasimus II • Samuel • Cosmas II • Cosmas III • Matthew • Cyprian • Gerasimus III • Parthenius II • Theophilus III • Hierotheus I • Artemius • Hierotheus II • Callinicus • Jacob • Nicanor • Sophronius IV • Photius • Meletius II • Nicholas V • Christopher II • Nicholas VI • Parthenius III • Peter VII • Theodore II (current)

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