Pope Achillas of Alexandria

This article is about the Alexandrian patriarch Achillas. For the Egyptian general, see Achillas.
Pope
Achillas the Great
18th Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of St. Mark
Papacy began 24 December 311
Papacy ended June 313
Predecessor Peter "Seal of the Martyrs"
Successor Alexander
Personal details
Born Alexandria, Egypt
Died June 313
Egypt
Buried Church of the Cave, Alexandria
Nationality Egyptian
Denomination Coptic Orthodox Christian
Residence Saint Mark's Church
Alma mater Catechetical School of Alexandria

Pope Achillas of Alexandria, 18th Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of St. Mark.

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 Pope Athanasius the Apostolic later described him by the honorific "Achillas the Great".[1]

He came to office after the martyrdom of his predecessor, Pope Peter "Seal of the Martyrs", 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
Specific
  1. Atiya, Aziz S.. The Coptic Encyclopedia. New York:Macmillan Publishing Company, 1991. ISBN 0-02-897025-X.
Titles of the Great Christian Church
Preceded by
Peter I
Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria
312—313
Succeeded by
Alexander I
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