The Ante-Nicene Church · AD 180–313
Theonas of Alexandria
d. c. 300 · Bishop of Alexandria · Alexandria
The Ante-Nicene Church
Who Theonas of Alexandria was
Bishop of Alexandria (c. 282–300) through the last years of peace before Diocletian, who built the church of the city and, the tradition runs, instructed the young Peter of Alexandria who would succeed him and die a martyr. A letter of pastoral counsel to Lucianus, a Christian chamberlain at the imperial court, circulated under his name. His nineteen years close the pre-persecution history of the Alexandrian see.
Also listed in the bishops of Alexandria.
Common questions
When did Theonas die?
Theonas of Alexandria is dated d. c. 300 in the archive, which places Theonas in the Ante-Nicene Church (AD 180–313). The dating is traditional and approximate; the archive marks it as uncertain rather than fixing a year the sources do not give.
Which early sources mention Theonas?
Theonas of Alexandria is named in 2 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from Eusebius of Caesarea and Jerome of Stridon. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Theonas from?
The archive associates Theonas of Alexandria with Alexandria.
Who were Theonas’ contemporaries?
The archive links Theonas of Alexandria to 2 other figures, including Maximus of Alexandria and Peter of Alexandria. Each connection is drawn from a source that places them together, not from inference.
Primary-source mentions (2)
Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Ecclesiastical History VII.32
c. AD 325Theonas received the episcopate of Alexandria after Maximus… and after nineteen years Peter received it, who was himself distinguished during twelve entire years.Eusebius of Caesarea · VII.32 · source text
Chronicle of Jerome (the Alexandrian succession)
c. AD 380Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- AD 235 · Maximinus Thrax targets the clergy, AD 235
- AD 250 · The Decian persecution, AD 250
- AD 251 · The Novatianist schism, AD 251
- AD 257 · The Valerian persecution, AD 257
- AD 260 · Gallienus’ edict of toleration, AD 260
- AD 268 · Antioch deposes Paul of Samosata, AD 268
- AD 272 · Aurelian awards the Antioch church, AD 272
Place
Places served
The one place the sources put Theonas.