Alexander(Ἀλέξανδρος), ST.,
HIEROSOLYMITANUS, a disciple, first, of Pantaenus, then of St. Clement, at Alexandria, where
he became acquainted with Origen, (Euseb. Hist. Eccl. 6.14,) was bishop
of Flaviopolis, (Tillemont, Hist. Eccl. 3.415,) in Cappadocia. (S. Hier.
Vir. Ill. § 62.) In the persecution under Severus he was thrown
into prison, (circ. A. D. 204, Euseb. 6.11,) where he remained till
Asclepiades succeeded Serapion at Antioch, A. D. 211, the beginning
of Caracalla's reign. (See [α] the Epistle St. Alexander
sent to the Antiochenes by St. Clement of Alexandria, Euseb.
Hist. Eccl. 6.11.) Eusebius relates (l.c.), that by
Divine revelation he became coadjutor bishop to Narcissus, bishop of Aelia, i. e. Jerusalem,
A. D. 212. (See Euseb. Hist. Eccl.
6.8; Chronic. ad A. D. 228, and
Alexander's [β] Epistle to the Antinoites ap. Euseb. Hist. Eccl. 6.11.) During his episcopate of nearly
forty years (for he continued bishop on the death of St. Narcissus), he collected a valuable
library of Ecclesiastical Epistles, which existed in the time of
Eusebius. (H. E. 6.20.) He received Origen when the troubles at
Alexandria drove him thence, A. D. 216, and made him, though a layman, explain the Scriptures
publicly, a proceeding which he justified in [γ] an
epistle to Bishop Demetrius, of Alexandria, (ap. Euseb.
Hist. Eccl. 6.19,) who, however, sent some deacons to bring Origen home. As Origen was
passing through Palestine, on some necessary business, St. Alexander ordained him priest, (S.
Hier. l.c. §§ 54, 62,) which caused great disturbance in the
church. [ORIGENES.] A fragment of a [δ] letter from St. Alexander to Origen on the subject exists, ap. Euseb. H. E. 6.14. St. Alexander died in the Decian persecution, A.
D. 251, in prison (S. Dion. Alex. apud Euseb. H. E. 6.46) after
great sufferings (Euseb. 6.39), and is commemorated in the Eastern church
on 12th December, in the Western on 16th March. Mazabanes succeeded him. St. Clement of
Alexandria dedicated to him his
De Canone Ecclesiastico about the
observance of Easter. (
H. E. 6.13.) His fragments have been mentioned in
chronological order, and are collected in Gallandi,
Bibl. Pair. ii. p.
201, and in Routh's
Reliquiae Sacrae, ii. p. 39.
[[A.J.C](author.A.J.C)]