(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
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(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]