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Eusebius of Caesarea (c.260-340) initiated his Ecclesiastical History with reference to "the successions from the holy apostles" [I.1] thereby enunciating the principal one of those several themes by which he intended to tell his story [cf. Grant 1980, esp.ch.VI]. As a consequence those major urban centers of the Roman imperial world, including its second city, Alexandria, could provide Eusebius with the main points of reference wherein he could document literally by named persons those who were in that succession and thereby presided over the ministry of their respective urban communities.
For Alexandria, while the point of reference began with "Mark the Evangelist" (q.v.; cf. H.E. II.15-16.1) though in an era, and even Eusebian context, where the word "bishop" was not yet appropriate, he whom Eusebius designated "first" was one Annianus (q.v.; cf. H.E. II.24; III.13, 21]. When "in the fourth year of Domitian [October 24, 51 - September 18, 96, ruled from September 13, 81]" Annianus died [III.14], he was succeeded by Avilius (q.v.), who remained, as designated "second" for thirteen years until his own death "in the first year of Trajan [53- August 8, 117, ruled from January 25, 98]," when he too was succeeded by Cerdon who was "third over the people of that place [= Alexandria]" [III.21]. With Cerdon the title "bishop" first appears; though with an oblique reference back to him, Eusebius states that "about the twelfth year of the reign of Trajan . . . he departed this life; and Primus [q.v.], the fourth from the apostles, was appointed to the ministry of the people there" [IV.1]. Of these Alexandrians, there remains nothing more within the tradition that can be adduced pertaining to them.
Clyde Curry Smith
| Grant 1980 | Eusebius as Church Historian, by Robert McQueen Grant. Oxford: Clarendon Press. |
| Oulton 1927 | Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea, The Ecclesiastical History and the Martyrs of Palestine, translated with Introduction and Notes, by Hugh Jackson Lawlor and John Ernest Leonard Oulton. London: SPCK. 2 volumes. Volume I: Translation, by John Ernest Leonard Oulton. (Specific references also cited as H.E. with book and chapter). |
| J | Jerome, Lives of Illustrious Men. Cited by chapter number. |
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| G | Gennadius, List of the Authors whom Gennadius added, after the death of the Blessed Jerome. Cited by chapter number. |
PG |
Migne, Jacques Paul, ed., Patrologiae cursus completus, series graeca (Paris: 1857-1866), 161 volumes. Cited by volume number. |
| PL | Migne, Jacques Paul, ed., Patrologiae cursus completus, series latina (Paris: 1844-1855), 221 volumes. Cited by volume number. |
| CPG | Geerard, M., ed., Clavis Patrum Graecorum (Turnhout: Brepols, 1974-1987), 5 volumes. Cited by volume number(s). |
| CPL | Dekkers, E., ed., Clavis Patrum Latinorum, 3rd edition (Steenbrugis: Abbatia S. Petri, 1995). Cited by number. |
| TLG | Berkowitz, Luci, and Karl A. Squitier, ed., Thesaurus Linguae Graecae: Canon of Greek Authors and Works, 3rd edition (New York: Oxford University Press, 1990). Cited by number. |
Q |
Quasten, Johannes, Patrology (Utrecht-Brussels: Spectrum Publishers, 1953-1960), 3 volumes; plus volume 4 (Westminster: Christian Classics, Inc., 1986). Cited by volume number and subdivisions. |
| <P> | Pelikan, Jaroslav, The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1971-1989), 5 volumes. Cited by volume number. |
GEEC |
Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, ed. E. Ferguson (21997), 2 volumes. Cited by page (author). |
| NIDCC | The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church, ed. J. D. Douglas (1974). Cited by page (author). |
| OCD | The Oxford Classical Dictionary, ed. S. Hornblower and A. Spawforth (31996). Cited by page (author). |
| ODByz | The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, ed. A. P. Kazhdan (1991), 3 volumes. Cited by page (author). |
| ODCC | The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, ed. F. L. Cross (1957). Cited by page. |
| OEEC | Encyclopedia of the Early Church, ed. A. DiBerardino (1992), 2 volumes. Cited by page (author). |
JECS |
Journal of Early Christian Studies (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993--). Cited by volume: page(s) (author). |
| JNES | Journal of Near Eastern Studies (The University of Chicago Press, 1942--). Cited by volume: page(s) (author). |
| PDS | The Penguin Dictionary of Saints, ed. Donald Attwater (1965). Cited by page. |
| TTH | Translated Texts for Historians (Liverpool University Press, 1986--). Cited by volume number (author/editor). |