Baring-Gould’s sources: Roman Martyrology, Usuardus, Ado, Notker, &c., instead of Nov. 25, the proper day of martyrdom; displaced so as not to interfere with S. Catharine. Surius on Nov. 25. The Greeks on Nov. 25. Authorities Eusebius, H. E. lib. vii. c. 34, viii. 13, ix. 6; S. Gregory Nazianzen, Orat. 23, 24. Anastasius the Librarian, in his preface to the Passion of the Ten Thousand, says he had translated the Acts of this great doctor and martyr of the Alexandrian Church. These are probably the Acts given by Surius, t. vi. p. 184.] N the death of Thomas, Bishop of Alexandria, in 300, Peter, who had previously been master in the catechetical school,1 succeeded to the see of Alexandria. He had been a sufferer with Dionysius fifty years before in the Decian persecution, so that he must have been very aged when elevated to the episcopal throne.
In his time the question of the treatment of the lapsed, 1 Philip. Sideta, ap. Dodwell, Diss. ad Iren. p. 880. P;|V g|yMi [ /v L^\l MARTYRDOM OF S. CATHERINE.
S. Peter. which had been agitated so warmly in the time of S. Cyprian, was revived once more. The whole Christian world, with the exception of the Novatians, had agreed now to act on the same general principles, but no definite rules had been laid down for particular cases. Before the Easter of 306 Peter undertook to do this for his own diocese. The fourteen canons which he drew up are still extant; and it is pleasing to see the venerable prelate, who had himself played the man for Christ, exhibiting lenity and indulgence towards those who had shown less courage.
About this time the persecution of Maximinus broke out in Egypt, and Peter was obliged to seek for safety by flight. The refinement of cruelty which was practised upon the Christians of both sexes in the diocese of Alexandria would exceed our belief, if it had not been related by one of the bishops who was himself a sufferer, as well as by Eusebius [Eusebius of Caesarea (d. c. 339), the first historian of the Church], who happened to be on the spot. The number of victims varied from ten to a hundred a day; and the heads of the churches were singled out for attack. Faustus, a priest of Alexandria, who was old enough to have been a companion of Dionysius in the Decian persecutions, was beheaded. Phileas, bishop of Thmuis, was imprisoned, and wrote an account of the persecution from his dungeon to his flock. With him was Philoromus, who had been a magistrate in Alexandria. They were beheaded. Three other bishops, Hesychius, Pachynius, and Theodore, were in prison. Meletius, bishop of Lycopolis, took advantage of the absence of Peter and of the other bishops to make regulations for the conduct of their dioceses. Provision had been made for the spiritual wants of the Christians, but Meletius was determined to interfere. An account of his proceedings reached Phileas, Hesychius, Pachynius, and Theodore in their prison, and they wrote a joint epistle to Meletius, expostulating with him upon the irregularity of his conduct. The letter is still extant, and it shows that these bishops looked up to Peter as their metropolitan [the archbishop who heads a group of dioceses]. Meletius paid no regard to this remoastrance, and when the authors of it had closed their career by martyrdom, he went to Alexandria, and continued there the same irregular proceedings. Two persons supported him in his ambitious views: one was Isidorus, and the other Arius, who afterwards became so celebrated as a heresiarch. With their assistance Meletius was able to draw after him some of the priests who had been left in charge of the Alexandrian Church. Being now at the head of a party, he visited the confessors, who were in prison or at the mines, and two of them received ordination at his hands. When Peter heard of this open infringement of his rights, he wrote from his place of concealment to his flock at Alexandria, telling them not to hold communion with Meletius, but to wait till he could return and investigate the affair. The time of his revisiting Alexandria is uncertain, but it was probably not before 31 1, when Galerius [Diocletian’s co-emperor in the East and driving force of the Great Persecution] died and the persecution was relaxed. Immediately on his return, Peter summoned a synod of bishops to try Meletius on the charge of having encroached on the prerogatives of the bishop of Alexandria, and of having sacrificed to save his life during the late persecutions. A sentence of deposition was passed against him; but so far from submitting, Meletius organized a schism, and treated Peter with insolence. Arius did not join the seceders. He ceased to give his support to Meletius, and Peter not only forgave him, but ordained him deacon. The reconciliation, however, did not last long. The bishop found himself obliged to issue a sentence of excommunication against all the Meletians, and he took the decided measure of not recognizing their baptisms. Arius now detached himself from Peter, and was involved in the excommunication launched against Meletius. But the persecution, which had abated, broke out again •S'. Conrad.
Peter was seized by the express order of Maximinus, and was beheaded. As soon as Arius heard the sentence of Maximinus, he is said to have hasted to the church and entreated the clergy and people to intercede with Peter for him, to raise the ban from off him, hoping to be elected his successor. Peter answered with a sigh that Arius was cast forth from the face of God. Then, taking two priests to him from the throng, he said to them, “ Although I am a sinner, yet I know that I am called by heaven to die as a martyr. You are elected to succeed me in order on the Alexandrian throne, first Achilles and then Alexander. In the night, when I was completing my sacrifice of prayer, I saw suddenly Christ my Lord appear in a white mantle, rent from top to bottom. And He held the portions together with His hand over His breast. And when I saw this I said, ‘ My Lord, why dost Thou so appear ? ? And he answered me, ‘ Arius hath done this.’ Therefore I warn and exhort you not to receive Arius again into communion, for he is destined to rend the unity of the Church with a most grievous schism.” This story was probably composed after Arius had become a noted heresiarch.