PIERIO. — Presbyter in Alexandria, died c. 300. Head of the catechetical school. His place in the succession of teachers is not clear. It is certain that he was Panfilo’s teacher and therefore a follower of Origen, an “Origenes iunior” (v. s. Girolamo, De vir. illustr., 76). His works were studied together with those of Origen and Didymus (v. PALLIO, Historia lausiaca, ed. C. Butler, I, Cambridge 1898, p. 34, 7, cf. p. 149, 14). Eusebius (Hist. eccl., 7, 32, 26) describes P. as an ascetic, philosopher, exegete, and preacher.
According to Jerome (De vir. ill., 76), P. is said to have lived in Rome after the persecution. Filippo di Side identifies him
(fot. Alinari)
PIERIN DEL VAGA, PIETRO BUONACCORSI, detto — Detail of the stucco decoration of the vault of the Sala Regia — Apostolic Palace of the Vatican.
with the martyr P. who had a church in Alexandria, a church also known to Epiphanius (Haer., 69, 2, 4; ed. K. Holl [CB, 25], Leipzig 1915, p. 153). Photius, Bibl., cod. 119, knew of a work by P. in 12 treatises. Probably a miscellany containing exegesis, sermons, and a commemorative oration on the martyr Panfilo. Jerome knew Pierii exemplaria of the New Testament, or a recension of the sacred text, or marginal notes. According to Photius, he taught the pre-existence of souls.