PIETRO D'ALESSANDRIA, martyr. — Head of the catechetical school of Alexandria, he became bishop of this city in 300. His flight during the persecution of Diocletian caused the schism of Meletius. P. died a martyr in 311.
Only fragments of his writings survive, the most important of which are the 14 penitential canons. The Acts of his martyrdom are legendary.
BIBL.: collection of the fragments in PG 18, 467 ff.; ed. Schwartz, Cod. Vat. gr. 1431, Monaco 1927, p. 98, nos. 4 and 5. Coptic fragments in Le Mission, 45 (1932), pp. 50 ff., 68 ff.; ibid., 46 (1933), p. 31. Fragments in the Catena of Giovanni diacono: Pitra, Spicilegium Soleimense, vol. I, p. 278 ff.; G. Graf, Geschichte der christlich-arabischen Literatur, vol. I (Stud. e Testi, 118), Città del Vaticano 1941, p. 309. Erik Peterson