TEONA, Saint. - Patriarch of Alexandria, he succeeded MAXIMUS; he governed for about 19 years, from around 281 to 300.
The Arab-Jacobite Synaxarium, which commemorates him on December 28 (PO, XI, pp. 214 ff.), states that he was a very learned man, full of goodness and virtue. His long episcopate coincided with the peace that the Church enjoyed at the beginning of the reign of DIOCLETIAN, and T. took advantage of this to organize his Church; he converted many pagans and began the construction of a church which was later completed by his successor ALEXANDER (cf. St. ATHANASIUS, Apologia ad Constantium, 15; St. EPHRAEM, Panarion, LXIX, 2). During his episcopate, the great scholar PIERIUS flourished; he ordained PETER, who later succeeded him, to the sacred orders. A letter addressed to LUCIAN, grand chamberlain of the court of DIOCLETIAN, is attributed to him, and he is said to have excommunicated the followers of SABELLIUS. In the Roman Martyrology, he is commemorated on August 23.