St. Theonas was bishop of Alexandria and a martyr for the faith. He succeededSt. Maximus in that patriarchal chair in 282, and held it almost nineteenyears, being himself, by the shining light of his sanctity and learning, thegreatest ornament of that church at a time when it was in both respects mostflourishing. St. Pierius was then priest and catechist in that church, andsupported the high reputation of its school, so as to be styled himself theyoung Origen. Among the many works which Pierius left, nothing but some fewfragments have reached us. Photius tells us, that in a book which he wrote uponSt. Luke's gospel, he proved that the disrespect which is shown to images fallsback upon that which they represent. St. Theonas himself wrote a useful letterof instruction, how the Christians who lived in the emperor's court ought tobehave; it was addressed to Lucian, first chamberlain to the EmperorDioclesian. St. Theonas died in 300, and was succeeded by St. Peter. St.Alexander built in that city a church dedicated to God, under the patronage ofSt. Theonas.