Towards the Real Papal List of the Alexandrian Church

I have been developing a theory since the beginning of the year that the martyrium of St. Mark in the Boucolia (the region just beyond the eastern walls of the city of Alexandria) was NOT in the hands of the Orthodox party essentially until the fifth century. This explains Gregory Nazianzen's statement about Athanasius being:

led up to the throne of Saint Mark, to succeed him in piety, no less than in office; in the latter indeed at a great distance from him (emphasis mine), in the former, which is the genuine right of succession, following him closely. For unity in doctrine deserves unity in office; and a rival teacher sets up a rival throne; the one is a successor in reality, the other but in name. (Oration 21:8)

The reality that even Gregory had to recognize was that the so-called 'Arian party' was firmly in control of the traditional center of Egyptian Christianity (Boucolia and the shrine of St. Mark) while the Orthodox, even with Athanasius' successful building of an ascetic tradition was mostly relegated to the Greek cities and a handful of monasteries scattered throughout the countryside.

Unlike other scholars I will dare to consider the idea OWING TO THESE GEOGRAPHICAL CONSIDERATIONS that the Arians really did preserve the traditions of Dionysius (as they claimed see Athanasius On Dionysius). I will also accept that there was a grain of truth to the claim that the Arians were Origenists (that would only be fair). As such the Orthodox tradition was essentially a foreign effort to supplant the native traditions (sorry Tim Vivian I know how much it annoys you when I use this term) which went beyond Origen but were identified as 'Origenist' owing to Origen being the most celebrated exponents of the traditional beliefs of St. Mark centered at his shrine in the Boucolia.

With that idea (which of course makes me the ridicule of scholars everywhere) I start to consider that Arius really was the TRUE Papa of the martyrium of St. Mark (in the way we hear Gregory acknowledge that there were TWO Popes after Arius' death. Arius made explicit what had always been bubbling under the surface (Arius is identified as the mere 'presbyter' of the martyrium of St. Mark but it is clear that neither Athanasius nor Alexander ever ventured here. As such they were both essentially 'the Popes of Alexandria City' (to borrow a title from Mickey Rourke) rather than the Popes of the traditional center of Egyptian Christianity (like the Roman Popes who went to Avignion).

We know there were Arian Popes like George the Cappodician throughout the life of Athanasius. All that I am suggesting now is that Arius REALLY WAS the first of these Popes (Philostorgius' statement that Arius won the election but ceded to Alexander was developed to show that he wasn't resisting the efforts of Constantine who wanted Alexander to usher in a new compromise to establish a truly worldwide faith).

If my proposition that Arius really was TRUE Pope of the TRUE shrine of St. Mark at the Boucolia is tentatively accepted then the reader will have to consider my second proposition - that the so-called Catechetical School is identified by Origen as existing in a cemetery was really located at the martyrium of St. Mark again. The argument was then that these 'heads of the Catechetical School' weren't really disobeying the will of Caesar (going back to the appointment of Demetrius). They weren't the heads of the Alexandrian Church . They were just the 'heads' of an academy that happened to congregate at the traditional center of Egyptian Christianity while the Orthodox (i.e. the guys who took orders from Rome) didn't venure outside of the city walls of Alexandria.

It should be seen as intriguing that Heraclas is the first (Catholic) Alexandrian to be called Papa. All that this means is that Demetrius didn't take this title. He wanted to be identified as a bishop under the rule of a Church centered in Rome (he reportedly gave Victor the Alexandrian means of determining Easter but was not an authority over Victor). Heraclas is understood to have 'succeeded' Demetrius and only then took on the name Papa after formerly being only identified as 'head of the Catechetical School.' Yet this is clearly nonesense. If anything Heraclas could only OPENLY call himself Papa when Demetrius was out of the way.

And notice the period in which the Origenists - i.e. Heraclas and Dionysius the Great (I lump the reign of 'Dionysius' and 'Maximus' (Great) together based on the testimony of Severus Al'Ashmunein and assume that the Church wanted to bury his support for Lucius of Antioch and Zenobia's revolt). These 'Origenists' only come out of the closet so to speak when the Roman Empire is so weakened that they can't sent authority figures like Demetrius to keep order in the city.

A period of unbelievable chaos begins with Severus Alexander's rule (note also that Origen was Severus' tutor). Both Origen and Demetrius 'die' around 234 CE. Look at the age which follows:


SEVERUS ALEXANDER: Ruled 222 to 238 AD. He was adopted by his cousin Elagabalus and given the title 'Caesar'. After Elagabalus was murdered by the Praetorian guard, Severus Alexander was proclaimed emperor by them.

MAXIMINUS I: Ruled 235 to 238 AD. Governor of Mesopotamia. He was raised to emperor by troops dissatisfied with Severus Alexander.

Maximinus: Ruled 235 to 238 AD. Son of Maximinus I, given rank of 'Caesar' at the same time as his father was made 'Augustus'. He was murdered with his father June 24th, 238 AD.

GORDIAN I: Ruled 238 AD. A Proconsul in Africa who accepted the royal purple. Remembered as intellectual and moral. He proclaimed his son Gordian as joint ruler. When his son was killed in battle against Maximinus I, Gordian I committed suicide when he learned of his son's death.

GORDIAN II: Ruled 238 AD. Co-emperor, killed in battle.

BALBINUS: Ruled 238 AD. When the Senate learned of the death of the two Gordians, it elected two Senators as joint rulers - Balbinus and Pupienus. After 98 days the Praetorian guard murdered these two emperors.

PUPIENUS: Ruled 238 AD. Joint ruler for 98 days with Balbinus.

GORDIAN III: Ruled 238 to 244 AD. Grandson of Gordian I and nephew of Gordian II. Given title of 'Caesar' by Balbinus and Pupienus. In 244 he was deposed and murdered in Mesopotamia.

PHILIP I (The Arab): Ruled 244 to 249 AD. A Praetorian Prefect who was a native of Arabia. His reign in 248 marked the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the founding of Rome. He was killed with his son Phillip in battle near Verona in 249 AD.

PHILIP II: Ruled 247 to 249 AD. Son of Philip I, he was given the title 'Caesar' when his father was given the title of 'Augustus'.

PACATIAN: Ruled 248 AD. Usurper who was killed by his own soldiers.

JOTAPIAN: Ruled 248 AD. A usurper who claimed descent from Alexander. He was killed by his own men.

TRAJAN DECIUS: Ruled 249 to 251 AD. Born about 201. When Philip and his son were killed at Verona, he was left as undisputed master of the empire. Decius and his elder son Herennius were killed in battle with barbarian Goths.

HERENNIUS ETRUSCUS: Ruled 251 AD. Elder son of Trajan Decius, created 'Augustus' in 251 AD. Killed with his father.

HOSTILIAN: Ruled 251AD. Younger son of Trajan Decius. Given rank of 'Caesar' in 251, but died of plague soon afterward.

TREBONIANUS GALLUS: Ruled 251 to 253 AD. Chosen by the army to fill the vacant throne. Gallus and his son were later killed by their own soldiers.

VOLUSIAN: Ruled 251 to 253 AD. Son of Trebonianus Gallus. Ruled jointly with his father.

AEMILIAN: Ruled 253 AD. Governor of Moesia, hailed as 'Augustus' by his troops. He was later killed by his own men.

VALERIAN I: Ruled 253 to 260 AD. Proclaimed emperor by his troops and upon the death of Aemilian became undisputed master of the empire. Captured by the Persians in 260 AD. The date of his death is unknown, but he was tortured to death by the Persians while imprisoned.

GALLIENUS: Ruled 253 to 268 AD. Son of Valerian I, made co-emperor with his father. The future emperors Claudius and Aurelian were both involved in the murder of Gallienus at the siege of Milan in March, AD 268.

SALONINA AUGUSTA: Died 268 AD. Empress/wife of Gallienus and mother of Valerian II and Saloninus. Murdered with her husband in 268 AD.

VALERIAN II: Ruled 253 to 255 AD. Elder son of Gallienus, give rank of 'Caesar' upon his father's elevation to the throne. But died two years later (of the plague?).

SALONINUS: Ruled 259 AD. Upon the death of Valerian II, Saloninus, the younger brother, received title of 'Caesar'. In 259 AD, he was elevated to rank of 'Augustus', but soon after was put to death by Postumus, commander of the Rhine legions.

MACRIANUS: Ruled 260 to 261 AD. Son of one of Valerian I's generals. He is sometimes called Macrianus II, but his father never was proclaimed emperor.

QUIETUS: Ruled 260 to 261 AD. Younger brother of Macrinianus.

REGALIANUS: Ruled 260 AD. Governer of Upper Pannonia, killed by his own soldiers.

POSTUMUS: Ruled 259-268 AD. Commander of the Rhine Legions. He ruled over Gaul, Spain, and Britain. He was assassinated by his own soldiers.

LAELIANUS: Ruled 268 AD. Usurper who lead an unsuccessful revolt against Postumus.

MARIUS: Ruled 268 AD. A Roman army officer who seized power upon the death of Postumus, but was murdered by his own soldiers within a few days of seizing power.

VICTORINUS: Ruled 268-270 AD. A high ranking soldier who succeeded Marius. He was killed by his own officers at Cologne.

TETRICUS I: Ruled 270-273 AD. Governer of Aquitania, who was helped by Victoria (Victorinus' mother) to succeed Victorinus. He and his son were captured by Aurelian, but both were spared and went to live in Italy and proceeded to work in the local government there.

TETRICUS II: Ruled 270-273 AD. Was given rank of 'Caesar' upon his father's accession, co-ruler with his father when captured by Aurelian. He retired to private life after governing Italy for some time with his father.

CLAUDIUS II (GOTHICUS): Ruled 268-270 AD. A leading General of Gallienus who was proclaimed emperor upon the death of Gallienus. He died of the plague.

QUINTILLUS: Ruled 270 AD. A younger brother of Claudius II Gothicus. He was proclaimed emperor by the troops upon the death of Claudius II. His soldiers deserted him and he committed suicide.

AURELIAN: Ruled 270-275 AD. A very skilled General, he was proclaimed emperor by his troops just after the death of Claudius II. He was assassinated through the conspiracy of some of his leading officers.

ZENOBIA: Ruled 267-273 AD. Her full name was Septimia Zenobia and she ruled the Eastern provinces of the Roman empire from 267 to about 273 AD from Palmyra. She claimed descent from Cleopatra. She was captured by Aurelian and displayed along with Tetricus I (& II) as captives in Italy. During her rule, she extended her empire to include Egypt and part of Asia Minor. Aurelian honored her by giving her a villa near Tibur, where she retired and spent the rest of her life.

VABALATHUS: Ruled 271-272 AD. He was the son of Zenobia and ruled with this mother.

[INTERREGNUM] A period of about 6 months between the death of Aurelian and the accession of Tacitus, when the empire was without an emperor. The government was conducted by the surviving Senate in Rome.

TACITUS: Ruled 275-276 AD. The Senate chose one of their own once again. Tacitus, an elder Senator who was named after and claimed descent from the famous Roman historian Tacitus. He was proclaimed 'Augustus'. This 75-year-old joined the army in effort to put down the Goths, who were trying to invade Asia Minor. Army life proved too much for him and he died at Cappadocia in April of 276 AD.

FLORIANUS: Ruled 276 AD. The half-brother of Tacitus, he assumed the office of emperor when Tacitus died. At the same time, the army in the East proclaimed Probus as emperor. Florianus went out to challenge Probus, but before any serious fighting started Florianus was killed by one of his own soldiers.

PROBUS: Ruled 276-282 AD. Leading General under Aurelian. Proclaimed emperor upon the death of Tacitus by his troops. Murdered by mutinous soldiers at Sirmium in the autumn of 282 AD.

CARUS: Ruled 282-283 AD. Praetorian prefect who proclaimed emperor by the army upon the death of Probus. He was killed by lightening (!) in 283 AD.

NUMERIAN: Ruled 283-284 AD. The younger son of Carus, given rank of 'Caesar' immediately after his father was hailed emperor 'Augustus'. During the Persian campaign with his father, he rose in rank to 'Augustus' (probably before his father died). But, was killed in 284 before his procession could make it back to Rome.

CARINUS: Ruled 283-285 AD. Elder son of Carus, given rank of 'Caesar' soon after his father's accession. Raised in rank to 'Augustus' in 283. Murdered by one of his own officers in the spring of 285 AD. His wife was Magnia Urbica.

NIGRIAN: Ruled (or co-ruled) about 285 AD. He was thought to have been a son of Carinus.

JULIAN OF PANNONIA: Ruled 284-285 AD. His name was Marcus Aurelius Julianus. He rebelled against Carinus in Pannonia and marched against Carinus at Rome, but was defeated early in 285 and died at Verona.

DIOCLETIAN 284

Notice also that the Copts have learned to identify their 'era of Martyrs' as beginning with Diocletian's rule. The reason for this is obvious - it was under Diocletian that the Imperial party - i.e. the Orthodox began to transplant 'overseers' in Alexandria - first Theonas and then Peter (when the first church was built WITHIN the walls of Alexandria) and then Alexander the pawn of Constantine.

One should also notice that even within this period efforts were made to transform Christianity into something more Roman (like Aurelius' efforts regarding December 25th which interestingly did not take hold in Egypt until the other sell outs like Alexander and Athanasius likely mandated it in the fourth century.

And one more note that doesn't get said enough. Everyone talks about the reason why Christianity became so popular in the third century. That list gives people a very good explanation. Imagine you're living in Alexandria with all this chaos going on in Rome and you look up on the throne of St. Mark and you see Heraclas and Dionysius the embodiments of Plato's philosopher king. It would give people hope that good government was possible - i.e. the kingdom of heaven on earth. It is highly ironic that the true heirs of Dionysius the philosopher king ultimately lost out in history - i.e. Arius and the 'Arians'/Origenists.