Were Pierius of Alexandria and Peter of Alexandria one and the same person?

I have been toying with the idea that Pierius and Peter of Alexandria were one and the same person. The two men lived at the exact same time. The former was the head of the catechetical school (Philip of Side; Photius 119). The latter said to be Pope of the Alexandrian Church. 'Peter' is said to have survived the Great Persecution of Diocletian by compromising himself (running away). The early Greek letter of Phileas mentions Pierius compromising himself by agreeing to sacrifice. In other words, he became one of the 'lapsed.' 'Peter' was disliked for taking up the cause of the lapsed and arguing that they should be readmitted into the Alexandrian Church. He returns to the martyrium of St. Mark (the place I have already argued was the location of the catechetical school based on Origen's testimony) and was opposed by the forces associated with Meletius who was made Pope in his stead. Both Pierius and 'Peter' are martyred around 311 CE.

Interestingly Photius says that Pierius was head of the martyrium (presbyter of the church of Alexandria i.e. the martyrium) while Theonas was Pope. This means he held the second highest office at the time. 'Peter' is said to have been Theonas' right hand man. Interestingly according to most calculations Pierius is said to have succeeded someone named Theognostos as head of the catechetical school. There is great variation in this name Theognostos. Theonas might well have been a variant of it just as Pierius was to Petrus.

Notice also that a figure called Isidore figures prominently in the life of both 'Peter' and Pierius. In the story of Philip of Side and Photius (below) Pierius and Isodore are martyred together after the persecution. In various accounts of Peter of Alexandria Isidore is identified as a schismatic lumped together with Arius.

Also it should be noted that Vivian (Saint Peter of Alexandria, Fortress Press) has effectively demonstrated that Athanasius' claims that Peter was an anti-Origenist are patently false. Peter was a semi-Origenist at least. His writings betray a deep knowledge of Origenism and philosophy. It is highly likely then in my mind that the two were one and the same person. The name Piero (Italian) and Pierre (French) are variants of Peter. I just need to track down the etymological origins of this name.

My guess would be that Athanasius or Alexander developed a saint cult for Pierius by changing his identification as 'Peter' (with obvious theological and political significance). It's just a matter of proving it.

Photius Bibliotecha 190 end Origen

The Apology for Origen was composed, as we have said, by Pamphilus when imprisoned together with Eusebius, and addressed to those who were condemned to the mines for the sake of Christ, the chief of whom was Patermythius, who shortly after the death of Pamphilus ended his life at the stake with others. Pierius was the teacher of Pamphilus, the head of the catechetical school at Alexandria. It is said that he suffered martyrdom together with his brother Isidore, and that a church and houses of prayer were built in his honour at Alexandria. The holy Pamphilus was a presbyter, and is said to have copied most of Origen's commentaries on Scripture with his own hand.

Photius Biblictecha 191

Pierius

Read a work by Pierius the presbyter, who is said to have suffered martyrdom 1 with his brother Isidore, and to have been the teacher of the martyr Pamphilus in theology and head of the catechetical school at Alexandria. The volume contains twelve books. The style is clear and brilliant, and, so to say, spontaneous; there is nothing elaborate about it, but, as it were unpremeditated, it flows along evenly, smoothly and gently. The work is distinguished by a wealth of argumentation. It contains much that is foreign to the present institutions of the Church, but is possibly in accordance with older regulations. In regard to the Father and the Son his statements are orthodox, except that he asserts that there are two substances and two natures, using these terms (as is clear from what follows and precedes the passage) in the sense of hypostasis, not in the sense given by the adherents of Arius. But in regard to the Holy Ghost his views are dangerous and impious; for he declares that His glory was less than that of the Father and the Son. There is a passage in the treatise entitled On St. Luke's Gospel, from which it can be shown that the honour and dishonour of the image is the honour and dishonour of the prototype. It is hinted, in agreement with Origen's absurd idea, that souls have a pre-existence. In his work on Easter and the homily upon the prophet Hosea, the author discusses the Cherubim made by Moses and Jacob's pillar; he admits that they were made, but talks nonsense about their being providentially granted, as if they were nothing, or something else, or as if what was made was something else; for he says that they did not exhibit any sort of form, but absurdly asserts that they only had wings of a kind.

This Pierius was presbyter of the Church of Alexandria, when Theonas was bishop, and Carus and Diocletian were emperors of Rome. It is said that he was so distinguished for love of work and learning, and that his discourses to the people were so agreeable and instructive, that he was called "the young Origen," since Origen at that time enjoyed a very high reputation. They say that he was well versed in dialectic and rhetoric, and that he voluntarily practised temperance and poverty. According to some, he suffered martyrdom; according to others, he spent the rest of his life at Rome after the time of the persecution.