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PiEuius. A. D. 283. 157
It has been observed by several learned men ' of late times
that there were copies of the Bible, or however of some parts
of it, called Pierius's, wliich were in great esteem : that
observation is founded upon a passage of St. Jorom in his
commentary upon Matt. xxiv. 36; " But of that day and
hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels in heaven, but my
Father only." Jerom says, ' tliat'^ in some Latin copies of
' his time was added, " nor the Son ;" whereas in the Greek
' copies, particularly the copies of Origen and Pierius, that
' clause was wanting.'
These things concerning* Pierius I have collected from
Eusebius and Jerom, authors of the best credit. Philip
Sidetes^ says, ' that Pierius was catechist at Alexandria after
' Dionysius: the next after him,' he says, ' was Theognostus,
' then Serapion, then the great Peter, who suffered martyr-
' dom.' And Photius informs us that'" in his time it was
said that Pierius was president of the school of that city :
accordingly it is noAv generally taken for granted, by learned
men, that he had some while that charge ; but I think without
good foundation, since it Is no where mentioned by
Eusebius or Jerom : and why they should omit this, when
they so particularly mention his fame for popular discourses,
I cannot tell. Eusebius mentions Pierius and Achillas
together : he expressly says of this last that he was catechist;
why did he not say the like of Pierius, if true? Philip says
that Pierius was, catechist after Dionysius. When did he
succeed his predecessor in that chair—when he was made
bishop, or after his death ? Dionysius was chosen bishop in
247 or 248, and died in the year 264 or 265. At M'hich of
those seasons did Pierius take upon him the catechetical
office? Is either of them consistent with what Jerom says of
Pierius, that he flourished imder Carus and Dioclesian, and
survived the persecution ? Tillemont" is much of my mind :
and Cave, though at the beginning- of his article of Pierius
he roundly calls him master of the school at Alexandria,
' Origenis ejusdem, Adaraantii a flagrantibus studiis cog-nominati, ut etiam
Pieiii, doctoris Alexandiini, exemplaria quoque Novi Testament! in magno
pretio habebantur, tamquam omnium purissima. Eorum mentionem reperio
apud Hieronymum ad Matth. xxiv. Hody de Bibl. Text. 1. iv. c. 2. p. 622.
Conf. Mill, ad Matth. loc. et in Prolegom. n. dccxxvii.
^ In quibusdam Latinis codicibus additum est, neque fi/ius : quiim in
Graecis, et maxime Adamantii et Pierii exemplaribus, hoc non habeatiir ad-
scriptum. Sed quia in nonnullis legitur, disserendum videtur. Hieron. in
Matth. p. 118. ' Mfra rarov IIiEpioc, fitTa Hiepiov Qioyvw^og'
K. X. Philip. Sid. " Vid. Phot. Cod. 118, 119.
" Mem. Ecc. T. iv. Saint Theonas. p. 583. Ed. de Paris. T. iv. P. 3. p.
1225. a Bruxelles.