Heraclitus

HERACLAS: Bishop of Alexandria from 231 or 232 to 247 or 248. There is no reason to suppose that he was an author, but his successor, Dionysius, cites a canon of "our blessed father Heraclas." The Copto-Arabic Synaxarium (ed. F. Wüstenfeld, ii., Gotha, 1879, p. 160) says that he was the son of pagan parents, who had him taught the ancient philosophy, and after their conversion, the Christian also; that he was ordained priest by the holy Demetrius, whose successor he became; that he converted many pagans, and chose Dionysius to assist him in administration, keeping the teaching office to himself. Origen (in Eusebius, Hist eccl., VI., xix. 13) justifies his own interest in profane learning by the example of Pantvnus and Heraclaa, "who is now a member of the presbyterium at Alexandria. I found him with the teacher of philosophical learning [Ammoniusl with whom he had already continued five years before I began to hear lectures on those subjects "--so that Heraclas must have been born not long after 170. Origen himself made such an impression upon Heraclas that he and his brother were among the first auditors of the youthful teacher. At this time he became a Christian, and soon distinguished himself as a theologian. Origen entrusted to him the direction of the preparatory department of the catechetioal shool. He refused to support Origen in his contest with Demetrius, and after he went to Cæsarea succeeded him as head of the school, and about a year later became bishop of Alexandria. When Origen returned to Egypt, Heraclas excommunicated him once more, and deposed Bishop Ammonius of Themuis because he allowed him to preach in his church. Probably until the beginning of the third century the bishop of Alexandria was the only bishop in Egypt. Eutychius of Alexandria (q.v.) says (i. 332) that Deme'trius consecrated three others and Heraclas twenty, and that he was the first to be called patriarch.

(Adolf Harnack.)

Bibliography: ASB, July, iii. 846-847; M. Le Quien, Oriene Christianus ii. 392, Paris, 1740; Harnack, Geschichte, i. 332, ii. 2, pp. 24-25 et passim; Neander, Christian Church, i. 698, 700, 712; DNB, ii. 897.