SKETCH OF COPTIC HISTORY.

About A.D. 64 St. Mark made Ananius patriarch of
Alexandria, and he also appointed to the church there
twelve presbyters, from whom a successor to Ananius was
to be elected ; the patriarch was at that time called Baba
or Papa. Ananius was succeeded by Minius or Philetius
(a.d. 87), who was succeeded by Cerdo (a.d. 99), during
whose rule a fierce persecution of the Christians took place
by the order of Hadrian; his successor was Primus
(a.d. no), during whose rule the persecution of Hadrian
was continued. This emperor caused the Christians to be
massacred in large numbers, and well nigh exterminated
them in Egypt; he destroyed also the Christian churches
in Jerusalem. After Primus came Justus (a.d. 118),
Eumenius (a.d. 133), Marcianus (a.d. 143), Claudianus
(a.d. 153), Agrippinus (a.d, 167), Julianus (a.d. 179),
Demetrius (a.d. 190), during whose rule Severianus
slaughtered large numbers of the Christians in Egypt,
and overthrew their churches. This persecution was con¬
tinued in the time of Theoclas (a.d. 231), but was relaxed
in that of Caesar Philippus. During the rule of Dionysius
(a,d. 244) the Christians in Egypt suffered much at the
hands of Decius; about this time St. Anthony the Great
retired to the desert and taught men to lead there an ascetic
life. After Maximus (a.d. 266) Theonas became patriarch
(a.d. 282) ; under his rule a church in honour of the Virgin
Mary was built at Alexandria, and the Christians worshipped
therein openly; his successor Peter (a.d. 289) was slain in
Alexandria, and his disciple Achillas (a.d. 295) who was
elected patriarch after him, only sat for six months. The
persecution of the Christians by Diocletian was very severe,