Pantaenus

Pantaenus a Christian philosopher of the Stoic sect, flourished in the 2d century. He is supposed to have been a native of Alexandria, and to have taught philosophy and religion there about A.D. 180. He went on a mission to Ethiopia, from whence he is said to have brought the Gospel of St. Matthew, written in Hebrew (Eusebiums, Hist. Eccles.v. 10). But little else is known of his personal history. With the persecutions under Septimius Severus all trace of Pantaenus is lost. He is reported to have died in 213. He left several commentaries, but only a few scanty remains of them are now extant. Some of them are collected in Halloix, Illustr. Eccles. Orient. Scriptor. (Douaci. 16331636); Routh, Reliq. Sacr. 1:398 sq. See Redepenning, Origenes, vol. i Guericke, De Schola Alexandr. vol. i; Philo Judseus, Opera, 4:34; Alzog, KirchenGesch. 1:194; Ritter, Gesch. der christl. Philosophie, 1:421 sq.; Smith, Dict. of Class. Biog. s.v. (J. H.W.)