Pantaenus

d. c.190. First known head of the Catechetical School at Alexandria. He left no written indications of his own work or thought, but made a significant impact on the development of church theology. The direct succession from him provides the source of information. Clement's metaphor of the Sicilian bee makes probable his place of origin. His Christianity had taken him as missionary evangelist as far east as India. He is dated by the direct role he played as teacher of Clement (who succeeded him in 190) and of Alexander* (who studied under them both). Origen may have been too young to have been taught directly by him, but his martyred father was Pantaenus's contemporary and of like mind. Pantaenus's philosophy was Stoicism and his literary interests classical. Considering the exegetical writings of his successors, this would account not only for their strong emphasis upon a divine literature, but also for their allegorical methodology in interpreting the same.