Pinytus of Knossos

Saint Pinytus, a Greek by birth, was bishop of Knossos on the island of Crete, at the end of the second century. Eusebius of Caesarea counted him among the foremost ecclesiastical writers of his time. He died around 180. He is commemorated on 10 October.

Little is known of his life. It is known, however, that he was in constant contact with Dionysius of Corinth and that, it seems, the two did not agree in everything. Dionysius wrote to Pinytus, asking him not to place too strict a yoke of chastity on his brethren and to keep in mind the weakness of the many. Pinytus, however, was not moved by this counsel and replied that Dionysius might give stronger teaching, what Pinytus calls "solid food", and feed his flock with a more perfect epistle, since Christians cannot always live on "milk" and cannot remain children when they grow old and mature, which is not enough to nourish a community growing mature in faith. Eusebius attests his orthodoxy and his care for the welfare of those entrusted to him.