ATHANASIUS, Saint, bishop of Alexandria, a celebrated Greek theo logian: b. Alexandria about 296; d. 373. He had a Christian education, and came into the family of Alexander, afterward archbishop of Alexandria. Alexander took him to the council at Nice, where he gained the highest esteem of the fathers by the talents he displayed in the Arian controversy. About 326 he became bishop of Alexandria. The complaints and accusations of his enemies at length induced the Emperor Constantine to summon him in 334 before the councils of Tyre and Jerusalem, but his judges could do nothing, however, further than sus pend him from his office. He still continued in the discharge of his duties until the Emperor, deceived by new falsehoods, banished him to Treves. The death of Constantine put an end to this banishment at the end of a year and sonic months. Constantius, Emperor of the East, recalled the holypatriarch. His return to Alexandria resembled a triumph. The Arians made new complaints against him, and he was condemned by 90 Arian bishops assem bled at Antioch, while 100 orthodox bishops, assembled at Alexandria, declared him inno cent. Pope Julius confirmed this sentence, in conjunction with more than 300 bishops assem bled at Sardis from the east and west, and in consequence of this he returned a second time to his diocese. But when Constans, Emperor of the West, died, and Constantius became mas ter of the whole empire, the Arians ventured to rise up against Athanasius. Athanasius, displaced for a third time, fled into the deserts of Egypt. His enemies pursued him even here, and set a price on his head. To relieve the hermits who dwelt in these solitary places, and who would not betray his retreat, from suffer ing on his account, he went into those parts of the desert which were entirely uninhabited. He was followed by a faithful servant, who, at the risk of his life supplied him with the means of subsistence. In this undisturbed spot Athanasius composed many writings, full of eloquence, to strengthen the faith of the be lievers, or expose the falsehood of his enemies. When Julian the Apostate ascended the throne he allowed the orthodox bishops to return to their churches. Athanasius therefore re turned after an absence of six years. The mildness which he exercised toward his enemies was imitated in Gaul, Spain, Italy and Greece, and restored peace to the Church. But this
peace was interrupted by the complaints of the heathen, whose temples the zeal of Atha nasius kept always empty. They excited the Emperor against him, and he was obliged to flee to Thebais to save his life. The death of the Emperor and the accession of Jovian again brought him back; but Valens becoming Em peror eight months after, and the Arians re covering the superiority, he was once more compelled to flee. He concealed himself four months, until Valens, moved by the pressing entreaties and threats of the Alexandrians, al lowed him to return. From this period he re mained undisturbed in his office until he died, 373. Of the 46 years of his official life he spent 20 in banishment, and the greater part of the remainder in defending the Nicene Creed. Athanasius is one of the greatest men of whom the Church can boast. His deep mind, his noble heart, his invincible courage, his living faith, his unbounded benevolence, sincere humil ity, lofty eloquence, and strictly virtuous life, gained the honor and love of all. His volumi nous writings, which are chiefly controversial and dogmatical, treat of the mysterious doc trines of the Trinity, the incarnation of Christ and the divinity of the Holy Spirit. His (Apology Against the Arians,' addressed to the Emperor Constantine, is a masterpiece. The creed which goes under his name was not writ ten by him, but belongs to a later time (see CREED ) . The most complete edition of his works is that published at Padua in 1777 (4 vols. folio).
Bibliography.— Bishop, (Development of the Trinitarian Doctrine in the Nicene and Athanasian Creed' (New York 1911) ; Burn, (The Athanasian Creed' (London 1912) ; Bright, (Lessons from the Lives of Three Great Fathers' (London 1890) ; Cave, W., (Lives of the Fathers' (Oxford 1840) ; Farrar,
of the Fathers> (1889) ; Fisher,