ATHANASIUS, SAINT (Gk. 'A8ami(noc, thunasios) (c.293-373). The fa ther of Greek orthodoxy, Bishop of Alexan dria, and the most eminent theologian of the Fourth Century. He was born probably in A.D. 293, in Alexandria, where he died in 373. His parents are said to have been Christians. We know little about his youth, except that he was well educated and brought up for the service of the Church. Rutinus tells us that in early boy hood Athanasius played at being bishop and bap tized some of his mates according to the rules of the Church, and that the bishop afterwards recog nized their baptism as valid: but this story rests upon no sufficient evidence. Athanasius began to serve the Church as reader, and was advanced to the office of deacon before the beginning of the great theological struggle which led up to the Council of Nimea (A.D. 325), where he appears as an opponent of the presbyter Arius, who also lived in Alexandria. His life is intimately eon nected with the progress of the Arian contro versy. and he was by far the most formidable antagonist whom that heresy encountered. For many years it was 'Athanasius contra mull but his great ability and perseverance gained the victory in the end. (For particulars respecting this struggle, see NIC.•A, COUNCIL OF': and Ann's.) Athanasius advocated the famous homoousion doctrine. which was that the Son of God is of the same essence or substance with the Father, whereas Arius maintained that the Son was a creature, something less than God, though more than man. All the Trinitarian and Christ°logical speculations of the Fourth and Fifth centuries have their roots in this contro versy.
Athanasins became Bishop of Alexandria, prob ably in A.D. 326. and his episcopate lasted until his death, forty-seven years afterwards. At this time Alexandria was S not only one of the leading cities of the Empire, but also one of the most important in the Church. For more than a cen tury the greatest theologians had worked and taught here, and here, too, divergencies from Catholic orthodoxy were by no means rare. Dur ing the progress of the Arian controversy poli tics mingled with theology. and each side labored to win Imperial favor. The Arian party was in fluential at court and very active. Five times Athanasius was sent into exile, and more than one-third of his long episcopate was spent away from his see. Almost from the first, charges of immorality, sacrilege. sorcery, treason, and even murder were brought against him by his ene mies; hut in every case the verdict of history has pronounced him innocent. A grossly partisan synod at Tyre (335) condemned him, and the outcome was his first banishment. lasting two years, which he spent at Turves. He was par doned after the death of Arius, and returned to Alexandria amid the acclamations of the people (337). The Emperor Constantius banished him again in 339, and this second exile extended over seven years. Athanasius sought refuge with Julius, Bishop of Rome, where he was well re ceived, and where, according to an unreliable tradition, he is said to have written the Atha nasian creed (q.v.). Leaving Rome, he visited Caul, Dacia, Aquileia, and Antioch. In 346 lie was permitted to return to his see, and the joy ful people streamed forth to meet him 'like an other Nile.' By favor of the Emperor Constans Athena sills now enjoyed ten years of compara tive quiet; but in 356, owing to the renewed ascendency of the Arian party, who had gained control of all the churches in Alexandria, 1w was once more compelled to seek safety in flight. For
six years he dwelt among the Egyptian hermits, or concealed himself in the neighborhood of the capital, where he could secretly watch the for tunes of his church. These years were fruitful in literary labor, and at the same time they gave him a more intimate knowledge of the monastic life. Athanasius was the first episcopal patron of the monks, and it is largely through him that the \Vestern Church came to know of the Egyp tian hermits. After Julian's accession, a policy of religious toleration was inaugurated. and Athanasius was recalled. But the Emperor had a personal falling out with the Bishop the same 3-ear (362), and issued a special edict against him. so that he fled to Thebes, where he re mained about eighteen months. His fifth and last exile lasted only four months, and brings us down to the year A.D. 366. Seven years of life remained to the aged Bishop, and these were spent in quiet labor at his post, enjoying the honors which his fidelity had earned. The theo logical battle was practically over, and the vic tory rested with the cause of Nicene orthodoxy. Athanasius's disciples, especially Basil the Great and the two Gregories, were instrumental in se curing the final verdict in its favor at the sec ond Ecumenical Council at Constantinople (381).
Athanasius was a voluminous writer. His works are chiefly controversial and dogmatic, though some are exegetical and pastoral. Highly valuable to the historian are such works as the Discourses Against the Arians, the History of the Arians, the Apology Against the Arians, and (in the Decrees of the Nicene Synod. The Life of Saint Anthony purports to describe that fa mous hermit, hut it is full of legendary material. A series of Festal Epistles, relating to the cele bration of Easter. contains much valuable ma terial of various kinds. e.g. the Thirty-ninth Epistle, for the year 367, gives a very important list of the canonical books of the Bible.
The Benedictine edition of Athanasius's works appeared in Paris (3 vols., 1698). lligne's Pat rologia Grwca (Vols. XXV.-XXV111., Paris, 1857) is more nearly complete, but has the usual faults of that collection. The Festal Epi,s ties were edited by Cureton (London, 1848). An English translation of the Historical Tracts and Treatises in Controversy with the Arians may be found in The Library of the Fathers (Oxford, 1843). Selections from his writings. including all the most important. and also his letters, are translated by Archibald Robertson, who furnishes elaborate prolegomena discussing "The Life and Theology of Athanasius." in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (second series, Vol. 1V., New York, 1892, edited by Schaff and 1Vace). Bibliography: William Bright. Lessons from the Lives of Three Great Fathers (London, 1890); F. W. Farrar, Lives of the Fathers (Vol. 1., New York, 1889) : W. Cave, Lives of the Fathers (Vol. H., edited by Cary, Oxford, 1840) ; and the article on Athanasius in Smith and Waee's Dictionary of Christian Biography. For the teaching of Athanasius, consult: Ilarnack. History of Dogma. Vol. IV. (London, IS98) ; and Fisher. History of Christian Doctrine (New York, 1896).