ATHANASIUS (St), bishop of Alexandria, and
one of the greatest defenders of the faith against the
Arians, was born in Egypt. He followed St Alex-
ander to the council of Nice, in 325, where he disputed
against Arius, and the following year was made bi-
shop of Alexandria; but, in 335, was deposed by the
council of Tyre: when, having recourse to the em-
peror Constantine, the Arian deputies accused him of
having hindered the exportation of corn from Alexan-
dria to Constantinople; on which the emperor, with-
out suffering him to make his defence, banished him to
Treves. The emperor, two years after, gave orders
that he should be restored to his bishopric: but, on his
return to Alexandria, his enemies brought fresh ac-
cusations against him, and chose Gregory of Cappadocia
to his see; which obliged Athanasius to go to Rome
to reclaim it of Pope Julius. He was there declared
innocent, in a council held in 342, and in that of
Sardica in 347, and two years after was restored to his
see by order of the emperor Constantius; but after the
death of that prince, he was again banished by the
emperor Constantius, which obliged him to retire into
the deserts. The Arians then elected one George in
his room; who being killed in a popular sedition un-
der Julian in 360, St Athanasius returned to Alexan-
dria, but was again banished under Julian, and restored
to his see under Jovian. He addressed to that emperor
a letter, in which he proposed that the Nicene creed
should be the standard of the orthodox faith, and con-
demned those who denied the divinity of the Holy
Ghost. He was also banished by Valens in 367, and
afterwards recalled. St Athanasius died on the 2d of
May 373.
His works principally contain a defence of the my-
stery of the Trinity, and of the incarnation and divi-
nity of the Word and Holy Spirit. There are three
editions of his works which are esteemed; that of Com-
melin, printed in 1600; that of Peter Nannius, in
1627; and that of father Montfoucon. As to the creed
which bears his name, see the preceding article.