ST, bishop of Alexandria, and one of the greatest defenders of the faith against the Arians, was born in Egypt. He followed St Alexander to the council of Nice, in 325, where he disputed against Arius, and the following year was made bishop of Alexandria; but, in 335, was deposed by the council of Tyre: when, having recourse to the emperor Constantine, the Arian deputies accused him of having hindered the exportation of corn from Alexandria to Constantinople; on which the emperor, without 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 accusations 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 Constans: 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 under Julian in 360, St Athanasius returned to Alexandria, 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 condemned 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 375.

His works principally contain a defence of the mysteries of the Trinity, and of the incarnation and divinity of the Word and Holy Spirit. There are three editions of his works which are esteemed; that of Commelin, printed in 1600; that of Peter Nannius, in 1627; and that of Father Montfaucon. As to the creed which bears his name, see the preceding article.