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*[http://www.comeandseeicons.com/a/pha14.htm St. Athanasios the Great Icon and Story]
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:<small> ''For other uses, see [[Athanasius (disambiguation)]]'' </small>[[Image:Athanasius.jpg|right|frame|St. Athanasius]]Our father among the saints '''Athanasius of Alexandria''' (also spelled "Athanasios"; from Greek, "immortal") was a bishop of Alexandria and major theological writer in the fourth century. He is also called '''Athanasius the Great''' and (by the [[Church of Alexandria (Coptic)|Coptic church]]) '''Athanasius the Apostolic'''. He was born in 298 and died on [[May 2]], 373. His [[feast day]] in the [[Orthodox Church]] is [[January 18]].
== Life ==
Athanasius fought consistently against Arianism all his life. As a deacon, he accompanied Alexander of Alexandria to the [[First Ecumenical Council|First Council of Nicea]] in 325, which produced the [[Nicene Creed]] and anathematized Arius and his followers. The [[Church of Alexandria (Coptic)|Coptic church]] maintains a tradition that Athanasius was the main author of the Nicene Creed, and has therefore given him the title of ''Defender of the Faith''.
On [[May 9]], 328, he succeeded Alexander as bishop of Alexandria, becoming the 20th Patriarch of the [[Church of Alexandria]], a position which he held for 45 years, 16 of which he spent in exile. As a result of rises and falls in Arianism's influence, he was banished from Alexandria only to be later restored on at least five separate occasions, perhaps as many as seven. This gave rise to the expression ''Athanasius contra mundus, et mundumcontra Athanasium'' or "While the world is set against Athanasius , Athanasius is equally set against the world." During some of his exiles, he spent time with the [[Desert Fathers]], monks and hermits who lived in remote areas of Egypt.
Athanasius is also the first person to identify the same 27 books of the [[New Testament]] that are in use today; up until his Easter letter, various similar lists were in use. However, his list was the one that was eventually ratified by a series of synods and came to be universally recognized as the New Testament [[canon]].
He also wrote a biography of [[Anthony the Great]] that later served as an inspiration to Christian [[monasticism|monastics]] in both the East and the West. The [[Athanasian Creed]] is traditionally ascribed to him, though it is likely not his work.
Athansius was also the first to introduce the forty-day Lent to the Greek Churches in Egypt through his writing of Festal Letter XII around 337. [[Image:StAthanasiusShrineinStMarkCathedralCairo.jpg|thumb|St. Athanasius [[Shrine ]] (where the saint's [[relics]] are preserved) under St. Mark's Cathedral, Cairo]] The [[saint]] was originally buried in Alexandria. His holy body was later transferred to Italy. [[Pope]] [[Shenouda III (Gayyid) of Alexandria|Shenouda III]] restored the [[relics]] of St. Athanasius to Egypt on [[May 15|15 May]] 1973,<ref>[http://www.avarewase.org/en/map/athanas.htm Saint Athanasius]</ref> after his historical visit to the Vatican and meeting with Pope Paul VI. The relics of St. Athanasius the Great of Alexandria are currently preserved under the new St. [[Apostle Mark|Mark]] [[Coptic]] Orthodox Cathedral in Deir El-Anba Rowais, Abbassiya, Cairo, Egypt.
The following is a [[troparion]] (hymn) to St. Athanasius sung in some Orthodox churches:
{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=[[Alexanderof Alexandria|Alexander]]|
title=[[Patriarch of Alexandria]]|
years=326-373|
after=[[Peter IIof Alexandria|Peter II]]|}}
{{end box}}
==Reference==
<references />
===Works by St. Athanasius===
* ''On the Incarnation''
* Against the Heathen, ''Contra Gentes''
* '''History of the Arians''', ''Historia Arianorum ad Monachos''
* Against the Arians, ''Orationes contra Arianos IV''
* Life of Antony, ''Vita Antoni.''
* Defence of Dionysius, ''De Sentenia Dionysii''
* [http://www.anastasis.org.uk/psalm_commentary.htm ''Commentary on the Book of Psalms'' - Introduction] Home Page of the Monastery of Saint Andrew the First Called - Manchester, England.
** [http://www.anastasis.org.uk/psalm_22.htm Psalm 22]
** [http://www.anastasis.org.uk/psalm_86.htm Psalm 86]
==External links==
*[http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF2-04/TOC.htm Background information and writings]
*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?FSID=100219 St Athanasius the Great the Archbishop of Alexandria] ([[OCA]])
*[http://goarch.org/en/chapel/saints.asp?contentid=/391 Athanasios & Cyril, Patriarchs of Alexandria] ([[GOARCH]])
*[http://www.westsrbdio.org/prolog/my.html?month=January&day=18 Saint Athanasius the Great, Archbishop of Alexandria] (''[[Prologue of Ohrid]]'')
*[http://www.copticchurch.net/synaxarium/9_7.html#1 The Departure of St. Athanasius the Apostolic the 20th. Pope of Alexandria] (Coptic)
[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:4th-century bishops]]
[[Category:Church Fathers]]
[[Category:Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers]]
[[Category:Patriarchs of Alexandria]]
[[Category:Saints]]
[[Category:Byzantine Saints]]
[[Category:4th-century saints]]
[[ar:أثناسيوس السكندري]]
[[el:Μέγας Αθανάσιος]]
[[fr:Athanase le Grand]]
[[mk:Свети Атанасиј Велики]]
[[ro:Atanasie al Alexandriei]]
