Saints
A

Saint · Early Church

Saint Athanasius of Alexandria

Period
4th century (died 373)
Feast days
2 May · 18 January
Associated region
Alexandria, Egypt

Bishop of Alexandria and leading defender of the Nicene faith.

Key timeline

View full timeline (4)
  1. 325

    Council of Nicaea

    Attends as a deacon.

  2. 328

    Bishop of Alexandria

  3. 335–366

    Five exiles

As a deacon he attended the Council of Nicaea (325) with Bishop Alexander, whom he succeeded in 328. He was exiled five times by emperors during the Arian controversy. His Festal Letter of 367 is the earliest known list of exactly the 27 books of the New Testament.

Principal written sources

  • On the Incarnation
  • Orations against the Arians
  • Life of Antony
  • Festal Letter 39 (367)

Full timeline

  1. 325

    Council of Nicaea

    Attends as a deacon.

  2. 328

    Bishop of Alexandria

  3. 335–366

    Five exiles

  4. 373

    Death

Feast days
  • 2 May — Western calendars
  • 18 January — Byzantine calendar
Venerated in (starting dataset)
Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican.
Patronage and roles (starting dataset)
Theologians, Defenders of Faith
Places
Alexandria · Nicaea · Trier and Rome (in exile)

Accounts in the starting dataset

The source workbook lists these under “Confirmed Miracle / Key Event”. The Atlas does not treat them as confirmed: each is labelled by the kind of evidence behind it.

  • DocumentedDocumented exiles

    “Exile survival 5 times against imperial soldiers via providential protection”

    The five exiles are documented; describing his survival as “providential protection” is a devotional reading.

  • UnverifiedUnsourced claim

    “Post-mortem incorruptibility & intercessory healings at Alexandria”

    No early source has been checked for claims of bodily incorruption or healings at Alexandria.

About the image · Editorial design

Editorial initial. No likeness of Athanasius survives.

Editorial status

Editorial draft. Built from the starting workbook with editorial corrections and framing. It has not yet been checked against independent sources.

References

  • Workbook linkNot yet checked

    britannica.com

    Link supplied in the source workbook (“Top 100 Saints”, row 21). It has not been checked to confirm that it supports every claim in that row.

Original workbook record

Imported unchanged from “Top 100 Saints”, row 21. Values here are the starting dataset, not verified facts; where the Atlas differs, the reason is noted below.

#
13
Saint / Title
Saint Athanasius of Alexandria
Primary Traditions Veneration
Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican
Feast Day(s)
May 2 / Jan 18
Era / Lived
296 – 373 AD
Origin / Region
Alexandria, Egypt
Patronage & Major Roles
Theologians, Defenders of Faith
Confirmed Miracle / Key Event 1
Exile survival 5 times against imperial soldiers via providential protection
Confirmed Miracle / Key Event 2
Post-mortem incorruptibility & intercessory healings at Alexandria
Key Contribution / Historical Significance
Champion of Nicene orthodoxy against Arianism at First Council of Nicaea (325 AD).
Reference Link
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Athanasius

Editorial notes on this record

  • Era / Lived: Birth year 296 is approximate (c. 296–298).
  • Confirmed Miracle / Key Event 2: Incorruptibility and healings are unsourced.