Athanasius

St. Athanasius was the patriarch of Alexandria in the 4th century living from 293 to 373 AD. His most notable accomplishment and what he is usually remembered for is his strong stance against the Arian and Meletian heresies, but he also wrote several books which have added greatly to his noteworthiness. These include a life on St. Anthony the Great which is for the most part our sole source of information on the Great Desert Father, several volumes on Arianism, and his first two works: Against the Heathen and The Incarnation of the Word of God. Due for the most part to his work against the Arians, Athanasius was banished, exiled, or stripped of his title several times. Appointed a deacon in 319 Athanasius worked as secretary to Alexander, the patriarch of the time, in 325 at the Council of Nicaea. Not long afterwards in 328, St. Athanasius was made the patriarch of Alexandria.