No More Learning

facts are, that he retired with his nation into the p. 59, b. )
[A. P. S. )
south of Gaul,- that he married Placidia, sister of ATE (Atn), according to Hesiod (Theog. 230),
Honorius, - and that he finally withdrew into a daughter of Eris, and according to Homer (N.
Spain, where he was murdered at Barcelona. Ac- xix. 91) of Zeus, was an ancient Greck divinity,
cording to Jornandes (de Reb. Gct. 32), he took who led both gods and men to rash and inconside
Rome a second time after Alaric's death, carried off rate actions and to suffering. She once even in-
Placidia, formed a treaty with Honorius, which was duced Zeus, at the birth of Heracles, to take an
cemented by his marriage with Placidia at Forum oath by which Hera was afterwards enabled to
Livii or Cornelii, remained a faithful ally in Gaul, give to Eurystheus the power which bad been
and went into Spain for the purpose of suppressing destined for Heracles. When Zeus discovered his
the agitations of the Suevi and Vandals against rashness, he hurled Ate from Olympus and banished
the empire. But the other authorities for the her for ever from the abodes of the gods. (Ilom.
time agree on the whole in giving a different re- I. xix. 126, &c. ) In the tragic writers Ate
presentation. According to them, the capture of appears in a different light: she avenges evil deeds
Placidia had taken place before Alaric's death and inflicts just punislıments upon the offenders
(Philostorg. xii. 4; Olympiod. I. c. ; Marcellin. and their posterity (Aeschyl. Chocph. 381), so that
Chronicon); the treaty with the empire was not her character here is almost the same as that of
concluded till after Ataulphus's retreat into Gaul, Nemesis and Erinnys. She appears most promi-
where he was implicated in the insurrection of nent in the dramas of Aeschylus, and least in
Jovinus, and set up Attalus, whom he detained in those of Euripides, with whom the idea of Dike
his camp for a musician, as a rival emperor; he (justice) is more fully developed. (Blümner,
then endeavoured to make peace with Honorius Ueber die Idee des Schicksals, fic. p. 64, &c. ) (L. S. ]
by sending him the head of the usurper Sebastian, ATEIUS, surnamed Praetextatus, and also
and by offering to give up Placidia in exchange Philologus, the latter of which surnames he assumed
for a gift of corn ; on this being refused, he at- in order to indicate his great learning, was born at
tacked Massilia, from which he was repulsed by Athens, and was one of the most celebrated gram-
Bonifacius; finally, the marriage with Placidia marians at Rome, in the latter half of the first
took place at Narbo (Idat. Chronicon), which so century B. C. He was a freedman, and was per-
exasperated her lover, the general Constantins, haps originally a slave of the jurist Ateius Capito,
as to make him drive Átaulphus into Spain. (Oro by whom he was characterized as a rhetorician
sius, vii. 43; Idat. Chronicon; Philostorg. xii. 4. ) among grammarians, and a grammarian among
He was remarkable as being the first indepen- rhetoricians.
He taught many
the Roman
dent chief who entered into alliance with Rome, nobles, and was particularly intimate with the
not for pay, but from respect. His original ambi- historian Sallust, and with Asinius Pollio. For
tion had been (according to Orosius, vii. 43, who the former he drew up an abstract of Roman his-
appears to record his very words), " that what tory (Breviarium rerum omnium Romanarum ),
was now Romania should become Gothia, and that Sallust might select from it for his history
what Caesar Augustus was now, that for the such subjects as he chose ; and for the latter he
future should be Ataulphus, but that his experience compiled precepts on the art of writing. Asinius
of the evils of lawlessness and the advantages of Pollio believed that Ateius collected for Sallust
law had changed his intention, and that his many of the peculiar expressions which we find
highest glory now would be to be known in after in his writings, but this is expressly denied by
ages as the defender of the empire. " And thus Suetonius. The commentarii of Ateius were ex-
his marriage with Placidia -- the first contracted ceedingly numerous, but only a very few were ex-
between a barbarian chief and a Roman princess-- tant even in the time of Suetonius. (Sueton. de
was looked upon by his contemporaries as a marked Illustr. Grammat. 10; comp. Osann, Analecta Cri
epoch, and as the fulfilment of the prophecy of tic. p. 64, &c. ; Madrig, Opuscula Academica, p.
Daniel, that the king of the North should wed the 97, dc. )
daughter of the king of the South. (Idat. Chro- ATEIUS CA'PITO. (CAPITO. ]
22. com. )
ATEIUS SANCTUS. (SANCTUS. ]
He was a man of striking personal appearance, ATERIANUS, JUʻLIUS, wrote a work upon
end of middle stature. (Jornandes, de Reb. Get the Thirty Tyrants (A. D. 259–268), or at least
32. ) The details of his life are best given in upon one of them, Victorinus. Trebellius Pollio
Olympiodorus (ap. Phot. ), who gives a curious de- (Trig. Tur. 6) gives an extract from his work.
scription of the scene of his nuptials with Placidia A. ATE'RNIUS or ATE'RIUS consul B. C.
in the house of Ingenuus of Narbo (p. 59, b. ed. 454, with Sp. Tarpeius. (Liv. ii. 31. ) The con-
Bekker).
sulship is memorable for the passing of the Ler
His death is variously ascribed to the personal Aternia Tarpeia. (Dict, of Ant. s. 2. ) Aternius
anger of the assassin Vernulf or (Olympiod. p. 60, was subsequently in B. C. 448, one of the patrician
a. ) Dobbius (Jornandes, de Rel. Get. 32), to the in- tribunes of the people, which was the only time
trigues of Constantius (Philostorg. xii. 4), and to that patricians were elected to that office. (Liv.
a conspiracy occasioned in the camp by his having iii. 65. )
put to death a rival chief, Sarus (Olympiod. p. 58, ATÉ'RIUS, or HATE’RIUS, a Roman juris-
b. ) It is said to have taken place in the palace at consult, who was probably contemporary with
Barcelona (Idat. Chronicon), or whilst, according Cicero, and gave occasion to one of that great ora-
.


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ATHIANADAS.
393
ATHANASIUS.
a
tor's puns. Cicero writes to L. Papirius Paetus (ad ATHANARI'CUS, the son of Rhotestus, was
l'um. ix. 18), Tu istic te Ateriano jure delectato: king, or according to Ammianus Marcellinus
cgo me hic Hirtiano. " While you are amusing (xxvii. 5), “ judex ” of the West Goths during
yourself with the law (jus) of Aterius, let me en- their stay in Dacia. His name became first known
joy my pea-fowl here with the capital sauce (jus) in a. d. 367, when the Goths werc attacked by the
of my friend Hirtius,"
(J. T. G. ) emperor Valens, who first encamped near Daphne,
A’THAMAS ('Adápas), a son of Aeolus and a fort on the Danube, from whence, after having
Enarete, the daughter of Deimachus. He was laid a bridge of boats over this river, he entered
thus a brother of Cretheus, Sisyphus, Salmoneus, Dacia. The Goths retired and the emperor re-
&c. (Apollod. i. 7. & 3. ) At the command of treated likewise after having performed but little.
Hera, Athainas married Nephele, by whom he be- He intended a new campaign, but the swollen
came the father of Phrixus and Helle. But he waters of the Danube inundated the surrounding
was secretly in love with the mortal Ino, the country, and Valens took up his winter quarters
daughter of Cadmus, by whom he begot Lear- at Marcianopolis in Moesia. In 369, however, he
chus and Melicertes, and Nephele, on discovering crossed the Danube a second time, at Noviodunum
that Ino had a greater hold on his affections than in Moesia Inferior, and defeated Athanaric who
herself, disappeared in her anger. Misfortunes and wished for peace, and who was invited by Valens
ruin now came upon the bouse of Athamas, for to come to his camp. Athanaric excused himself,
Nephele, who had returned to the gods, demanded pretending that he had made a vow never to set
that Athamas should be sacrificed as an atonement his foot on the Roman territory, but he promised
to her. Ino, who hated the children of Nephele to the Roman ambassadors, Victor and Arinthaeus,
and endeavoured to destroy them, caused å fa- that he would meet with the emperor in a boat on
mine by her artifices, and when Athamas sent the Danube. Valens having agreed to this, peace
messengers to Delphi to consult the oracle about was concluded on that river, on conditions not very
the means of averting famine, Ino bribed them, heavy for the Goths, for they lost nothing ; but
and the oracle they brought back declared, their commerce with Moesia and Thrace was re-
that Phrixus must be sacrificed. When the peo- stricted to two towns on the Danube. Thence
ple demanded compliance with the oracle, Nephele probably the title “ Gothicus," which Eutropius
rescued Phrixus and Helle upon the ram with the gives to Valens in the dedication of his history.
golden fleece, and carried them to Colchis. Atha- In 373, Athanaric, who belonged to the ortho-
mas and Ino drew upon themselves the anger of dox party, was involved in a feud with Fritigern,
Hera also, the cause of which is not the same in another · judge” of the West-Goths or Thervingi
,
all accounts. (Apollod. iii. 4. & 3; Hygin. Fab. 2. ) who was an Arian, and oppressed the Catholic
Athamas was seized by madness (comp. Cic. Tusc. party. In 374, the Gothic empire was invaded
iii. 5, in Pison. 20), and in this state he killed his by the Huns. Athanaric defended the passages of
own son, Learchus, and Ino threw herself with the Dnieper, but the Huns crossed this river in
Melicertes into the sea. Athamas, as the murderer spite of his vigilance and defeated the Goths,
of his son, was obliged to flee from Boeotia. He whereupon Athanaric retired between the Pruth
consulted the oracle where he should settle. The and the Danube, to a strong position which he for-
answer was, that he should settle where he should tified by lines. His situation, however, was
be treated hospitably by wild beasts. After long dangerous, that the Goths sent ambassadors, among
wanderings, he at last came to a place where whom probably was Ulphilas, to the emperor Valens,
wolves were derouring sheep. On perceiving him, for the purpose of obtaining dwelling places within
they ran away, leaving their prey behind. Atha- the Roman empire. Valens received the ambassa-
mas recognized the place alluded to in the oracle, dors at Antioch, and promised to receive the West-
settled there, and called the country Athamania, Goths as
“ foederati. " Thus the West-Goths
after his own name. He then married Themisto, (Thervingi) settled in Moesia, but Athanaric,
who bore him several sons. (Apollod. i. 9. § 1, &c. ; faithful to his vow, refused to accompany them
Hygin. Fab. 1-5. )
and retired to a stronghold in the mountains of
The accounts about Athamas, especially in their Dacia. There he defended himself against the
details, differ much in the different writers, and it Huns, as well some Gothic chiefs, who
seems that the Thessalian and Orchomenian tradi- tried to dislodge him, till in 380 he was compelled
tions are here interwoven with one another. Ac- to fly. Necessity urged him to forget his oath,
cording to Pausanias (ix. 34. & 4), Athamas wished he entered the Roman territory and retired to
to sacrifice Phrixus at the foot of the Boeotian Constantinople, where the emperor Theodosius
mountain Laphystius, on the altar dedicated to Zeus treated him with great kindness and all the re-
Laphystius, à circumstance which suggests some spect due to his rank. He died in 381. (Amm.
connexion of the mythus with the worship of Marc. xxvii. 5, xxx. 3; Themistius, Orat. in
Zeus Laphystius. (Müller, Orchom. p. 161, &c. ) Valent. ; Zosimus, iv. 34, 35; Sozomen. vi. 37;
There are two other mythical personages of this Idatius, in Fastis, Syagrio et Eucherio Coss.
; Eu-
name, the one a grandson of the former, who led a napius, Fragm. pp. 18, 19, ed. Paris. ). (W. P. ]
colony of Minyans to Teos (Paus. vii. 3. § 3; A'THANAS ('ADávas ), a Greek historical
Steph. Byz. s. ö. Téws), and the other a son of writer, the author of a work on Sicily, quoted by
Oenopion, the Cretan, who had emigrated to Plutarch (Timol. 23, 37) and Diodorus. (xv. 94. )
Chios. (Paus. vii. 4. § 6. )
(L. S. ] He is probably the same with Athanis, a writer
A'THAMAS ('Abduas), a Pythagorean philoso- mentioned by Athenaeus (iii. p. 98), who also
pher, cited by Clemens of Alexandria. (Strom. wrote a work on Sicily. (Göller, de Șitu, gc.
vi. p. 624, d. Paris, 1629. )
Syracusarum, p. 16. )
[C. P. M. ]
ATHA'NADAS ('Alaváðas), a Greek writer, ATIIANA'SIUŚ ('Abaváosos), ST. , archbishop
the author of a work on Ambracia ('Aubpakin). of Alexandria, was born in that city, a few years
(Antonin. Liber. c. 4. )
[C. P. M. ) before the close of the third century. The date of
SO
as


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394
ATHANASIUS.
ATIIANASIUS.
3
his birth cannot be ascertained with exactness ; l before the emperor in person, and was honourably
but it is assigned by Montfaucon, on grounds suffi- acquitted. With regard to the pretended acts of
ciently probable, to A. D. 296. No particulars are sacrilege, it was proved that Ischyras had never
recorded of the lineage or the parents of Athana- received regular orders; that, in consequence of
sius. The dawn of his character and genius scems his unduly assuming the priestly office, Athanasius
to have given fair promise of his subsequent emi- in one of his cpiscopal visitations had sent Maca-
nence; for Alexander, then primate of Egypt, rius and another ccclesiastic to inquire into the
brought him up in his own family, and superintend- matter; that these hnd found Ischyras ill in bed,
ed his education with the view of dedicating him and had contented themselves with advising his
to the Christian ministry. We have no account father to dissuade him from all such irregularities
of the studies pursued by Athanasius in his youth, for the future. Ischyras himself afterwards con-
except the vague statement of Gregory Nazianzen, fessed with tears the groundlessness of the charges
that he devoted comparatively little attention to preferred against Macarius; and gave Athanasius
general literature, but acquired an extraordinary a written disavowal of them, signed by six priests
knowledge of the Scriptures. His early proficiency and seven deacons. Notwithstanding these proofs
in Biblical knowledge is credible enough ; but of the primate's innocence, his enemies renewed
though he was much inferior in general learning to their attack in an aggravated form ; accusing Atha-
buch men as Clemens Alexandrinus, Origen, and nasius himself of the acts previously imputed to
Eusebius, his Oration against the Greeks, itself a Macarius, and charging him moreover with the
juvenile performance, evinces no contemptible ac- murder of Arsenius, bishop of Hypselis in Upper
quaintance with the literature of heathen mytho- Egypt. To give colour to this latter accusation
logy. While a young man, Athanasius frequent- Arsenius absconded, and lay concealed for a con-
ly visited the celebrated hermit St. Antony, of siderable time. The emperor before whom the
whom he eventually became the biographer; and charges were laid, already knew that those relat-
this early acquaintance laid the foundation of a ing to Ischyras were utterly unfounded. He re-
friendship which was interrupted only by the death ferred it to his brother Dalmatins, the Censor, to
of the aged recluse. [ANTONIUS, ST. ) At what | inquire into the alleged murder of Arsenius. Dal-
age Athanasius was ordained a deacon is nowhere matius wrote to Athanasius, commanding him to
stated; but he was young both in years and in prepare his defence. The primate was at first in-
office when he vigorously supported Alexander in clined to leave so monstrous a calumny to its own
maintaining the orthodox faith against the earliest fate; but finding that the anger of the emperor
assaults of the Arians. He was still only a deacon had been excited against him, he instituted an
when appointed a member of the famous council of active search after Arsenius, and in the end learned
Nice (A. D. 325), in which he distinguished him that he had been discovered and identified at Tyre.
self as an able opponent of the Arian doctrine, and The Arians meanwhile had urged the convention
assisted in drawing up the creed that takes its of a council at Caesareia, for the purpose of in-
name from that assembly.
quiring into the crimes imputed to Athanasius.
In the following year Alexander died; and But he, unwilling to trust bis cause to such a tri-
Athanasius, whom he had strongly recommended bunal, sent to the emperor a full account of the ex-
as his successor, was raised to the vacant see of posure of the pretended homicide. On this, Con-
Alexandria, the voice of the people as well as the stantine ordered Dalmatius to stay all proceedings
suffrages of the ecclesiastics being decisively in against Athanasius, and commanded the Arian
his favour. The manner in which he discharged bishops, instead of holding their intended synod at
the duties of his new office was highly exemplary ; Caesareia, to return home.
but he had not long enjoyed his elevation, before Undeterred by this failure, the enemies of Atha-
he encountered the commencement of that long nasius, two years after, prerailed upon Constantine
series of trials which darkened the eventful re- to summon a council at Tyre, in which they re-
mainder of his life. About the year 331, Arius, peated the old accusations concerning Ischyras and
who had been banished by Constantine after the Arsenius, and urged new matter of crimination.
condemnation of his doctrine by the council of The pretended sacrilege in the church of Ischyras
Nice, made a professed submission to the Catholic was disproved by the bishops who were present
faith, which satisfied the emperor; and shortly from Egypt. The murder of Arsenius was satis-
after, Athanasius received an imperial order to ad- factorily disposed of by producing the man himself
mit the heresiarch once more into the church of alive and well, in the midst of the council. The
Alexandria. The archbishop had the courage to adversaries of the primate succeeded, however, in
disobey, and justified his conduct in a letter which appointing a commission to visit Egypt and take
seems, at the time, to have been satisfactory to cognizance of the matters laid to his charge. The
Constantine. Soon after this, complaints were proceedings of this commission are described by
lodged against Athanasius by certain enemies of Athanasius as having been in the highest degree
his, belonging to the obscure sect of the Meletians. corrupt, iniquitous, and disorderly. On the return
One of the charges involved nothing short of high of the commissioners to Tyre, whence Athanasius
treason. Others related to acts of sacrilege alleged bad meanwhile withdrawn, the council deposed
to have been committed in a church where a priest him from his office, interdicted him from visiting
named Ischyras or Ischyrion officiated. It was Alexandria, and sent copies of his sentence to all
arerred that Macarius, a priest acting under the the bishops in the Christian world, forbidding
orders of Athanasius, had forcibly entered this them to receive him into their communion. On a
church while Ischyras was performing divine ser- calm review of all the proceedings in this case, it
vice, had broken one of the consecrated chalices, seems impossible to doubt that the condemnation
overturned the communion-table, burned the sacred of Athanasius was flagrantly unjust, and was en-
books, demolished the pulpit, and razed the edifice tirely provoked by his uncompromising opposition
to its foundations. Athanasius made his defence | to the tenets of the Arians, who had secured a ma


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ATHANASIUS.
395
ATHANASIUS.
jority in the council. Undismayed by the triumph | Cappadocia was advanced in his stead. The new
of his enemies, the deposed archbishop returned to primate entered on his office (a. D. 341) amidst
Tyre, and presenting himself before Constantine as scenes of atrocious violence. The Christian popu-
he was entering the city, entrcated the emperor to lation of Alexandria were loud in their complaints
do him justice. His prayer was so far granted as against the removal of Athanasius ; and Philagrius
that his accusers were summoned to confront him the prefect of Egypt, who had been sent with
in the imperial presence. On this, they abandoned Gregory to establish him in his new office, let loose
their previous grounds of attack, and accused him against them a crowd of ferocious assailants, who
of having threatened to prevent the exportation of committed the most frightful excesses. Athanasius
corn from Alexandria to Constantinople. It would filed to Rome, and addressed to the bishops of every
scem that the emperor was peculiarly sensitive on Christian church an energetic epistle, in which he
this point; for, notwithstanding the intrinsic im- details the cruel injuries inflicted upon himself and
probability of the charge, and the earnest denials his people, and entreats the aid of all his brethren.
of Athanasius, the good prclate was banished by At Rome he was honourably received by Julius,
Constantine to Gaul. It is not unlikely that, when who despatched messengers to the ecclesiastical
the beat of his indignation had subsided, Constan- opponents of Athanasius, summoning them to a
tine felt the sentence to be too rigorous; for he council to be held in the imperial city. Apparently
prohibited the filling up of the vacant see, and de- in dread of exposure and condemnation, they re-
clared that his motive in banishing the primate fused to comply with the summons. When the
was to remove him from the machinations of his council met (A. D. 342), Athanasius was heard in
enemies. * Athanasius went to Treves (A. D. 336), his own vindication, and honourably restored to
where he was not only received with kindness by the communion of the church. A synodical letter
Maximinus, the bishop of that city, but loaded was addressed by the council to the Arian clergy,
with favours by Constantine the Younger. The severely reproving them for their disobedience to
Alexandrians petitioned the emperor to restore the summons of Julius and their unrighteous con-
their spiritual father, and Antony the hermit duct to the church of Alexandria.
joined in the request; but the appeal was unsuc- In the year 347, a council was held at Sardica,
cessful.
at which the Arians at first designed to attend.
In the year 337, Constantine died. In the fol- They insisted, however, that Athanasius and all
lowing year, Athanasius was replaced in his see by whom they had condemned should be excluded. As
Constantine II. He was received by the clergy it was the great object of this council to decide
and the people with the liveliest demonstrations of upon the merits of that very case, the proposition
joy. But he had scarcely resumed the dignities was of course resisted, and the Arians left the
and duties of his office, when the persevering hos assembly. The council, after due investigation,
tility of his Arian opponents began to disturb him affirmed the innocence of those whom the Arians
afresh. They succeeded in prejudicing the mind had deposed, restored them to their offices, and
of Constantius against him, and in a council held condemned their adversaries. Synodical epistles,
at Antioch proceeded to the length of appointing exhibiting the decrees of the council, were duly
Pistus archbishop of Alexandria. To counteract prepared and issued. Delegates were sent to the
their movements, Athanasius convoked a council at emperor Constantius at Antioch, to notify the de-
Alexandria, in which a document was prepared cision of the council of Sardica ; and they were also
setting forth the wrongs committed by the adverse entrusted with a letter from Constans to his bro
party, and vindicating the character of the Egyp- ther, in which the cause of the orthodox clergy was
tian primate. Both parties submitted their state- strongly recommended. At Antioch an infamous
ments to Julius, the bishop of Rome, who signified plot was laid to blast the reputation of the dele-
his intention of bringing them together, in order gates. Its detection seems to have wrought pow-
that the case might be thoroughly investigated. To erfully upon the mind of Constantius, who had
this proposition Athanasius assented. The Arians previously supported the Arians; for he recalled
refused to comply. In the year 340, Constantine those of the orthodox whom he had banished, and
the Younger was slain; and in him Athanasius sent letters to Alexandria forbidding any further
seems to have lost a powerful and zealous friend. molestation to be offered to the friends of Athana-
In the very next year, the Arian bishops convened sius.
a council at Antioch, in which they condemned In the following year (A. n. 349), Gregory was
Athanasius for resuming his office while the sen- murdered at Alexandria ; but of the occasion and
tence of deposition pronounced by the council of manner of his death no particulars have reached us.
Tyre was still unrepealed. They accused him of It prepared the way for the return of Athanasius.
disorderly and violent proceedings on his return to He was urged to this by Constantius himself,
Alexandria, and even revived the old exploded whom he visited on his way to Alexandria, and
stories about the broken chalice and the murder of on whom he made, for the time, a very favourable
Arsenius. They concluded by appointing Eusebius impression. He was once more received at Alex-
Emisenus to the archbishopric of Alexandria; and andria with overflowing signs of gladness and atiec-
when he declined the dubious honour, Gregory of tion. Restored to his see, he immediately pro-
ceeded against the Arians with great vigour, and
Gibbon ascribes the sentence to reasons of po- they, on their side, renewed against him the charges
licy. “The emperor was satisfied that the peace which had been so often disproved. Constans, the
of Egypt would be secured by the absence of a friend of Athanasius, was now dead; and though
popular leader; but he refused to fill the vacancy Constantius, at this juncture, professed great friend-
of the archiepiscopal throne; and the sentence, liness for the primate, he soon attached himself
which, after long hesitation, he pronounced, was once more to the Arian party. In a council held
that of a jealous ostracism, rather than of an igno- at Arles (A. D. 353), and another at Milan (A. D.
minious exile. "
355), they succeeded by great exertions in procur-


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396
ATHANASIUS.
ATHANASIUS.
ing the condemnation of Athanasius. On the lat- the first three years of the adıninistration of Valeris,
ter occasion, the whole weight of the imperial nu. the orthodox party seem to have been exempt from
thority was thrown into the scale against him; annoyance. In this interval Athanasius wrote the
and those of the bishops who resolutely vindicated life of St. Antony, and two treatises on the doc-
his cause were punished with exile. Among these trine of the Trinity. In the year 367, Valens
(though his banishment occurred some time after issued an edict for the deposition and banishment
the synod of Milan had closed) was Liberius, of all those bishops who had returned to their secs
bishop of Rome. Persecution was widely directed at the death of Constantius. After a delay oc-
against those who sided with Athanasius; and he casioned by the importunate prayers of the people
hinself, after some abortive attempts to remove on behalf of their beloved teacher, Arbanasius was
him in a more quiet manner, was obliged once for the fifth time expelled from Alexandria. llis
more to flee from Alexandria in the midst of last exile, however, was short. In the space of a
dreadful atrocities committed by Syrianus, a crea- few months, he was recalled by Valens himself,
ture of the emperor's. The primate retired to the for reasons which it is now impossible to penetrate;
Egyptian deserts, whence he wrote a pastoral and from this time to the date of his death, A. D.
address to his persecuted flock, to comfort and 373, he seems to have remained unmolested. He
strengthen them amidst their trials. His enemies continued to discharge the laborious duties of his
meanwhile had appointed to the vacant primacy ofhce with unabated energy to the last; and after
one George of Cappadocia, an illiterate man, whose holding the primacy for a term of forty-six years,
inoral character was far from blaneless. The new during which he sustained unexampled reverses
archbishop commenced a ruthless persecution against with heroic fortitude, and prosecuted the great
the orthodox, which seems to have continued, with purpose of his life with singular sagacity and reso-
greater or less severity, during the whole of his lution, he died without a blemish upon his name,
ecclesiastical administration. The banished primate full of years and covered with honour.
was affectionately entertained in the monastic re- The following eulogium was extorted by his
treats which had already begun to multiply in the merits from the pen of an historian who seldom
deserts of Egypt; and he employed his leisure in lavishes praise upon ancient or modern defenders
composing some of his principal works. His place of orthodoxy :-“ Amidst the storms of persecu-
of retreat was diligently sought for by his enemies; tion, the Archbishop of Alexandria was patient of
but, through his own activity and the unswerving labour, jealous of fame, careless of safety; and
fidelity of his friends, the monks, the search was though his mind was tainted by the contagion of
always unsuccessful in the year 361, Constan- fanaticism, Athanasius displayed a superiority of
tius, the great patron of the Arians, expired. He character and abilities, which would have qualified
was succeeded by Julian, commonly called the him, far better than the degenerate sons of Con-
Apostate, who, at the commencement of his reign, stantine, for the government of a great monarchy.
ordered the restoration of the bishops banished by His learning was much less profound and extensive
Constantius. This was rendered the easier in the than that of Eusebius of Caesares, and his rude
case of Athanasius, inasmuch as George the Cappa- eloquence could not be compared with the polished
docian was slain, at that very juncture, in a tumult oratory of Gregory or Basil; but whenever the
raised by the heathen population of the city. Once primate of Egypt was called upon to justify his
more reinstated in his office, amidst the jorful ac- sentiments or his conduct, his unpremeditated
clamations of his friends, Athanasius behared with style, either of speaking or writing, was clear,
lenity towards his humbled opponents, while he forcible, and persuasive. ” (Gibbon, Decline and
vigorously addressed himself to the restoration of Fall, &c. ch. xxi. vol. iii. pp. 351, 352, Milman's
ecclesiastical order and sound doctrine. But, after edition. ) Erasmus's opinion of the style of Atha-
all his reverses, he was again to be driven from liis nasius seems to us more just and discriminating
charge, and again to return to it in triumph. The than Gibbon's :-“ Erat vir ille saeculo tranquillis-
heathens of Alexandria complained against him to the simo dignus, dedisset nobis egregios ingenii facun-
emperor, for no other reason, it would seem, than diaeque suae fructus. Habebat enim vere dotem
bis successful zeal in extending the Christian faith. illam, quam Paulus in Episcopo putat esse prae-
Julian was probably aware that the superstition he cipuam, tò didaktIKÓv ; adeo dilucidus est, acutus,
was bent upon re-establishing had no enemy more sobrius, adtentus, breviter omnibus modis ad do-
fornidable than the thrice-exiled archbishop: he cendum appositus. Nihil habet durum, quod offen.
therefore banished him not only from Alexandria, dit in Tertulliano : nihil È FIDEIKTIKOV, quod vidimus
but from Egypt itself, threatening the prefect of in Hieronymo; nihil operosum, quod in Hilario :
that country with a heavy fine if the sentence were nihil laciniosum, quod est in Augustino, atque
not carried into execution. Theodoret, indeed, etiam Chrysostomo : nihil Isocraticos numeros, aut
affirms, that Julian gave secret orders for inflicting Lysiae compositionem redolens, quod est in Grego-
the last penalties of the law upon the hated prelate. rio Nazianzeno : sed totus est in explicanda re. "
He escaped, however, to the desert (A. D. 362), The most important among the works of Atba-
having predicted that this calamity would be but nasius are the following:-“ Oratio contra Gentes;"
of brief duration ; and after a few months'conceal- “ Oratio de Incarnatione ; " " Encyclica ad Epis-
ment in the monasteries, he returned to Alexan- copos Epistola ;” “ Apologia contra Arianos ;"
dria on receiving intelligence of the death of Julian. “ Epistola de Nicaenis Decretis ;" Epistola ad
By Jovian, who succeeded to the throne of the Episcopos Aegypti et Libyae ;' Apologia ad
empire, Athanasius was held in high esteem. Imperatorem Constantium ;” “ Apologia de Fuga
When, therefore, his inveterate enemies endeavour- sua ;" Historia Arianorum ad Monachos ; "
ed to persuade the emperor to depose him, they “Orationes quatuor contra Arianos ;" * Epistolae
were repeatedly repulsed, and that with no little quatuor ad Serapionem ;" “ Epistola de Synodis
asperity. The speedy demise of Jovian again de- Arimini et Seleuciae ;" Vita Antonii ; " " Li-
prived Athanasius of a powerful protector.