Saint Athanasius the Great

Saint Athanasius the Great (c. 296–373 AD) was Archbishop of Alexandria and one of the most towering figures in the history of the Christian Church. Known as Athanasius contra mundum — "Athanasius against the world" — he spent his life defending the Nicene faith against the Arian heresy, which denied the full divinity of Christ. He attended the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325 AD as a young deacon and became the foremost champion of the Nicene Creed for the rest of his life.

Athanasius was exiled five times by four different Roman emperors for his refusal to compromise the Orthodox faith, yet he always returned to his see. He is also credited with writing the Life of Saint Anthony, one of the most influential texts in Christian monasticism. Saint Athanasius is venerated as a Doctor of the Church and a pillar of Orthodoxy. His feast day is celebrated on May 2.

Browse our handcrafted Orthodox icons and devotional items honoring Saint Athanasius the Great, made in our Ohio workshop using traditional Byzantine embroidery techniques.