02Knights Templar - Julian Emperor

SAINTS
variously guilty of bribery, fraud and sacrilegious actions.
Athanasius was cleared of all these charges but was finally accused
of the murder of a Meletian bishop and of responsibility
for having the victim’s body cut into pieces. However,
tradition claims that Athanasius was able to demonstrate the
bishop in question was actually still alive and his name was
cleared once again.
Undeterred, the Meletian Church went on to accuse him
of rape. In this instance, the victim was apparently unable to
recognise Athanasius as the man allegedly responsible whilst
in court. In 335 AD Athanasius was summoned to the council
ofTyre at the command of Constantine whose sympathies appeared
to have moved towards the Arians. Once again
Athanasius was met with accusations of impropriety, which he
fought strongly against.When it became apparent that his accusers
were intent on finding him guilty at all costs,
Athanasius fled to Constantinople to seek the protection of
the emperor.
Constantine was initially sympathetic but, when Athanasius
was then accused of threatening insurrection in Alexandria if
he was not reinstated as bishop, the emperor became furious.
It was claimed that Athanasius was going to organise a strike
amongst the port workers who loaded the ships with grain
from Alexandria on which the city of Constantinople depended
for its survival. He was banished to Tyre by the emperor.
Events took a dramatic turn when Arius died suddenly
of internal haemorrhaging in Constantinople but Athanasius
was left in exile. He finally returned to Alexandria in 337 AD
after the death of Constantine. Controversy continued to follow
him for decades but, in the years between 365 and 373
AD, the Alexandrian church finally experienced relative calm.
Athanasius ranks with Basil, John Chrysostom and Gregory of
•38•