ABSTRACT
Elected as bishop of Alexandria in 328, Athanasius led the Egyptian Church during the crucial formative years that followed the conversion of Constantine and saw the rise of an increasingly Christian Roman empire. For over a millennium, Christians in both east and west celebrated Athanasius for his uncompromising defence of the original Nicene Creed against the 'Arian heresy'. In any assessment of Athanasius and his legacy, it is essential to place him firmly within the historical context in which he lived and wrote. The Melitian Schism formed the Egyptian parallel to the better known Donatist Schism in Roman North Africa. Many stories surround Athanasius' third exile, for despite the attack upon his church the bishop refused to abandon his homeland. Athanasius immediately summoned a Council of Alexandria in 362. From its foundation by Alexander the Great, the city of Alexandria had always been a melting pot of diverse cultures and religions.
