How Athanasius Escaped, and George’s Rule in Egypt

There is no doubt that Athanasius was beloved of God and was given the gift of foreseeing the future. More wonderful facts than those we have told could be brought forward to prove how well he knew what was to come. It happened, during the lifetime of Constans, that the emperor Constantius was once determined to do harm to this holy man. But Athanasius fled and hid with one of his acquaintances. For a long time he lived in an underground, sunless place that had been used as a water cistern. No one knew where he was hidden except a serving woman, who seemed faithful and who looked after him. But the heterodox were eager to take Athanasius alive, and it seems that in the end, by gifts or promises, they managed to corrupt the servant. Athanasius, however, was warned by God of her treachery and escaped from the place. The servant was punished for having laid false information against her masters, while they for their part fled the country. For the heterodox counted it no light offense to take in or hide Athanasius; on the contrary, they treated it as disobedience to the emperor’s express commands and as a crime against the empire, and it was punished as such by the civil courts. [a]

I have heard that Athanasius was saved in a similar way on another occasion. He was again forced, for the same reason, to flee for his life, and he set sail up the Nile, meaning to withdraw to the far parts of Egypt. But his enemies learned of his plan and pursued him. Warned by God that he would be pursued, he told his fellow passengers and ordered them to turn back to Alexandria. As he sailed down the river, the men plotting against him rowed past. He reached Alexandria safely and hid himself well among the city’s many houses, all alike. Because he escaped these and many other dangers, the pagans and the heterodox accused him of sorcery. It is said that once, as he was passing through the city, a crow was heard cawing, and some pagans who happened to be there asked him mockingly what the crow was saying. He replied with a smile: “It is making the sound cras, which in the Latin language means ‘tomorrow.’ It is telling you that tomorrow will not go well for you; for it means that the Roman emperor will forbid you to celebrate your festival tomorrow.” This prediction of Athanasius seemed absurd, but it came true. The next day edicts from the emperor were sent to the governors, ordering that the pagans were not to be allowed to gather in the temples to perform their usual ceremonies or to celebrate their festival; and so the most solemn and magnificent feast the pagans still kept was abolished. What I have said is enough to show that this holy man had the gift of prophecy.

After Athanasius had escaped from those who were trying to arrest him, in the way we have described, his clergy and people kept possession of the churches for some time. But in the end the governor of Egypt and the commander of the army drove out by force all who held Athanasius’s views, so as to hand over the government of the churches to those who supported George, whose arrival was then expected. Not long after, he reached the city, and the churches were placed under his authority. He ruled by force rather than with the moderation fitting a priest. He tried to strike terror into the people, carried on a cruel persecution against the followers of Athanasius, and also imprisoned and maimed many men and women, so that he was counted a tyrant. For these reasons everyone came to hate him. The people were so enraged at his conduct that they rushed into the church and would have torn him to pieces. In such extreme danger he escaped with difficulty and fled to the emperor. Those who held Athanasius’s views then took possession of the churches. But they did not keep control of them for long, for the commander of the troops in Egypt came and gave the churches back to George’s supporters. One of the emperor’s shorthand writers, an official of the order of notaries, was afterward sent to punish the leaders of the uprising, and he tortured and flogged many of the citizens. When George returned a little later he was, it seems, more to be feared than ever, and he was hated more than before, for he urged the emperor on to many evil deeds. Besides this, the monks of Egypt openly declared him treacherous and puffed up with arrogance. The people always adopted the opinions of these monks, and their testimony was accepted by everyone, because they were known for their virtue and for the philosophy of their lives. [c]