The Fourth Exile and Escape of Athanasius

At this time Athanasius, that victorious athlete of the truth, faced another danger. The demons could not bear the power of his tongue and his prayers, so they armed their servants to slander him. They raised many voices, begging the champion of wickedness to banish Athanasius, and adding besides that if Athanasius stayed, not a pagan would be left, for he would win them all over to his side. Moved by these pleas, Julian condemned Athanasius not merely to exile but to death. His people shuddered. But it is said that he foretold how quickly the storm would pass. “It is a cloud,” he said, “that soon vanishes away.” Even so, as soon as he learned that the bearers of the imperial message had arrived, he withdrew. He found a boat on the bank of the river and set off for the Thebaid. The officer who had been appointed to carry out his execution learned of his flight and hurried after him in hot pursuit. One of Athanasius’s friends, however, got ahead of the officer and told him that the man was fast approaching. Then some of his companions begged him to take refuge in the desert. But he ordered the helmsman to turn the boat’s head toward Alexandria. So they rowed to meet the pursuer. On came the bearer of the death sentence, and he asked, “How far off is Athanasius?” “Not far,” said Athanasius. So he got rid of his enemy, while he himself went back to Alexandria and stayed there in hiding for the rest of Julian’s reign. [a]