Author

Athanasius of Alexandria and other early Christian writers

Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, and other late antique Christian authors of saints' and ascetics' lives

About Athanasius of Alexandria and other early Christian writers

Athanasius of Alexandria, Jerome and other late antique Christian authors wrote lives of saints and ascetics that helped invent Christian biography. Athanasius (c. 296–373) was bishop of Alexandria and defender of Nicene theology; Jerome (c. 347–420) was a biblical scholar and polemicist. Together with related authors, their lives made ascetic practice, temptation and holiness narratable.

Notable works

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Early Christian Lives

Athanasius of Alexandria and other early Christian writers

c. 356–420 CE · Ancient · Biography

Early Christian Lives gathers late antique biographies of saints, monks and holy figures, often including Athanasius’ Life of Antony and Jerome’s lives of Paul, Hilarion and Malchus. These works do not present biography as neutral chronology.

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