17 April 326 A.D. Death: Alexander, Bishop of Alexandria, Opponent of Arius, and Predecessor of the “Iron-Willed” Bishop Athanasius
17 April 326 A.D. Death: Alexander, Bishop of Alexandria, Opponent of Arius, and Predecessor of the “Iron-Willed” Bishop Athanasius Graves, Dan. “Alexandria Lost Notable Alexander.” Christianity.com. Apr 2007. http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/301-600/alexandria-lost-notable-alexander-11629653.html . Accessed 17 Apr 2014. The whole Christian world honors Athanasius as its champion because of his battles against Arianism. But behind Athanasius was a great bishop--the man who set Athanasius' feet on the path to fame. Alexander not only selected Athanasius to be his successor, but took open action against the heresy of Arius, the priest who insisted Jesus was a created being rather than an eternal member of the Godhead. Alexander was born around 250. An upright man, he survived as a priest through the persecutions that raged under Galerius and Maximinus. He became Patriarch of Alexandria in 313. It was well that the post was given ...