Athanasius I Manasses

Athanasius I Manasses (Greek: Ἀθανάσιος Μανασσῆς, romanized: Athanasios Manassēs; died 29 June 1170), also known as Athanasius III, was the Greek Orthodox patriarch of Antioch from 1157 to 1170. His early life is poorly documented, but it is known that he was a monk at the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian and composed a eulogy of Christodoulos of Patmos. He was elected patriarch in 1157 but resided in Constantinople, as the patriarchal see of Antioch had been held by Catholic prelates since the establishment of the Principality of Antioch during the First Crusade.

Athanasius's move to his see was linked to the inability of Prince [[Bohemond III of Antioch]] to meet the ransom owed to the Muslim ruler Nur ad-Din. The Byzantine emperor [[Manuel I Komnenos]] paid the required sum but insisted on the installation of a Greek Orthodox patriarch in Antioch. Athanasius was enthroned at the city's Cathedral of Saint Peter in 1165 or 1166. The city's Catholic patriarch, Aimery of Limoges, did not relinquish his claim to the see but withdrew to a nearby fortress, while the Syriac patriarch, Michael the Syrian, also came into conflict with Athanasius. Athanasius died of injuries sustained when his cathedral collapsed during an earthquake, enabling Aimery of Limoges to reoccupy his see.

Early life

The origins and early life of Athanasius remain poorly documented. His family name, Manasses, is attested in synodal documents, and also in the Life of Athanasius, preserved in a manuscript at Saint Catherine's Monastery in Egypt.