Lazarus studied and became a monk at the monastery of Saint Aaron, in the vicinity of
Callisura, a town near
Melitene.[4] Lazarus' sobriquet "Salhoyo" is interpreted by
Aphrem Barsoum to reflect his origins in the town of Ṣalāḥiyya, east of
Yarpuz, as opposed to the village of
Ṣalaḥ in
Tur Abdin.[5] He was chosen to succeed
John VII Sarigta as patriarch of Antioch and was consecrated on 21 October 986/987 (
AG 1298) by Lazarus, archbishop of
Anazarbus, at the village of Qattina in the province of
Homs, upon which he assumed the name Athanasius.[nb 2][8]
The monastery of Barid, the residence of Athanasius' predecessor John and located near Melitene, was renovated by Athanasius and became the latter's residence also.[9] According to the histories of
Michael the Syrian and
Bar Hebraeus, Athanasius was praised for his piety by
Agapius II, the
Chalcedonian (later termed Greek Orthodox) Patriarch of Antioch, in spite of their religious differences, who subsequently put an end to the persecution of
non-Chalcedonians.[8][10] The monk Gabriel is attested as syncellus (secretary) to Athanasius from 994 to 999.[11] He served as patriarch of Antioch until his death in 1002/1003 (
AG 1314) at the
monastery of Saint Barsoum, where he was buried in the
sacristy.[12] As patriarch, Athanasius ordained thirty-nine bishops, as per Michael the Syrian's Chronicle,[12] whereas Bar Hebraeus in his Ecclesiastical History credits Athanasius with the ordination of thirty-eight bishops.[10]
Works
In 1000, Athanasius compiled
lectionaries from both the
Old and
New Testaments that were then recorded by his pupil the monk Romanus (Brit. Mus. MS. 258).[13]
Episcopal succession
As patriarch, Athanasius ordained the following bishops:[12]