Anthony the Great

Lore & Background

Anthony was born in Koma in Lower Egypt to wealthy landowner parents. When he was about 20 years old, his parents died and left him with the care of his unmarried sister. Shortly thereafter, he decided to follow the gospel exhortation in Matthew 19:21, sold his property, donated the funds to the poor, and placed his sister with a group of Christian virgins. He then left to live an ascetic life. For the next fifteen years, he remained in the area, spending the first years as the disciple of another local hermit. He later moved to the alkaline Nitrian Desert, where he remained for 13 years, maintaining a strict diet of bread, salt, and water, and sometimes fasting for two to four days. According to Athanasius, the devil fought Anthony by afflicting him with boredom, laziness, and phantoms of women, which he overcame by prayer. After fifteen years, at age 35, he withdrew to an abandoned Roman fort at Pispir for some 20 years, where food was thrown over the wall. Gradually, disciples established themselves around him, and about the year 305 he emerged to guide them. He later withdrew to the inner desert near the Red Sea, on Mount Colzim, where the monastery Deir Mar Antonios stands. He spent the last 45 years of his life there, in less strict seclusion, and during the Diocletianic Persecutions around 311 he went to Alexandria to visit the imprisoned.

Reader's Guide

Anthony the Great is significant as a foundational figure in Christian monasticism. Although he is often erroneously considered the first Christian monk, his biography and other sources make clear there were many ascetics before him. He was, however, among the first known to go into the wilderness (about AD 270), which contributed to his renown. His biography, the Life of Anthony, written in Greek c. 360 by Athanasius of Alexandria, became one of the best-known works of literature in the Christian world, especially after its Latin translation by Evagrius of Antioch before 374. This work helped spread the concept of Christian monasticism, particularly in Western Europe, and inspired later monastics in both East and West. Anthony organized his disciples into a community, earning him the title 'Father of Monasticism.' His fame reached Emperor Constantine, who wrote to him requesting prayers. Anthony is also invoked against infectious diseases, particularly skin diseases, which were historically referred to as Saint Anthony's fire. His legacy endures through the monastic communities he inspired and the artistic depictions of his temptations.

Did You Know?

• Anthony is often erroneously considered the first Christian monk, but there were many ascetics before him.
• His biography by Athanasius of Alexandria was translated into Latin by Evagrius of Antioch before 374, becoming a best seller in its day.
• Anthony is invoked against infectious diseases, particularly skin diseases, which were historically called Saint Anthony's fire.
• He probably spoke only his native language, Coptic, but his sayings were spread in a Greek translation.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"If we would despise the enemy, our thoughts must always be of God and our souls always glad with hope." — Anthony the Great "To one whose mind is sound, letters are needless." — Anthony the Great "To those who have an active belief, reasoned proofs are needless and probably useless." — Anthony the Great "Book IV, Chapter 20 (his last words), St. Athanasius. Trans. Dom J.B. McLaughlin, O.S.B. St. Antony of the Desert. Rockford: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc, 1995." — Anthony the Great