Short sayings from Egyptian monasticism: memorable, strange, practical, and easy to read in small doses.
Anthony the Great
c. 251 – 356 · b. Coma, Egypt
Monk
Quick facts
- Born
- c. 251, Coma, Egypt
- Died
- 356, Mount Colzim
- Region
- egypt
- Era
- desert father
- Significance
- Major Father(3/4)
- Also known as
- Antony of Egypt · Antonius · Anthony the Abbot
Highlights
- Main contribution
- Anthony went into the Egyptian desert to be alone with God and became the pattern for thousands who followed.
- Best first read
- Sayings of the Desert Fathers
- Primary source
- Athanasius, Vita Antonii
Father of Christian monasticism; Egyptian hermit whose life was written by Athanasius. Withdrew to the desert c. 285 and helped pattern the eremitic life.
Why Anthony the Great matters
Anthony went into the Egyptian desert to be alone with God and became the pattern for thousands who followed. Around AD 270, he renounced property, embraced solitude, and helped make the desert a new kind of Christian battlefield: not against persecutors, but against demons, passions, and the divided will. Athanasius's Life of Antony carried his story across the empire and helped make monasticism imaginable far beyond Egypt. After Anthony, the church had a new vocation beside bishop, martyr, and scholar: monk.
Recommended reading near Anthony the Great
A cover-visible starting point chosen from the curated reading path, either by this figure or by their era.
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Common questions
- Who was Anthony the Great?
- Anthony the Great (251–356) — Father of Christian monasticism; Egyptian hermit whose life was written by Athanasius. Withdrew to the desert c. 285 and helped pattern the eremitic life.
- Who did Anthony the Great teach?
- Macarius of Alexandria.
Works
- Sayings of the Desert Fathersc. 300
Collected sayings of Antony and the Egyptian desert fathers.
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Sources for biography
- Athanasius, Vita Antonii primary
- Jerome, De Viris Illustribus 88 primary
- Apophthegmata Patrum (Anthony) primary
documented connections(2)
- knew of (incoming) Athanasius of AlexandriaAthanasius wrote the Vita Antonii and reports having served Anthony personally.Athanasius, Vita Antonii (preface)
- knew of Athanasius of AlexandriaAnthony visited Alexandria in support of Athanasius against the Arians (338).Athanasius, Vita Antonii 69-71
tradition connections(3)
- knew of (incoming) Pachomius the GreatPachomius is depicted as familiar with the Antonian model though they did not directly meet.Vita Prima Pachomii 120
- taught by (incoming) Macarius of AlexandriaPalladius reports Macarius of Alexandria as a disciple of Antony; the relationship is preserved in the desert-father tradition rather than in a contemporary document.Palladius, Historia Lausiaca 18
- succeeded in see (incoming) Sisoes the GreatSisoes settled on Antony's mountain (Mount Colzim) after Antony's death; this is a hagiographic succession of place rather than an episcopal see, but is the standard tradition. Use with caution.Apophthegmata Patrum, alphabetical collection s.v. Sisoes 1, 28
External resources
📖WikipediaFull encyclopedic biography with footnotes and further reading.🔗WikidataStructured data hub linking to library catalogues, archives, and academic sources worldwide.🏛️WikisourcePublic-domain primary texts and translations (search).⛪Catholic Encyclopedia1913 reference — long entries, useful for less-known figures (search for Anthony the Great).