Life of Antony

 He was content with what he found, and sought nothing more. After the death of his parents, he was left alone with one very young sister and he was a

 he signified love for one another and thus filled, he would return to his own place of the hermitage then he himself, gathering to himself the thing

 I undertook to tickle the young, and I have been called the spirit of fornication. How many who wished to be chaste have I deceived! How many who were

 to learn of the ascetic from the life of the great Elijah, as in a mirror his own life always. Thus, then, having strengthened himself, Antony departe

 he forgot the contest of Antony, but came to his aid. So, looking up, he saw the roof as if opening, and a certain ray of light coming down to him. An

 that these were at work, and they themselves, being afraid, called for Antony. But he listened more to these than he cared for those. And coming near

 the Scriptures are sufficient for teaching but it is good for us to exhort one another in the faith, and to anoint one another with words. And you, t

 In this the Lord is also a helper, as it is written: To everyone who chooses the good, God works with him for the good. And so that we may not be negl

 in the air about us, and they are not far from us and there is a great difference among them. And concerning their nature and their difference would

 enemy: Having pursued I will overtake and again by another: I will take the whole world in my hand, as a nest, and I will take it up as abandoned egg

 God said to the sinner: Why do you declare my 26.884 statutes, and take up my covenant in your mouth? For they do all things, and they speak, and make

 worlds from which they ought rather to be despised as weak. For the true angel, sent by the Lord against the Assyrians, had no need of crowds, nor of

 they themselves lied. So also concerning the river's water they sometimes babble for having seen many rains occurring in the parts of Ethiopia, and k

 God so granting. For the vision of the saints is not troubled. For he will not strive, nor cry out, neither shall any man hear their voice. But it hap

 is of our virtue and life but to cast out demons, this grace is of the Savior who gave it. Whence to those who boast not in virtue, but in signs, and

 long-nosed. Then as I was saying Why then are you here? he said Why do the monks, and all other Christians, blame me in vain? Why do they curse me e

 was cast out, and the conceit of others was stopped and all were persuaded to despise the demonic plotting, marveling at the grace given to Antony by

 zeal for he himself also prayed to be martyred, as I said before. He therefore seemed to be grieving, because he had not been martyred but the Lord

 and a few neglected palm trees. Antony, therefore, as if moved by God, loved the place for this was what he who had spoken to him by the banks of the

 you are hesitating, but depart 26.920 for I am a servant of Christ. As Antony said these things, they fled, as if pursued by the whip of his word. Th

 examine, and test yourselves. Therefore, let each one take account to himself day by day of his actions by day and by night and, if he has sinned, le

 and for them to enter, this indeed he did not permit, but said: Go, and you will find her, if she has not died, healed. For this is not my achievement

 Amoun had fallen asleep at the hour in which his old man saw his soul being carried up. And indeed both these and those marveled at the purity of Anto

 to hinder so that he might not pass through. But when his guides fought against them, they demanded an account, whether he was not subject to them. So

 he conversed for their benefit but he yielded to him in the matter of prayer, not being ashamed to learn himself. For he often inquired, and 26.940 a

 believing they were being helped. Indeed, so many became 26.944 Christians in those few days, as many as one might see become in a year. Then, when so

 that Christ was made manifest as a man whereas you, separating the soul from heaven, claim that it has wandered and fallen from the vault of the heav

 we understand by faith, this you attempt to construct through words and often you are not even able to express what we understand so that the operat

 but faith working through love for Christ which if you also should have, you will no longer seek proofs through words but you will consider faith in

 Arians act irrationally like beasts. And when he saw this vision, he exhorted those with him, saying: Do not be disheartened, children for just as th

 coming upon you Therefore cease persecuting Christians, lest at any time the wrath should seize you for it is already about to come upon you. But Ba

 we shall see one another again in this life. It is time for me at last to depart for I am nearly one hundred and five years old. So when they heard t

 Remember me as a father. Do not let anyone take my body to Egypt, lest they place it in their houses for it was for this reason that I went into the

 those who are hiding themselves, and are striving to withdraw, He makes manifest and renowned everywhere on account of both their own virtue and the b

to learn of the ascetic from the life of the great Elijah, as in a mirror his own life always. Thus, then, having strengthened himself, Antony departed to the tombs which happened to be far from the village, and having instructed one of his acquaintances to bring him bread after many days, he himself entered into one of the tombs, and when that man had shut 26.856 the door upon him, he remained alone inside. There indeed the enemy, not bearing it, but also fearing that little by little he would fill the desert also with his asceticism; coming one night with a multitude of demons, beat him with so many blows that he lay speechless on the ground from the torments; for he affirmed that the pains had been so severe, that he would say that blows from men could never inflict such a torment. But by the providence of God (for the Lord does not overlook those who hope in him), on the next day the acquaintance arrived, bringing the loaves for him; and opening the door, and seeing him lying on the ground as if dead, he took him up and carried him to the Lord's house of the village, and laid him on the ground. And many of his relatives, and the people from the village, sat beside Antony as if he were dead. But around midnight, Antony, coming to himself and waking up, when he saw everyone sleeping, and only his acquaintance awake, beckoning him to come to him, he asked him to carry him again and take him back to the tombs, without waking anyone. He was therefore carried away by the man, and with the door shut as usual, he was inside again alone. And he was not strong enough to stand because of the blows; but lying down he prayed. And after the prayer he said with a shout: Here I am, Antony; I do not flee from your blows. For even if you inflict more, nothing will separate me from the love of Christ. Then he also sang: Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. The ascetic, then, thought and said these things; but the enemy, hater of the good, marveling that even after the blows he dared to come, calling together his hounds, and bursting with rage, said: You see that neither with the spirit of fornication nor with blows have we stopped this man; but he even grows bold against us; let us approach him in another way. For shapes for evil are easy 26.857 for the devil. Then indeed, during the night, they made such a noise, as to seem to shake that whole place; and the demons, as if breaking through the four walls of the little dwelling, seemed to enter through them, transformed into the forms of beasts and reptiles; and the place was immediately filled with the forms of lions, bears, leopards, bulls, and snakes, asps, and scorpions, and wolves. And each of these moved according to its own form. The lion was roaring, wanting to attack, the bull seemed to be goring, the serpent crawling did not reach him, and the wolf rushing forward was held back; and altogether, the noises of all the apparitions together were terrible, and their rages fierce. But Antony, being scourged and goaded by them, felt a more terrible bodily pain. Unshaken and rather vigilant in soul he lay; and he groaned because of the pain of his body; but being sober in mind and as if mocking them, he said: If there were any power in you, it would have been enough for only one of you to come; but since the Lord has weakened you, for this reason you try somehow to frighten me even by your numbers; it is a sign of your weakness that you imitate the forms of irrational beasts. Therefore, taking courage again he said: If you are able and have received authority against me, do not delay, but attack; but if you are not able, why do you trouble yourselves in vain? For our seal and wall of safety is our faith in the Lord. Having attempted many things, therefore, they gnashed their teeth against him, because they were mocking themselves rather than him. 26.860 But the Lord not even in this

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ἀσκητὴν ἐκ τῆς πολιτείας τοῦ μεγάλου Ἠλίου καταμανθάνειν, ὡς ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ βίον ἀεί. Οὕτω δὴ οὖν συσφίγξας ἑαυτὸν ὁ Ἀντώνιος, ἀπήρχετο εἰς τὰ μακρὰν τῆς κώμης τυγχάνοντα μνήματα, καὶ παραγγείλας ἑνὶ τῶν γνωρίμων δι' ἡμερῶν πολλῶν αὐτῷ κομίζειν τὸν ἄρτον, αὐτὸς εἰσ ελθὼν εἰς ἓν τῶν μνημάτων, καὶ κλείσαντος ἐκείνου 26.856 κατ' αὐτοῦ τὴν θύραν, ἔμενε μόνος ἔνδον. Ἔνθα δὴ μὴ φέρων ὁ ἐχθρὸς, ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ φοβούμενος, μὴ κατ' ὀλίγον καὶ τὴν ἔρημον ἐμπλήσῃ τῆς ἀσκή σεως· προσελθὼν ἐν μιᾷ νυκτὶ μετὰ πλήθους δαιμόνων, τοσοῦτον αὐτὸν ἔκοψε πληγαῖς, ὡς καὶ ἄφωνον αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν βασάνων κεῖσθαι χαμαί· δι εβεβαιοῦτο γὰρ οὕτω σφοδροὺς γεγενῆσθαι τοὺς πόνους, ὡς λέγειν μὴ δύνασθαι τὰς παρὰ ἀνθρώπων πληγὰς τοιαύτην ποτὲ βάσανον ἐμποιῆσαι. Θεοῦ δὲ προνοίᾳ (οὐ γὰρ παρορᾷ Κύριος τοὺς ἐλπίζοντας ἐπ' αὐτὸν), τῇ ἑξῆς παραγίνεται ὁ γνώριμος, κομί ζων τοὺς ἄρτους αὐτῷ· ἀνοίξας τε τὴν θύραν, καὶ τοῦτον ἰδὼν χαμαὶ κείμενον ὡς νεκρὸν, βαστά σας ἔφερεν εἰς τὸ τῆς κώμης Κυριακὸν, καὶ τίθησιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Πολλοί τε τῶν συγγενῶν, καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς κώμης, παρεκαθέζοντο ὡς ἐπὶ νεκρῷ τῷ Ἀντωνίῳ. Περὶ δὲ τὸ μεσονύκτιον εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἐλθὼν ὁ Ἀντώνιος, καὶ διεγερθεὶς, ὡς εἶδε πάντας κοιμωμένους, καὶ μόνον τὸν γνώριμον γρηγοροῦντα, νεύσας ἥκειν αὐτὸν πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἠξίου πάλιν αὐτὸν βαστά σαι καὶ ἀποφέρειν εἰς τὰ μνήματα, μηδένα ἐξυπνίσαντα. Ἀπηνέχθη οὖν παρὰ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, καὶ συνήθως τῆς θύρας κεκλεισμένης, ἔνδον ἦν πάλιν μόνος. Καὶ στήκειν μὲν οὐκ ἴσχυε διὰ τὰς πληγάς· ἀνακεί μενος δὲ ηὔχετο. Καὶ μετὰ τὴν εὐχὴν ἔλεγε μετὰ κραυγῆς· Ὧδέ εἰμι ἐγὼ Ἀντώνιος· οὐ φεύγω τὰς παρ' ὑμῶν πληγάς. Κἂν γὰρ πλείονας ποιήσητε, οὐδέν με χωρίσει ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Εἶτα καὶ ἔψαλλεν· Ἐὰν παρατάξηται ἐπ' ἐμὲ παρεμ βολὴ, οὐ φοβηθήσεται ἡ καρδία μου. Ὁ μὲν οὖν ἀσκητὴς ἐφρόνει καὶ ἔλεγε ταῦτα· ὁ δὲ μισόκαλος. ἐχθρὸς, θαυμάσας, ὅτι καὶ μετὰ τὰς πληγὰς ἐθάῤῥησεν ἐλθεῖν, συγκαλέσας αὐτοῦ τοὺς κύνας, καὶ διαῤῥηγνύμενος, ἔφη· Ὁρᾶτε ὅτι οὐ πνεύματι πορ νείας, οὐ πληγαῖς ἐπαύσαμεν τοῦτον· ἀλλὰ καὶ θρασύ νεται καθ' ἡμῶν· προσέλθωμεν ἄλλως αὐτῷ. Εὔκολον 26.857 δὲ τῷ διαβόλῳ τὰ εἰς κακίαν σχήματα. Τότε δὴ οὖν ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ κτύπον μὲν τοιοῦτον ποιοῦσιν, ὡς δοκεῖν πάντα τὸν τόπον ἐκεῖνον σείεσθαι· τοὺς δὲ τοῦ οἰκίσκου τέσσαρας τοίχους ὥσπερ ῥήξαντες οἱ δαίμο νες, ἔδοξαν δι' αὐτῶν ἐπεισέρχεσθαι, μετασχημα τισθέντες εἰς θηρίων καὶ ἑρπετῶν φαντασίαν· καὶ ἦν ὁ τόπος εὐθὺς πεπληρωμένος φαντασίας λεόν των, ἄρκτων, λεοπάρδων, ταύρων, καὶ ὄφεων, ἀσπί δων, καὶ σκορπίων, καὶ λύκων. Καὶ ἕκαστον μὲν τούτων ἐκίνει κατὰ τὸ ἴδιον σχῆμα. Ὁ λέων ἔβρυχε, θέλων ἐπελθεῖν, ὁ ταῦρος ἐδόκει κερατίζειν, ὁ ὄφις ἕρπων οὐκ ἔφθανε, καὶ ὁ λύκος ὁρμῶν ἐπεί χετο· καὶ ὅλως πάντων ὁμοῦ ἦσαν τῶν φαινομένων οἱ ψόφοι δεινοὶ, καὶ οἱ θυμοὶ χαλεποί. Ὁ δὲ Ἀντώνιος, μαστιζόμενος καὶ κεντούμενος παρ' αὐτῶν, ᾔσθετο μὲν δεινοτέρου πόνου σωματικοῦ. Ἀτρέ μας καὶ μᾶλλον τῇ ψυχῇ γρηγορῶν ἀνέκειτο· καὶ ἔστενε μὲν διὰ τὸν τοῦ σώματος πόνον· νήφων δὲ τῇ διανοίᾳ καὶ ὥσπερ χλευάζων, ἔλεγεν· Εἰ δύναμίς τις ἦν ἐν ὑμῖν, ἤρκει καὶ μόνον ἕνα ἐξ ὑμῶν ἐλθεῖν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐξενεύρωσεν ὑμᾶς ὁ Κύριος, διὰ τοῦτο κἂν τῷ πλήθει πειράζετέ πως ἐκφοβεῖν· γνώρισμα τῆς ἀσθενείας ὑμῶν τὸ τὰς ἀλόγων ὑμᾶς μιμεῖσθαι μορ φάς. Θαῤῥῶν γοῦν πάλιν ἔλεγεν· Εἰ δύνασθε καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἐλάβετε κατ' ἐμοῦ, μὴ μέλλετε, ἀλλ' ἐπί βητε· εἰ δὲ μὴ δύνασθε, τί μάτην ταράσσεσθε; Σφρα γὶς γὰρ ἡμῖν καὶ τεῖχος εἰς ἀσφάλειαν ἡ εἰς τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν πίστις. Πολλὰ τοίνυν ἐπιχειρήσαντες, ἔτριζον κατ' αὐτοῦ τοὺς ὀδόντας, ὅτι μᾶλλον ἔπαιζον ἑαυτοὺς, καὶ οὐκ ἐκεῖνον. 26.860 Ὁ δὲ Κύριος οὐδὲ ἐν τούτῳ

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