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

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 say: Lord, did we not cast out demons in your name, and in your name do many mighty works? he answered: Amen I say to you, I do not know you. For the Lord does not know the ways of the ungodly. And in general it is necessary to pray, as I said before, to receive the gift of discerning of spirits; so that, as it is written, we may not believe every spirit. I wished, then, to be silent, and to say nothing from myself, but to be content with these things alone; but lest you think that I say these things simply, but that you may believe that I relate these things from experience and truth; for this reason, even if I become as a fool, yet the Lord who hears knows the purity of my conscience, and that not for my own sake, but for the sake of your love and encouragement, the things I have seen of the demons' devices, these I say again. How many times they have called me blessed, and I cursed them in the name of the Lord. How many times they have prophesied about the river's water, and I said to them: And what concern is this to you? They came once threatening, and surrounded me like soldiers in full armor. And another time they filled the house with horses and beasts and reptiles; and I sang: Some in chariots, and some in horses, but we will be magnified in the name of the Lord our God; and by prayers they were overthrown by the Lord. They came once in darkness, having a phantom of light, and said: We have come to bring you light, Antony; but I, closing my eyes, prayed, and immediately the light of the ungodly was extinguished. And after a few months they came as if singing psalms, and speaking from the Scriptures; But I, as if deaf, did not hear. Once they shook the monastery; but I prayed, remaining unmoved in my mind. And after this, again 26.901 coming they clapped, they hissed, they danced. And as I was praying, and reclining singing to myself; they immediately began to wail and weep, as if exhausted; and I glorified the Lord, who had cast down and made an example of their audacity and madness. Once a very tall demon appeared with a phantom, and dared to say: I am the power of God; and, I am providence; what do you want me to grant you? But I then rather breathed upon him, naming Christ, and attempted to strike him; and I seemed to have struck, and immediately that great one with all his demons vanished in the name of Christ. Once when I was fasting, the crafty one came as a monk, having a phantom of loaves of bread; and he advised, saying: Eat, and cease from your many labors; you are a man too, and you are going to become weak. But I, understanding his scheme, rose to pray. And he could not bear it; for he departed, and appeared going out through the door like smoke. How many times in the desert he showed a phantom of gold, that I might only touch it, and look! but I sang psalms against him, and he melted away. Many times he beat me with blows, and I would say: Nothing shall separate me from the love of Christ; and after this they rather beat one another. But it was not I who was stopping and defeating them; but it was the Lord, who said: I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. But I, children, remembering the apostolic saying, have applied these things to myself, that you may learn not to grow weary in the ascetic life, nor to fear the phantoms of the devil and his demons. 26.904 And since I have become a fool in narrating, receive this also for your security and fearlessness; and believe me, for I do not lie. Once someone knocked at my door in the monastery; and going out, I saw someone appearing long and tall. Then when I asked: Who are you? he said: I am Sa

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ἐστι τῆς ἡμῶν ἀρετῆς καὶ τοῦ βίου· τὸ δὲ ἐκβάλλειν δαίμονας, τοῦ δεδωκότος Σωτῆρός ἐστιν ἡ χάρις αὕτη. Ὅθεν τοῖς μὴ ἐν ἀρετῇ, ἀλλ' ἐν σημείοις καυχωμένοις, καὶ λέγουσι· Κύ ριε, οὐ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι δαιμόνια ἐξεβάλο μεν, καὶ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι δυνάμεις πολλὰς ἐποιή σαμεν; ἀπεκρίνατο· Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς. Οὐ γὰρ γινώσκει Κύριος τὰς ὁδοὺς τῶν ἀσε βῶν. Καθόλου δὲ εὔχεσθαι δεῖ, καθὰ προεῖπον, λαμβάνειν χάρισμα διακρίσεως πνευμάτων· ἵνα, καθὼς γέγραπται, μὴ παντὶ πνεύματι πιστεύω μεν. Ἐβουλόμην μὲν οὖν σιωπῆσαι, καὶ μηδὲν ἐξ ἐμαυτοῦ λέγειν, ἀρκεῖσθαι δὲ μόνοις τούτοις· ἵνα δὲ μὴ νομίσητε ταῦτά με λέγειν ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ πείρας καὶ ἀληθείας πιστεύσητε ταῦτά με διηγεῖσθαι· διὰ τοῦτο, κἂν ὡς ἄφρων γένωμαι, ἀλλ' οἶδεν ὁ ἀκούων Κύριος τὸ τοῦ συνειδότος καθαρὸν, καὶ ὅτι οὐ δι' ἐμαυτὸν, τῆς δὲ ὑμῶν ἀγάπης χάριν καὶ προτροπῆς, ἃ εἶδον τῶν δαιμόνων ἐπιτηδεύματα, ταῦτα πάλιν λέγω. Ποσάκις ἐμακάρισάν με, κἀγὼ κατηρασάμην αὐτοὺς ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου. Ποσάκις προειρήκασι περὶ τοῦ ποταμίου ὕδατος, κἀγὼ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἔλεγον· Καὶ ὑμῖν τί περὶ τούτου μέλει; Ἦλθόν ποτε ἀπειλοῦντες, καὶ ἐκύκλωσάν με ὡς στρατιῶται μετὰ πανοπλίας. Καὶ ἄλλοτε ἵππων καὶ θηρίων καὶ ἑρπετῶν ἐπλήρωσαν τὸν οἶκον· κἀγὼ ἔψαλλον· Οὗτοι ἐν ἅρμασι, καὶ οὗτοι ἐν ἵπποις· ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου Θεοῦ ἡμῶν μεγαλυνθησόμεθα· καὶ ταῖς εὐχαῖς ἀνετράπησαν ἐκεῖνοι παρὰ τοῦ Κυ ρίου. Ἦλθόν ποτε ἐν σκοτίᾳ, φωτὸς ἔχοντες φαν τασίαν, καὶ ἔλεγον· Ἤλθομεν φᾶναί σοι, Ἀντώνιε· ἐγὼ δὲ, καμμύων τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, ηὐχόμην, καὶ εὐθὺς ἐσβέσθη τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀσεβῶν. Καὶ μετὰ μῆνας ὀλίγους ἦλθον ὡς ψάλλοντες, καὶ λαλοῦντες ἀπὸ τῶν Γραφῶν· Ἐγὼ δὲ ὡσεὶ κωφὸς οὐκ ἤκουον. Ἔσεισάν ποτε τὸ μοναστήριον· ἐγὼ δὲ ηὐχόμην ἀκίνητος μένων τῷ φρονήματι. Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα πάλιν 26.901 ἐλθόντες ἐκρότουν, ἐσύριττον, ὠρχοῦντο. Ὡς δὲ ηὐ χόμην, καὶ ἀνεκείμην ψάλλων κατ' ἐμαυτόν· εὐθὺς ἤρξαντο θρηνεῖν καὶ κλαίειν, ὥσπερ ἐξατονήσαντες· ἐγὼ δὲ ἐδόξαζον τὸν Κύριον, τὸν καθελόντα καὶ παραδειγματίσαντα τὴν τόλμαν καὶ τὴν μανίαν αὐτῶν. Ἐφάνη ποτὲ δαίμων ὑψηλὸς λίαν μετὰ φαντα σίας, καὶ τετόλμηκεν εἰπεῖν· Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ δύναμις τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ, Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ πρόνοια· τί σοι θέλεις χαρίσωμαι; Ἐγὼ δὲ τότε μᾶλλον ἐνεφύσησα κατ' αὐτοῦ, τὸν Χριστὸν ὀνομάσας, καὶ τύψαι τοῦτον ἐπεχείρησα· καὶ ἔδοξα τετυφέναι, καὶ εὐθὺς ὁ τη λικοῦτος σὺν πᾶσι τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ δαίμοσι ἠφανίσθη ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἦλθέ ποτε νηστεύοντός μου, καὶ ὡς μοναχὸς ὁ δόλιος, ἔχων ἄρτων φαντασίαν· καὶ συνεβούλευε λέγων· Φάγε, καὶ παῦσαι τῶν πολ λῶν πόνων· ἄνθρωπος εἶ καὶ σὺ, καὶ μέλλεις ἀσθενεῖν. Ἐγὼ δὲ, νοήσας αὐτοῦ τὴν μεθοδείαν, ἀνέστην εὔξασθαι. Κἀκεῖνος οὐκ ἤνεγκεν· ἐξέλιπε γὰρ, καὶ διὰ τῆς θύρας ὡς καπνὸς ἐξερχόμενος ἐφάνη. Ποσά κις ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ φαντασίαν ἔδειξε χρυσοῦ, ἵνα μόνον ἅψωμαι, καὶ βλέψω! ἐγὼ δὲ κατέψαλλον αὐτοῦ, κἀ κεῖνος ἐτήκετο. Πολλάκις ἔκοπτόν με πληγαῖς, κἀγὼ ἔλεγον· Οὐδέν με χωρίσει ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χρι στοῦ· καὶ μᾶλλον αὐτοὶ μετὰ ταῦτα κατέκοπτον ἀλ λήλους. Οὐκ ἐγὼ δὲ ἤμην ὁ παύων ἐκείνους καὶ κατ αργῶν· ἀλλ' ὁ Κύριος ἦν, ὁ λέγων· Ἐθεώρουν τὸν Σατανᾶν ὡς ἀστραπὴν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ πεσόντα. Ἐγὼ δὲ, τέκνα, μνημονεύων τοῦ ἀποστολικοῦ ῥητοῦ, μετεσχημάτισα ταῦτα εἰς ἐμαυτὸν, ἵνα μάθητε μὴ ἐκκακεῖν ἐν τῇ ἀσκήσει, μηδὲ φοβεῖσθαι τοῦ διαβόλου καὶ τῶν δαιμόνων αὐτοῦ τὰς φαντασίας. 26.904 Καὶ ἐπειδὴ γέγονα ἄφρων διηγούμενος, δέξασθε καὶ τοῦτο πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν καὶ ἀφοβίαν· καὶ πιστεύσατέ μοι· οὐ ψεύδομαι γάρ. Ἔκρουσέ ποτέ τις ἐν τῷ μοναστηρίῳ τὴν ἐμὴν θύραν· καὶ ἐξελθὼν, εἶδόν τινα μακρὸν καὶ ὑψηλὸν φαινόμενον. Εἶτα πυ θομένου μου· Σὺ τίς εἶ; ἔφη· Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Σα

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