Life of Antony. (Vita Antoni.)

 Life of Antony.

 Life of Antony.

 1. Antony you must know was by descent an Egyptian: his parents were of good family and possessed considerable wealth , and as they were Christians he

 3. And again as he went into the church, hearing the Lord say in the Gospel , ‘be not anxious for the morrow,’ he could stay no longer, but went out a

 5. But the devil, who hates and envies what is good, could not endure to see such a resolution in a youth, but endeavoured to carry out against him wh

 7. This was Antony’s first struggle against the devil, or rather this victory was the Saviour’s work in Antony , ‘Who condemned sin in the flesh that

 8. Thus tightening his hold upon himself, Antony departed to the tombs, which happened to be at a distance from the village and having bid one of his

 11. And on the day following he went forth still more eagerly bent on the service of God and having fallen in with the old man he had met previously,

 12. Then again as he went on he saw what was this time not visionary, but real gold scattered in the way. But whether the devil showed it, or some bet

 14. And so for nearly twenty years he continued training himself in solitude, never going forth, and but seldom seen by any. After this, when many wer

 16. One day when he had gone forth because all the monks had assembled to him and asked to hear words from him, he spoke to them in the Egyptian tongu

 44. While Antony was thus speaking all rejoiced in some the love of virtue increased, in others carelessness was thrown aside, the self-conceit of ot

 45. Antony, however, according to his custom, returned alone to his own cell, increased his discipline, and sighed daily as he thought of the mansions

 46. After this the Church was seized by the persecution which then took place under Maximinus, and when the holy martyrs were led to Alexandria, Anton

 47. And when at last the persecution ceased, and the blessed Bishop Peter had borne his testimony, Antony departed, and again withdrew to his cell, an

 48. When therefore he had retired and determined to fix a time, after which neither to go forth himself nor admit anybody, Martinian, a military offic

 49. But when he saw himself beset by many, and not suffered to withdraw himself according to his intent as he wished, fearing because of the signs whi

 51. So he was alone in the inner mountain, spending his time in prayer and discipline. And the brethren who served him asked that they might come ever

 54. And once being asked by the monks to come down and visit them and their abodes after a time, he journeyed with those who came to him. And a camel

 55. So after certain days he went in again to the mountain. And henceforth many resorted to him, and others who were suffering ventured to go in. To a

 57. Wherefore a man, Fronto by name, who was an officer of the Court and had a terrible disease, for he used to bite his own tongue and was in danger

 58. There was also a maiden from Busiris Tripolitana, who had a terrible and very hideous disorder. For the runnings of her eyes, nose, and ears fell

 59. But when two brethren were coming to him, the water failed on the way, and one died and the other was at the point of death, for he had no strengt

 60. And this is so, for once again he was sitting on the mountain, and looking up saw in the air some one being borne upwards, and there was much joy

 61. And Archelaus too, the Count, on a time having found him in the outer mountain, asked him merely to pray for Polycratia of Laodicea, an excellent

 63. Afterwards, on another occasion, having descended to the outer cells, he was asked to enter a vessel and pray with the monks, and he alone perceiv

 65. And many monks have related with the greatest agreement and unanimity that many other such like things were done by him. But still these do not se

 66. And he had also this favour granted him. For as he was sitting alone on the mountain, if ever he was in perplexity in his meditations, this was re

 67. Added to this he was tolerant in disposition and humble in spirit. For though he was such a man, he observed the rule of the Church most rigidly,

 68. And he was altogether wonderful in faith and religious, for he never held communion with the Meletian schismatics, knowing their wickedness and ap

 69. And once also the Arians having lyingly asserted that Antony’s opinions were the same as theirs, he was displeased and wroth against them. Then be

 70. All the people, therefore, rejoiced when they heard the anti-Christian heresy anathematised by such a man. And all the people in the city ran toge

 72. And Antony also was exceeding prudent, and the wonder was that although he had not learned letters, he was a ready-witted and sagacious man. At al

 80. ‘And these signs are sufficient to prove that the faith of Christ alone is the true religion. But see! you still do not believe and are seeking fo

 81. And the fame of Antony came even unto kings. For Constantine Augustus, and his sons Constantius and Constans the Augusti wrote letters to him, as

 82. Being known to be so great a man, therefore, and having thus given answers to those who visited him, he returned again to the inner mountain, and

 83. Such are the words of Antony, and we ought not to doubt whether such marvels were wrought by the hand of a man. For it is the promise of the Savio

 85. At another time, suffering the same compulsion at the hands of them who had need, and after many entreaties from the commander of the soldiers, he

 86. And a certain general, Balacius by name, persecuted us Christians bitterly on account of his regard for the Arians—that name of ill-omen. And as h

 87. Thus, therefore, he warned the cruel. But the rest who came to him he so instructed that they straightway forgot their lawsuits, and felicitated t

 88. For this was the wonderful thing in Antony’s discipline, that, as I said before, having the gift of discerning spirits, he recognised their moveme

 89. It is worth while that I should relate, and that you, as you wish it, should hear what his death was like. For this end of his is worthy of imitat

 91. But he, knowing the custom, and fearing that his body would be treated this way, hastened, and having bidden farewell to the monks in the outer mo

 92. Having said this, when they had kissed him, he lifted up his feet, and as though he saw friends coming to him and was glad because of them—for as

 93. This is the end of Antony’s life in the body and the above was the beginning of the discipline. Even if this account is small compared with his me

 94. Read these words, therefore, to the rest of the brethren that they may learn what the life of monks ought to be and may believe that our Lord and

Life of Antony.

Table of Contents.

Prologue.

§§1, 2. Birth and beginnings of Antony.

§§3, 4. His early ascetic life.

§§5, 6. Early conflicts with the devil.

§7. Details of his life at this time (271–285?)

§§8–10. His life in the tombs, and combats with demons there.

§11. He goes to the desert and overcomes temptations on the way.

§§12, 13. How Antony took up his abode in a ruined fort across the Nile, and how he defeated the demons. His twenty years’ sojourn there.

§§14, 15. How he left the fort, and how monasticism began to flourish in Egypt. Antony its leader.

§§16–43. His address to monks, rendered from Coptic, exhorting them to perseverance, and encouraging them against the wiles of Satan.

§44. The growth of the monastic life at this time (about A.D. 305).

§45. How Antony renewed his ascetic endeavours at this time.

§46. How he sought martyrdom at Alexandria during the Persecution (311).

§47. How he lived at this time.

§48. How he delivered a woman from an evil spirit.

§§49, 50. How at this time he betook himself to his ‘inner mountain.’

§§51–53. How he there combated the demons.

§54. Of the miraculous spring, and how he edified the monks of the ‘outer’ mountain, and of Antony’s sister.

§§55, 56. How humanely he counselled those who resorted to him.

§57. Of the case of Fronto, healed by faith and prayer.

§58. Of a certain virgin, and of Paphnutius the confessor.

§59. Of the two brethren, and how one perished of thirst.

§60. Of the death of Amun, and Antony’s vision thereof.

§61, 62. Of Count Archelaus and the virgin Polycration.

§§63, 64. Strange tales of the casting out of demons.

§65. Of Antony’s vision concerning the forgiveness of his sins.

§66. Of the passage of souls, and how some were hindered of Satan.

§67. How Antony reverenced all ordained persons.

§68. How he rejected the schism of Meletius and the heresies of Manes and Arius.

§69. How he confuted the Arians.

§§70, 71. How he visited Alexandria, and healed and converted many, and how Athanasius escorted him from the city.

§§72–79. How he reasoned with divers Greeks and philosophers at the ‘outer’ mountain.

§80. How he confuted the philosophers by healing certain vexed with demons.

§81. How the Emperors wrote to Antony, and of his answer.

§82. How he saw in a vision the present doings of the Arians.

§§83, 84. That his healings were done by Christ alone, through prayer.

§85. How wisely he answered a certain duke.

§86. Of the Duke Balacius, and how, warned by Antony, he met with a miserable end.

§87. How he bore the infirmities of the weak, and of his great benefits to all Egypt.

§88. Of his discernment, and how he was a counsellor to all.

§§89, 90. How, when now 105 years old, he counselled the monks, and gave advice concerning burial.

§91. Of his sickness and his last will.

§92. Of Antony’s death.

§93. How Antony remained hale until his death, and how the fame of him filled all the world.

§94. The end.

[Antony’s answers to a philosopher, and to Didymus, are given by Socrates IV. 23, 25: the following is from Hanmer’s translation of Socr. I. 21: “The same time lived Antony the monk in the deserts of Ægypt. But inasmuch as Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, hath lately set forth in a several volume, intituled of his life, his manners and converasiton, how openly he buckled with divils, how he over-reached their slights and subtle combats, and wrought many marvellous and strange miracles, I think it superfluous on my part to intreat thereof.’]

For the translation of the text I am indebted to my friend and colleague the Rev. H. Ellershaw, jun.