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.

The life and conversation of our holy Father, Antony: written and sent to the monks in foreign parts by our Father among the Saints, Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria.

Athanasius1 This heading, preserved in the Evagrian version, is probably the original one. Compare the statement to the same effect in Vit. Pachom. 63. The preface to the Evagrian version is important as bearing on the question of interpolation. It runs as follows: ‘Evagrius, presbyter, to his dearest son Innocent, greeting in the Lord. A word-for-word translation from one language to another obscures the sense and as it were chokes the corn with luxuriant grass. For in slavishly following cases and constructions, the language scarcely explains by lengthy periphrasis what it might state by concise expression. To avoid this, I have at your request rendered the Life of the blessed Antony in such a way as to give the full sense, but cut short somewhat of the words. Let others try to catch syllables and letters; do you seek the meaning.’ the bishop to the brethren in foreign parts.

You have entered upon a noble rivalry with the monks of Egypt by your determination either to equal or surpass them in your training in the way of virtue. For by this time there are monasteries among you, and the name of monk receives public recognition. With reason, therefore, all men will approve this determination, and in answer to your prayers God will give its fulfilment. Now since you asked me to give you an account of the blessed Antony’s way of life, and are wishful to learn how he began the discipline, who and what manner of man he was previous to this, how he closed his life, and whether the things told of him are true, that you also may bring yourselves to imitate him, I very readily accepted your behest, for to me also the bare recollection of Antony is a great accession of help. And I know that you, when you have heard, apart from your admiration of the man, will be wishful to emulate his determination; seeing that for monks the life of Antony is a sufficient pattern of discipline. Wherefore do not refuse credence to what you have heard from those who brought tidings of him; but think rather that they have told you only a few things, for at all events they scarcely can have given circumstances of so great import in any detail. And because I at your request have called to mind a few circumstances about him, and shall send as much as I can tell in a letter, do not neglect to question those who sail from here: for possibly when all have told their tale, the account will hardly be in proportion to his merits. On account of this I was desirous, when I received your letter, to send for certain of the monks, those especially who were wont to be more frequently with him, that if I could learn any fresh details I might send them to you. But since the season for sailing was coming to an end and the letter-carrier urgent, I hastened to write to your piety what I myself know, having seen him many times, and what I was able to learn from him, for I was his attendant for a long time, and poured water on his hands2 Cf. 2 Kings iii. 11: the expression merely refers to personal attendance (contrast §§47, 93). The text is uncertain, as some mss., both Greek and Latin read, ‘was able to learn from him who was his attendant,’ &c. The question of textual evidence requires further sifting. In support of the statement in the text we may cite Ap. c. Ar. 6, where Ath. is called ‘one of the ascetics,’ which may, but need not, refer to something of the kind.; in all points being mindful of the truth, that no one should disbelieve through hearing too much, nor on the other hand by hearing too little should despise the man.