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

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 all the monks therefore who came to him, he continually gave this precept: ‘Believe on the Lord and love Him; keep yourselves from filthy thoughts and fleshly pleasures, and as it is written in the Proverbs, be not deceived “by the fulness of the belly116 Prov. xxiv. 15, LXX..” Pray continually; avoid vainglory; sing psalms before sleep and on awaking; hold in your heart the commandments of Scripture; be mindful of the works of the saints that your souls being put in remembrance of the commandments may be brought into harmony with the zeal of the saints.’ And especially he counselled them to meditate continually on the apostle’s word, ‘Let not the sun go down upon your wrath117 Eph. iv. 26..’ And he considered this was spoken of all commandments in common, and that not on wrath alone, but not on any other sin of ours, ought the sun to go down. For it was good and needful that neither the sun should condemn us for an evil by day nor the moon for a sin by night, or even for an evil thought. That this state may be preserved in us it is good to hear the apostle and keep his words, for he says, ‘Try your own selves and prove your own selves118 2 Cor. xiii. 5..’ Daily, therefore, let each one take from himself the tale of his actions both by day and night; and if he have sinned, let him cease from it; while if he have not, let him not be boastful. But let him abide in that which is good, without being negligent, nor condemning his neighbours, nor justifying himself, ‘until the Lord come who searcheth out hidden things119 1 Cor. iv. 5; Rom. ii. 16.,’ as saith the blessed apostle Paul. For often unawares we do things that we know not of; but the Lord seeth all things. Wherefore committing the judgment to Him, let us have sympathy one with another. Let us bear each other’s burdens120 Gal. vi. 6.: but let us examine our own selves and hasten to fill up that in which we are lacking. And as a safeguard against sin let the following be observed. Let us each one note and write down our actions and the impulses of our soul as though we were going to relate them to each other. And be assured that if we should be utterly ashamed to have them known, we shall abstain from sin and harbour no base thoughts in our mind. For who wishes to be seen while sinning? or who will not rather lie after the commission of a sin, through the wish to escape notice? As then while we are looking at one another, we would not commit carnal sin, so if we record our thoughts as though about to tell them to one another, we shall the more easily keep ourselves free from vile thoughts through shame lest they should be known. Wherefore let that which is written be to us in place of the eyes of our fellow hermits, that blushing as much to write as if we had been caught, we may never think of what is unseemly. Thus fashioning ourselves we shall be able to keep the body in subjection, to please the Lord, and to trample on the devices of the enemy.

56. This was the advice he gave to those who came to him. And with those who suffered he sympathised and prayed. And oft-times the Lord heard him on behalf of many: yet he boasted not because he was heard, nor did he murmur if he were not. But always he gave the Lord thanks and besought the sufferer to be patient, and to know that healing belonged neither to him nor to man at all, but only to the Lord, who doeth good when and to whom He will. The sufferers therefore used to receive the words of the old man as though they were a cure, learning not to be downhearted but rather to be long-suffering. And those who were healed were taught not to give thanks to Antony but to God alone.