01 - Life of Anthony by Athanasius of Alexandria

Embark on a journey through the life of Anthony (251-356CE), one of the pioneering figures of Christian desert monasticism in Egypt. At the tender age of 18, armed with a sermon about Jesus encouraging a young man to abandon his riches, Anthony renounced his inherited fortune. Promptly, he ventured into the barren desert to lead a life governed by poverty, chastity, and obedience. From battling demons to performing miracles, his life was one of extraordinary spiritual exploits. Anthony became a legend in his own right during his remarkably long lifetime. This podcast is a fascinating exploration of his inspiring life. (Summary by Matthew James Gray)

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Prolog and sections one to fifteen of the Life of Antony.
This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Matthew James Gray. The

(00:23):
Life of Antony by Athanasius, translated by h. Alashore Prolog.
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

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name of monk receives public recognition with reason. Therefore all
men will approve this determination, and in answer to your prayers,
God will give it fulfillment. 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

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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

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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

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few things, for at all events, they scarcely can have
given circumstance 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

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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

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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 hands in all points, being mindful of the truth
that no one should disbelieve through hearing too much, nor

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on the other hand, by hearing too little, should despise
the man. The life of Anthony, Anthony, you must know,
was by descent an Egyptian. His parents were of good
family and possessed considerable worth, and as they were Christians,

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he also was reared in the same faith. In infancy,
he was brought up with his parents, knowing nought else
but their men his home. But when he was grown
and arrived at boyhood and was advancing in years, he
could not endure to learn letters, not caring to associate
with other boys. But all his desire was, as it

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is written of Jacob, to live a plain man at
home Genesis twenty five, verse twenty seven. With his parents,
he used to attend the lord's house, and neither as
a child was he idle, nor when older did he
despise them, but was both obedient to his father and
mother and attentive to what was read, keeping in his

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heart what was profitable in what he heard, And though
as a child brought up in moderate affluence, he did
not trouble his parents for varied or luxurious fare, nor
was this a source of pleasure to him, but was
content simply with what he found, nor sought anything further.
After the death of his father and mother, he was

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left alone with one little sister. His age was about
eighteen or twenty, and on him the care both of
home and sister rested. Now it was not six months
after the death of his parents, and going according to custom,
into the Lord's house, he communed with himself and reflected
as he walked, how the apostles Matthew four, verse twenty

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left all and followed the Savior, and how they in
the Acts Acts four verse thirty five, sold their possessions
and brought and laid them at the apostle's feet for
distribution to the needy, and what and how great a
hope was laid up for them in heaven. Pondering over
these things, he entered the church, and I happened the

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Gospel was being read, and he heard the Lord saying
to the rich man Matthew nineteen, verse twenty one, if
you would be perfect, Go and sell that you have,
and give to the poor, and come follow me, and
you shall have treasure in heaven. Antony, as though God
had put him in mind of the saints, and the

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passage had been read. On his account, went out immediately
from the church and gave the possessions of his forefathers
to the villages. They were three hundred acres, productive and fair,
that they should be no more a clog upon himself
and his sister. And all the rest that was movable

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he sold, and having got together much money, he gave
it to the poor, reserving a little, however, for his
sister's sake. And again, as he went into the church,
hearing the Lord say in the Gospel Matthew sixth verse
thirty four, being not anxious for the morrow, he could
stay no longer, but went out and go those things
also to the poor. Having committed his sister to known

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and faithful virgins and put her into a convent to
be brought up, he henceforth devoted himself outside his house
to discipline, taking heed to himself, and training himself with patience.
For there were not yet so many monasteries in Egypt,
and no monk at all knew of the distant desert,

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but all who wished to give heed to themselves practiced
the discipline in solitude near their own village. Now there
was then in the next village an old man who
had lived the life of a hermit from his youth
up antony. After he had seen this man, imitated him
in piety, and at first he began to abide in
places outside the village. Then, if he heard of a

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good man anywhere, like the prudent bee, he went forth
and sought him, nor turned back to his own palace
until he had seen him. And he returned, having got
from the good man, as it were, supplies for his
journey in the way of virtue. So dwelling there at
first he confirmed his purpose, not to return to the

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abode of his father's nor to the remembrance of his kinfolk,
but to keep all his desire and energy for perfecting
his discipline. He worked, however, with his hands, having heard
he who is idle, let him not eat. Second Thessalonians three,
verse ten, and part he spent on bread, and part

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he gave to the needy. And he was constant in prayer,
knowing that a man ought to pray in secret unceasingly,
for he had given such heed to what was read,
that none of the things that were written fell from
him to the ground. But he remembered all, and afterwards
his memory served him for books. Thus conducting himself, Antony

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was blo loved by all. He subjected himself in sincerity
to the good men, whom he visited and learned thoroughly,
where each surpassed him in zeal and discipline. He observed
the graciousness of one, the unceasing prayer of another. He
took knowledge of another's freedom from anger, and another's loving kindness.

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He gave heed to one as he watched to another.
As he studied one, he admired for his endurance, another
for his fasting and sleeping on the ground. The meekness
of one and the long suffering of another he watched
with care, while he took note of the piety towards
Christ and the mutual love which animated all. Thus filled,

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he returned to his own place of discipline, and henceforth
would strive to unite the qualities of each, and was
eager to show in himself the virtues of all. With
others of the same age, he had no rivalry save this,
only that he should not be second to them in
higher things. And this he did so as to hurt
the feelings of nobody, but made them rejoice over him.

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So all day of that village. And the good men
in whose intimacy he was, when they saw that he
was a man of this sort, used to call him
God Beloved, and some welcomed him as a son, others
as a brother. But the devil, who hates and envies
what is good, could not endure to see such a

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resolution in her youth, but endeavored to carry out against
him what he had been wont to effect against others.
First of all, he tried to lead him away from
the discipline, whispering to him the remembrance of his wealth,
cared for his sister, claims of kindred, love of money,
love of glory, the various pleasures of the table, and

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the other relactions of life, and at last the difficulty
of virtue and the labor of it. He suggested also
the infirmity of the body, and the length of the time.
In a word, he raised in his mind and a
great dust of debate, wishing to debar him from his
settled purpose. But when the enemy saw himself to be

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too weak for Antony's determination, and that he rather was
conquered by the other's firmness, overthrown by his great faith,
and falling through his constant prayers, than at length putting
his trust in the weapons which are in the navel
of his belly, and boasting in them, for they are
his first snare for the young. He attacked the young man,

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disturbing him by night and harassing him by day, so
that even the onlookers saw the struggle which was going
on between them. The one would suggest foul thoughts, and
the other counter them with prayers. The one fire with lust,
the other as one who seemed to blush, fortify his
body with faith, prayers and fasting, And the devil unhappy

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wight one night even took upon him the shape of
a woman and imitated all her acts, simply to beguile Antony.
But he, his mind filled with Christ and the nobility
inspired by him, and considering the spirituality of the soul,
quenched the call of the other's deceit. Again, the enemy

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suggested the ease of pleasure, but he, like a man
filled with rage and grief, turned his thoughts to the
threatened fire and the gnawing worm, and setting these in
a ray against his adversary, passed through the temptation unscathed.
All this was a source of shame to his foe,
for he, deeming himself like God, was now mocked by

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a young man, And he who boasted himself against flesh
and blood, was being put to flight by a man
in the flesh. For the Lord was working with Antony,
the Lord who for our sake took flesh and gave
the body victory over the devil, so that all who
truly fight can say one Corinthian fifteen ten, not I

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but the grace of God which was with me at last,
when the dragon could not even thus overthrow Antony, but
saw himself thrust out of his heart, gnashing his teeth,
as it is written, and as it were, beside himself,
he appeared to Antony like a black boy, taking a
visible shape in accordance with the color of his mind,

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and cringing to him as it were, he plied him
with thoughts, no longer beguileful as he was he had
been worsted, but at last spoke in human voice and said,
many I deceived, many I cast down but now attacking
you and your labors, as I had many others, I
proved weak. When Antony asked, who are you who speakest

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thus to me? He answered with a lamentable voice, I
am the friend of Hardham, and have taken upon me
incitements which lead to it against the young. I am
called the spirit of lust. How many have I deceived
who wished to live soberly? How many are the chaste whom,
by my incitements I have over persuaded. I am he

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on account of whom also the Prophet reproves those who
have fallen, saying Joseiah four, verse twelve, you have been
caused to err by the spirit of Hawdham, For by
me they have been tripped up. I am he who
have so often troubled you, and have so often been
overthrown by you. But Antony, having given thanks to the

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Lord with good courage, said to him, you are very despicable, then,
for you are black hearted and weak as a child.
Henceforth I shall have no trouble from you, for the
Lord is my helper, and I shall look down on
mine enemies. Having heard this, the black one straightway fled,
shuddering at the words and dreading any longer even to

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come near the man. This was Antony's first struggle against
the devil. Or rather, this victory was the save his
work in Antony, who condemned sin in the flesh, that
the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us,
who walked not after the flesh but after the spirit.
But neither did Antony, although the evil one had fallen,

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henceforth relax his care and despise him. Nor did the enemy,
as though conquered, cease to lay snares for him, For
again he went round as a lion, seeking some occasion
against him. But Antony, having learned from the scriptures that
the devices Ephesian six, verse eleven of the devil are many,

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zealously continued the discipline, recognizing that though the devil had
not been able to deceive his heart by bodily pleasure,
he would endeavor to ensnare him by other means, for
the demon love sin. Wherefore, more and more he repressed
the body and kept it in subjection, lest happily, having

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conquered on one side, he should be dragged down on
the other. He therefore planned to accustom himself to a
severer mode of life, and many marveled. But he himself
used to bear the labor easily, for the eagerness of
souls through the length of time it had abode in
him had wrought a good habit in him, so that,

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taking but little initiation from others, he showed great zeal
in this matter. He kept vigil to such an extent
that he often continued the whole night without sleep, and
this not once, but often, to the marvel of others.
He ate once a day after sunset, sometimes once in
two days, and often even in four. His food was

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bread and salt, his drink water only of flesh and wine.
It is superfluous even to speak, since no such thing
was found with the other earnest men. A rush mat
served him to sleep upon, but for the most part
he lay upon the bare ground. He would not anoint
himself with oil, saying it behooved young men to be

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earnest in training, and not to seek what would innovate
the body, that they must accustom it to labor, mindful
of the Apostles words to Corinthians twelve, verse ten. When
I am weak, then I am strong, For said he,
the fiber of the soul is then sound when the
pleasures of the body are diminished. And he had come

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to this truly wonderful conclusion that progress in virtue and
retirement from the world for the sake of it, ought
not to be measured by time, but by desire and
fixity of purpose. He at least gave no thought to
the past, but day by day, as if he were
at the beginning of his discipline, applied greater pains for advancement,

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often repeating to himself the saying of Paul Philippians three,
verse fourteen, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching
forward to the things which are before. He was also
mindful of the words spoken by the prophet Elias one
Kings eighteen fifteen, the Lord lives before whose presence I
stand today. For he observed that in saying to day,

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the prophet did not compute the time that had gone by,
but daily, as though ever commencing. He eagerly endeavored to
make himself fit to appear before God, being pure in
heart and ever ready to submit to his counsel and
to him alone. And he used to say to himself
that from the life of the great Elias, the hermit

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ought to see his own as in a mirror, 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 acquaintances to bring him bread.
At intervals of many days, he entered one of the tombs,

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and the other having shut the door on him. He
remained within alone, and when the enemy could not endure it,
but was even fearful that in a short time time
Antony would fill the desert with the discipline. Coming one
night with a multitude of demons, he so cut him
with stripes that he lay on the ground, speechless from

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the excessive pain. For he affirmed that the torture had
been so excessive that no blows inflicted by man could
ever have caused him such torment, but by the providence
of God, for the Lord never overlooks them that hope
in him. The next day his acquaintance came, bringing him

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the loaves, and having opened the door, and seeing him
lying on the ground as though dead, he lifted him
up and carried him to the church in the village,
and laid him upon the ground, and many of his
kinsfolk and the villagers sat around. Antony as round a corpse.
But about midnight he came to himself and arose, And

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when he saw them all asleep, and his comrade alone watching,
he motioned with his head for him to approach, and
asked him to carry him again to the tombs without
waking anybody. And he was carried therefore by the man,
And as he was wont when the door was shut,
he was within alone, and he could not stand up

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on account of the blows. But he prayed as he lay,
And after he had prayed, he said, with a shout,
here am i antony, I flee not from your stripes,
for even if you inflict more, nothing shall separate me
Romans eight thirty five from the love of Christ. And
then he sang, though a camp be set against me,

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my heart shall not be afraid. These were the thoughts
and words of this ascetic. But the enemy, who hates good,
marveling that after the blows he dared to return, called
together his hounds and burst forth. You see, said he
that neither by the spirit of lust, nor by blows,

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did we stay the man, but that he raves us
let us attack him in another fashion. But changes of
form for evil are easy for the devil. So in
the night they made such a din that the whole
of that place seemed to be shaken by an earthquake,
and the demons, as if breaking the four walls of
the dwelling, seemed to enter through them, coming in the

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likeness of beasts and creeping things. And the place was
on a sudden filled with the forms of lions, bears, leopards, bulls, serpents, asps, scorpions,
and wolves, and each of them was moving according to
his nature. The lion was roaring, wishing to attack, the bull,

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seeming to toss with its horns, the serpent writhing but
unable to approach, and the wolf, as it rushed on,
was restrained. All together, the noises of the apparitions, with
their angry ragings, were dreadful, but Antony stricken and goaded
by them, he felt bodily pain's severest. Still he lay watching, however,

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with unshaken soul, groaning from bodily anguish. But his mind
was clear, and as in mockery, he said, if there
had been any power in you, it would have sufficed
had one of you come. But since the Lord has
made you weak, you attempt to terrify me by numbers,

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and a proof of your witness is that you take
the shapes of brute beasts. And again with boldness, he said,
if you are able and have received power against me,
delay not to attack. But if you are unable, why
trouble me in vain? For faith in our Lord is
a seal and a wall of safety to us. So

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after many attempts, they gnashed their teeth upon him, because
they were mocking themselves rather than him. Nor was the
Lord then forgetful of Antony's wrestling, but was at hand
to help him. So looking up he saw the roof
as it were opened, and a ray of light descending
to him. The damon suddenly vanished, the pain of his

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body straightway ceased, and the building was again whole. But Antony,
feeling the help and getting his breath again and being
freed from pain, besought the vision which had appeared to him, saying,
where wert thou? Why did you not appear at the
beginning to make my pains to cease? And the voice

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came to him, Antony, I was here, but I wanted
to see your fight. Wherefore, since you have endured and
hast not been worsted, I will ever be a succor
to you, and will make your name known everywhere. Having
heard this, Antony arose and prayed, and received such strength

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that he perceived that he had more power in his
body than formerly. And he was then about thirty five
years old. And on the day following he went forth
till more, eagerly bent on the service of God. And
having fallen in with the old man he had met previously,
he asked him to dwell with him in the desert.

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But when the other declined, on account of his great age,
and because as yet there was no such custom, Antony
himself set off immediately to the mountain. And yet again
the enemy, seeing his zeal and wishing to hinder it,
cast in his way what seemed to be a great
silver dish. But Antony, seeing the guile of the evil one, stood,

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and having looked on the dish, he put the devil
in it to shame, saying, whence comes a dish in
the desert, This road is not well worn, nor is
there here a trace of any wayfarer could not have
fallen without being missed on account of its size, And
he who had lost it, having turned back to seek it,

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would have found it. For it is a desert place.
This is some while of the devil aho a evil one.
Not with this show you hinder my purpose. Let it
go with you to destruction. Acts eight, verse twenty. And
when Antony had said this, it vanished like smoke from
the face of fire. Then again, as he went on

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he saw what was, this time not visionary but real
gold scattered in the way. But whether the devil showed
it or some better power to try the athlete and
show the evil one that Antony truly cared nought for money,
neither he told, nor do we know. But it is
certain that that which appeared was gold. And Antony marveled

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at the quantity, but passed it by as though he
were going over fire. So he did not even turn,
but hurried on at a run, to lose sight of
the place. More and more confirmed in his purpose, he
hurried to the mountain, and, having found a fort so
long deserted that it was full of creeping things on

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the other side of the river, he crossed over it
and dwelt there the reptiles, as though some one were
chasing them. Immediately left the place, But he built up
the entrance completely, having stored up loaves for six months.
This is a custom of the Thebans, and the loaves
often remained fresh a whole year. And as he found

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water within, he descended as into a shrine and abode
within by himself, never going forth nor looking at any
one who came. Thus he employed a long time training himself,
and received loaves that down from above twice in the year.
But those of his acquaintances who came, since he did

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not permit them to enter, often used to spend days
and nights outside, and heard, as it were, within, clamoring, dinning,
sending forth piteous voices, and crying, go from what is ours?
What do you? Even in the desert? You cannot abide
our attack. So at first those outside thought there were

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some men fighting with him, and that they had entered
by ladders. But when stooping down, they saw through a
hole there was nobody. They were afraid, accounting them to
be demons, and they called on Antony them. He quickly heard,
though he had not given a thought to the demons,
and coming to the door, he besought them to depart,

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and not to be afraid, For thus said he, the
demons make their seeming onslaughts against those who are cowardly,
Sign yourselves therefore with the cross, and depart boldly, and
let these make sport for themselves. So they departed, fortified
with the sign of the cross. But he remained in
no wise harmed by the evil spirits, nor was he

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wearied with the contest, for they came to his aid
visions from above, and the weakness of the foe relieved
him of much trouble and armed him with greater zeal.
For his acquaintances used often to come, expecting to find
him dead, and would hear him singing. Let God arise,
and let his enemies be scattered. Let them also that

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hate him flee before his face, as smoke vanishes. Let
them vanish as wax melt before the face of fire.
So let the sinners perish from the face of God.
And again all nations compassed me about, and in the
name of the Lord I requited them. And so for

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nearly twenty years he continued trading himself in solitude, never
going forth, and but seldom singing by any After this,
when many were eager and wishing to imitate his discipline,
and his acquaintances came and began to cast down and
wrench off the door by force. Antony, as from a shrine,

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came forth, initiated in the mysteries, and filled with the
spirit of God. Then, for the first time he was
seen outside the fort by those who came to see him,
and they, when they saw him, wondered at the sight,
for he had the same habit of body as before,
and was neither fat like a man without exercise, nor

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leaned from fasting and striving with the demons. But he
was just the same as they had known him before
his retirement. And again his soul was free from blemish,
for it was neither contracted as if by grief, nor
relaxed by pleasure, nor possessed by laughter or dejection. For
he was not troubled when he beheld the crowd, nor

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overjoyed at being saluted by so many. But he was
altogether even as being guided by reason and abiding in
a natural state. Through him, the Lord healed the bodily
the ailments of many present, and cleansed others from evil spirits.
And he gave grace to Antony and speaking, so that
he consoled many that were sorrowful, and set those at

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variance at one, exhorting all to prefer the love of
Christ before all that is in the world. And while
he exhorted and advised them to remember the good things
to come, and the loving kindness of God towards us,
who spared not his own son, but delivered him up
for us all Romans eighth, verse thirty two, he persuaded

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many to embrace the solitary life. And thus it happened
in the end that cells arose even in the mountains,
and the desert was colonized by monks who came forth
from their own people and enrolled themselves for the citizenship
in the heavens. But when he was obliged to cross
the Arsianic Canal, and the occasion of it was the

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visitation of the brethren, the canal was full of crocodiles,
and by simply praying, he entered it, and all they
with him, and passed over in safety. And having returned
to his cell, he applied himself to the same noble
and valiant exercises, And by frequent conversation he increased the

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eagerness of those already monks, stirred up in most of
the rest the love of the discipline, and speedily by
the attraction of his words cells multiplied, and he directed
them all as a father. End of the prolog and
Sections one to fifteen