I am from Egypt. My parents were people of noble birth and known for their Christian piety; they brought me up so that I knew no one but them and my own home.
When I reached boyhood, I was in no hurry either to take up studies or to associate with other boys, but remaining in my house I preserved the purity of my heart and strove to advance in piety. I did not indulge in the amusements of boyhood, but loved to go with my parents to the house of God and, listening there to the readings from the Divine Scriptures, I strove to draw from them all possible benefit for myself and to live exactly as they taught. I did not ask the elders for sweet food, as is natural for children, and in general paid little attention to food, always being content with what was given me.
When I was about twenty years old, my parents died, and I was left with my younger sister; at first I took care of the house and of the proper upbringing of my sister.
Often, as was my custom, visiting the temple, I heard from the Divine books read there how the apostles, leaving everything, followed the Saviour, and how, according to the testimony of the book of the Acts of the Apostles, many of the Christians sold their possessions and laid the price of what was sold at the apostles’ feet for distribution to those in need. I reflected on how firm was the faith of these people and what great reward was prepared for them in heaven.
With such thoughts I once came to the temple and there suddenly heard again the words of Christ spoken to the rich young man: «If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me» (Mt 19:21). I accepted this as a reminder from above — as if Christ had spoken these words to me personally — and immediately upon leaving the temple I sold my property, and the large sum received from the sale I distributed to the poor, keeping only a small part of it for my weak and young sister.
I had three hundred very good date palms, rich in fruit, and I gave them to my neighbours, so as to free both myself and my sister from all care concerning them.
When, soon after this, I again came to the temple and heard the words of the Lord in the Gospel: «Take no thought for the morrow» (Mt 6:34), — I immediately went out and distributed to those in need the remaining part of my property as well.
No longer wishing to live in my own house, I entrusted my sister to faithful and well-known virgins who had dedicated themselves to the service of the Bridegroom — Christ, so that she might be brought up among them by the example of their life; and I myself began to lead a severe and strict ascetic life. At that time there were still few monasteries in Egypt, and the hermit life was not yet widespread; but everyone who wished to serve Christ and to be saved exercised himself in virtue by settling somewhere near his own village.
At no great distance from my village there lived an elder who from his youth had devoted himself in solitude to monastic labours. Having met him and received benefit for my soul from this, I began to imitate him and also to seek solitude in various places near my village. If after this I happened to hear of some hermit, I, like a prudent bee, would set out to seek him and would not return until I had found the one I sought and through meeting and conversing with him had drawn, like a bee drawing honey, some benefit for myself.
Such were my first labors; progressing in them, I strengthened my thoughts more and more in the good direction. At the same time I obtained my sustenance by the labor of my hands, remembering the words of Scripture: «if anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat» (2 Thess. 3:10). With the money received from the sale of my handiwork I bought bread and fed the hungry; my soul was in constant prayerful communion with God, for I knew from Scripture that one must pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17).
I listened to the reading of the Holy Scriptures with such deep attention that I forgot absolutely nothing of what was read, and by strictly observing all the Lord’s commandments, memory began to serve me instead of the sacred books themselves.
Thus I lived, and all the brethren to whom I came to receive benefit for my soul loved me; and, remaining in subjection to them, I learned virtue from them – in which each one especially excelled: I strove to imitate one in abstinence, another in vigilance, one in meekness, another in sleeplessness, yet another in attentiveness to what was read; from one I learned the labors of fasting, at another I marveled at lying on the bare ground, I praised the humility of one and the patience of another. Having gained the love of them all and received benefit for myself from all, I would return to my cell and there, reflecting on everything I had seen, I strove to appropriate and combine within myself the virtues of all.
When I was thus progressing and being strengthened in good, the enemy of the Christian name – the devil – being unable to bear such virtues in me, rose up against me with his ancient cunning, trying to turn me away from my good intentions through deception. He brought to my mind thoughts of the property I had sold, of my sister’s lack of provision, of the nobility of my family, of vain worldly glory, and of the pleasure of various foods.
When the devil saw himself defeated through my prayers to God, my patience and faith, he turned to the temptations usual in youth: he began to trouble me with nocturnal fantasies, fear and apparitions. He cast unclean thoughts into me – I drove them away with unceasing prayer; he took at night the form of a beautiful woman, trying to arouse passion in me, but I quenched it with the thought of the inextinguishable fire of Gehenna.
Then he appeared to me visibly – in the form of a black and terrible youth, who with weeping said in a human voice: «Many have I led into temptation, many have I deceived, but now I am defeated by your labors.» – «Who are you?» I asked. «I am the tempter to fornication,» he answered, «by manifold wiles I try to draw all young men into this sin, and therefore I am called the spirit of fornication»: I am he of whom the prophet Hosea accuses the fallen: «the spirit of fornication has led them astray» (Hos. 4:12).
Having heard this, I gave thanks to the Lord and with even greater fearlessness said to the enemy: «In many things you are put to shame, in many things you are disgraced; now I no longer fear you at all: the Lord is my helper – I will look upon my enemies» (Ps. 117:7). At these words the apparition immediately vanished without a trace.
But even after this first victory I did not fall into carelessness about myself, for after one defeat the devil’s strength had not yet weakened: he «walketh about, as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour» (1 Pet. 5:8). I went to the tombs that were not far from the village, first asking one of my acquaintances to bring me food on appointed days. He locked me in one of these tombs, and there, in solitude, I gave myself to silence.
Seeing this, the devil feared that I would arm myself against him with the ascetic labor of the desert: gathering demons, by God’s permission he subjected me to such terrible beatings that afterwards I lay motionless and speechless; the torments inflicted on me surpassed all human sufferings.
After several days the aforementioned acquaintance of mine came to me, bringing the usual food. Opening the doors and seeing me lying on the ground as if dead, he lifted me up and carried me to his village. But at midnight, when all were sound asleep from weariness, I began gradually to come to myself; noticing that only the one who had brought me there was not asleep, I asked him, without waking anyone, to carry me back to the former place – which was done, and I again began to live in solitude.
Having no strength, because of the wounds, to stand on my feet, I prayed lying face down and after the prayer cried out loudly: «Demons! Here I am, Anthony. I do not avoid combat with you; know that even if you do something greater than before, nothing can separate me from the love of Christ.» And I sang then: «Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear» (Ps. 26:3).
The hater of good, amazed that I had dared to return here after such beatings, calls together his demons and says to them with fury: «We have not succeeded in conquering him either by the spirit of fornication or by bodily wounds – arm yourselves therefore each for an even stronger and more persistent struggle with him.» And suddenly there was such a crash that the place itself was shaken to its foundations, and the walls collapsed; and immediately there rushed in and filled my dwelling a multitude of demons who appeared in the form of phantoms of lions, wolves, asps, snakes, scorpions, lynxes and bears, and each displayed its fury in a manner corresponding to its appearance.
Struck and tormented by them, I endured the most agonizing sufferings, but did not fall into fear and preserved courage and clarity of mind, saying to them: «If you had any strength at all, even one of you would suffice for combat with me, but since the Lord has taken away your power, you try to frighten with your multitude. The sign of the Cross and faith in God serve us as an impregnable wall of defense.»
Raising my gaze upward, I saw that the vault of the tomb had opened above me and a bright ray was descending upon me, dispelling the darkness. With the appearance of the light not one of the demons remained, and the bodily pain instantly ceased. I cried out then: «Where wast Thou, merciful Jesus? Where wast Thou and why didst Thou not appear from the beginning to heal my wounds?» And there came to me a voice: «Anthony! I was here, but waited, desiring to see thy courage; now, after thou hast firmly endured the struggle, I will always help thee and glorify thee throughout the world.» I was then thirty-five years old.
After this I went to the former elder from whom I had sought guidance at the very beginning, and began to entreat him to go and dwell with me in the desert in some inaccessible place. When the elder refused – both because of his old age and because of the novelty of such a form of asceticism – I fearlessly set out alone on the long journey to a mountain in the desert unknown among the monks.
But the enemy, not ceasing to tempt me and wishing to hinder the fulfilment of my intention, cast a silver dish on my path in order to tempt me with love of money. Seeing the dish, I understood the enemy’s cunning and paused a little in thought, saying to myself: ‘Whence could this dish come in the desert? There is not even a single human footprint here; this is your cunning, devil, but you will not hinder my intention by this: let your silver perish with you’ (Acts 8:20). And as soon as I had spoken this, the dish instantly vanished as smoke is dispersed by fire.
At another time after this I saw gold, lying in great quantity on my path. I quickly leapt over it as over some fire and hastened into the desert.
Crossing the river, I found in the mountain a certain empty enclosed place which, because of long abandonment, was full of all kinds of poisonous reptiles and serpents. I settled there, and all the multitude of scorpions, as though driven by someone, immediately scattered. Blocking the entrance with stones and bringing with me bread for six months – since it was the custom among the Thebans to store it, and it often remained unspoiled for a whole year – and having a little water inside the enclosure, I began to live there in complete solitude, as a hermit, never going out myself nor receiving anyone. Only twice a year did I receive through the roof bread brought to me by a friend whom I had previously asked to do this; but I did not speak a word with the one who brought it.
In such unceasing struggle with the demons and in such solitude far from men I lived a full twenty years. When the time came to labour not only for my own salvation but also for the benefit of others, many people gathered at my dwelling who desired to imitate my ascetic life, and they forcibly broke open the entrance to my dwelling. Seeing that my face was radiant and my body healthy, they marvelled how, after such fasts and labours and after such struggle with the demons, I had not changed either in face or in body. From this time I became for others also a guide, a shepherd, a teacher of ascetic life and a leader on the path to heaven.
Once the brethren gathered and began to ask me to give them a rule of monastic life. I answered them, raising my voice: for learning the fulfillment of the commandments of God, the Divine Scriptures are completely sufficient; however, one cannot but consider it a very good and excellent thing if the brethren mutually comfort one another with words. Reveal to me, I said, as children to a father, what you know, and I, as to children, will impart to you what I have learned from long experience.
I taught about eternal life in this way: in this present life the price of a purchased thing is equal to what it is worth, and the seller receives no more than that. But the promise of eternal life is acquired for too small a price: it is given to us for a short life, about which it is written: «The days of our years are seventy years, and if we have strength, eighty years; and their best part is labor and sorrow» (Ps. 89:10). Even if we lived, laboring in the service of God, eighty or a hundred years, still in the life to come we are to reign not for some limited time, but for ages of ages – and we shall receive not earth in possession, but heaven.
Let no one who has renounced the world think of himself that he has left something great, because, in comparison with the heavenly blessings, the whole earth is insignificant and small. And I also said to the brethren: even if someone did not wish to part with his riches, still death will forcibly separate him from them; so why should we not do the same voluntarily for the sake of virtue?
God Himself has indicated to us to watch with unceasing attention what is happening in our soul, because we have very cunning enemies in battle – I mean the demons. First of all we must firmly remember that God is not the author of evil, and that the demons did not become evil by His will: as created by the good God, they were originally good spirits, but for self-exaltation they were cast down from heaven to earth. Cunningly changing their methods of battle, if they cannot seduce a man with thoughts, they try to deceive or frighten him with apparitions, taking the form now of a woman, now of a scorpion, now of a giant.
Once I saw the devil in the form of an extraordinary giant, who dared to say of himself: «I am the power and wisdom of God», – and he turned to me: «Ask of me, Anthony, whatever you wish, and I will give it to you». But I spat in his mouth in reply and, arming myself with the name of Christ, rushed at him, and that giant immediately melted and disappeared in my hands.
When I was fasting, he appeared to me in the form of a monk who brought loaves and urged me to eat: «Make some allowance for your body». But I understood that this was the cunning deception of the evil serpent, and, turning to my usual weapon – the sign of the Cross of Christ – I saw him turn into a stream of smoke and disappear through the window.
Once a demon knocked at the gate of the monastery. Going out, I saw before me a huge giant and asked: «Who are you?» He answered: «I am Satan… have you not heard from Scripture that the enemy’s weapons have completely failed, and you have destroyed cities» (Ps. 9:7). Behold, I am already deprived of any place in the world, all nations confess the name of Christ, the deserts are filled with monks.
I resolved to go to the Upper Thebaid, where I would be unknown to anyone. Taking bread with me, I sat down on the riverbank, waiting for a boat. Suddenly I heard a voice from above: «Anthony! Where and why are you going?» I answered: «People give me no peace here, so I have decided to go to the Upper Thebaid.» – «If you go to the Thebaid,» the voice continued, «you will have to endure the same difficulties to an even greater degree; but if you wish to strive in strict solitude, go now into the inner desert.» The voice pointed out to me some Saracens who were traveling that road to Egypt for trade.
After spending three days and three nights with them on the way, I came upon a very high mountain, from under which flowed a spring of good water, and around it grew wild date palms. This place pleased me, as though it had been indicated by God Himself. The Saracens, seeing my ascetic life, began to bring me bread; and I, having cleared a small plot of ground, sowed seeds, and from that time onward I had my own bread each year.
Once the military commander Martinian came to me with his demon-possessed daughter. He began to knock and beg me to come out and pray for his suffering daughter. I, without opening the door, looked out from above and said: «Why do you turn to me for help? I am mortal like you; we are both equally weak by nature. If you believe in Christ, Whom I serve, then go, pray to God according to your faith, and your daughter will be healed.» Martinian believed, called upon the name of Christ and went home with his daughter who was healed at once.
When a cruel persecution of the Church of Christ arose on the part of the impious Emperor Maximian, and the holy martyrs were being led to Alexandria, I too followed the victims of Christ, leaving my monastery for this purpose: «Let us go,» I said, «and we also to the bright feast of our brethren, that we may either ourselves be counted worthy of the same, or see others striving.» I openly showed my devotion to the holy martyrs, ministered to them in their bonds, accompanied them to judgment and did not conceal that I was a Christian; but no one dared to lay a hand on me.
Once, while sitting among the brethren at work, I was as though in a state of ecstasy and wept bitterly. The brethren begged me to say what I saw. «An inexpressible calamity is coming upon the Church of Christ,» I answered, «I saw the altar of the Lord’s temple, and in it many mules which, surrounding the holy table, furiously overturned everything that stood upon it; and I heard a voice which said: „My altar shall be defiled!“» This vision was fulfilled two years later, when a cruel Arian persecution broke out: the churches of God were plundered, the sacred vessels desecrated.
At that time the military commander Valacius mercilessly persecuted the Christians. I sent him a letter: «I see the wrath of God coming upon you. Cease persecuting the Christians, and then the destruction approaching you will depart.» The impious man, having read the letter, only laughed at it. On the fifth day after this the horses on which he was riding together with the Egyptian prefect Nestorius began to play under them, and the horse on which Nestorius sat suddenly seized Valacius with its teeth, throwing him to the ground; on the third day he gave up his impious soul.
I had the custom of descending from the summit of the mountain to the brethren living at its foot and visiting them. On one such visit I told them of the approach of my death: “I have come to you for the last time, my children; I no longer hope to see you in this life, and it is time for me to be released from this life and to rest, for I have already lived one hundred and five years.” At these words the brethren were filled with deep sorrow and wept, kissing me as one already departing from the world; but I did not consent to remain with them and, bidding farewell, went up to the summit of the mountain, to my beloved dwelling.
After a few months I fell gravely ill. Calling to myself two monks who had struggled with me during the last fifteen years, I said to them: “My children! As it is written, ‘I go the way of all the earth’ (3 Kgs 2:2), the Lord is calling me to Himself, and I hope to taste of the heavenly blessings. Do not allow anyone to carry my remains to Egypt; bury me yourselves in the earth, and let no one but you know the grave where my body will be buried. Divide my garments as follows: the cloak and the worn-out undergarment on which I lie, give to Bishop Athanasius; give the other cloak to Bishop Serapion; take the hair shirt for yourselves. Farewell, my dear children! Anthony is departing, and he will be with you no more in this life.”
When after these words the disciples, bidding farewell, kissed me, I stretched out my legs and with quiet joy on my face, looking upon the Angels who had come for my soul as upon my friends, I died and was gathered to the holy fathers. My disciples, according to my testament, clothed the body and committed it to the earth, and besides them no one until now knows the place of my burial.