Anthony the Great
c. 251 – 356 · Egypt
Biography
The father of Christian monasticism; withdrew to the Egyptian desert around 285 and drew thousands after him.
“The time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad they will attack him saying: 'You are mad; you are not like us.'”— Sayings of the Desert Fathers
Writings
- Letters (attributed)
- Sayings preserved in the Apophthegmata Patrum
Influence
Founded the eremitic monastic tradition and inspired the Life of Antony by Athanasius.