The Life of St Anthony

Saint Anthony or Antony c. 12 January 251 - 17 January 356, was a Christian monk from Egypt, revered since his death as a saint. For his importance among the Desert Fathers and to all later Christian monasticism, he is also known as the Father of All Monks. The biography of Anthony’s life by Athanasius of Alexandria helped to spread the concept of Christian monasticism, particularly in Western Europe via its Latin translations. He is often erroneously considered the first Christian monk, but as his biography and other sources make clear, there were many ascetics before him. Anthony was, however, among the first known to go into the wilderness (about ad 270), which has contributed to his renown. Accounts of Anthony enduring supernatural temptation during his sojourn in the Eastern Desert of Egypt inspired the often-repeated subject of the temptation of St. Anthony in Western art and literature.