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He Goes to the
Desert
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, he asked him to dwell with him in the desert. But when the
other declined on account of his great age, and because as yet there
was no such custom, Antony himself set off forthwith 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, 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;
it could not have fallen without being missed on account of its size;
and he who had lost it having turned back, to seek it, would have found
it, for it is a desert place. This is some wile of the devil. O thou
Evil One, not with this shalt thou hinder my purpose; let it go with
thee to destruction.” And when Antony had said this it vanished like
smoke from the face of fire.
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 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 marvelled 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 the other side of the river; he crossed over to 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 remain fresh a whole year – and as he found 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, let down from above, twice in
the year.
13. But those of his acquaintances who came, since he did not permit
them to enter, often used to spend days and nights outside, and heard
as it were crowds within clamouring, dinning, sending forth piteous
voices and crying, “Go from what is ours. What dost thou even in the
desert? Thou canst not abide our attack.” So at first those outside
thought there were 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 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 wearied with the contest, for there 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 hate Him flee
before His face. As smoke vanisheth, let them vanish; as wax melts
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 .”
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 were eager and wishful 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, 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 lean 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 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 ailments of
many present, and cleansed others from evil spirits. And He gave grace
to Antony in speaking, so that he consoled many that were sorrowful,
and set those at 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 ,” he persuaded many to embrace the
solitary life. And thus it happened in the end that cells arose even in
the mountains, and the desert was colonised by monks, who came forth
from their own people, and enrolled themselves for the citizenship in
the heavens.
15. But when he was obliged to cross the Arsenoitic Canal – and the
occasion of it was the 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 ceil, he
applied himself to the same noble and valiant exercises; and by
frequent conversation he increased the 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.
Preface
Part I: Antony's Youth
and First Struggles with Demons
Part II: He Dwells
Among the Tombs
Part III: He Goes to the Desert
Part IV: His Sermon to
the Young Men
Part V: His Life in
the Desert
Part VI: He Goes to
the Inner Desert
Part VII: Advice and
Assistance for Visitors
Part VIII: His
Discourses Against Schismatics, Arians, and Pagans
Part IX: His Growing
Fame
Part X: His Death
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