Life of Antony 59–81

Athanasius of Alexandria · Life of Antony · ca. 357–360 · Alexandria · 23 passages

Greek text: PG 26.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 4 (1892).

Chapter 59

59PG 26:928c–929a

Εἰσερχομένων δὲ δύο ἀδελφῶν τινων, καὶ λείψαντος ὲν τῇ ὁδῷ τοῦ ὓδατος, ὁ μὲν εἷς ἀπέθανεν, 6 δὲ ἕτερος ἔμελλε· μηκέτι γοῦν ἰσχύων ὁδεύειν, ἔκειτο καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τεθνήξεσθαι προσδοκῶν. Ὁ δὲ Ἀντώνιος, καθήμενος ἐν τῷ ὄρει, φωνήσας δύο μοναχοῦς (συνέβη γὰρ ἐκεῖ τούτους εἶναι ), ἤπειγε λέγων· Λάβετε κεράμιον ὓδατος, καὶ δράμετε τὴν ἐπʼ Αἴγυπτον ὁδόν · δύο γὰρ ἐρχομένων, ὁ μὲν εἷς ἄρτι τετελεύτηκεν, ὁ δὲ ἕτερος μέλλει, ἐὰν μὴ σπεύσητε. Τοῦτο γὰρ εὐχομένῳ μοι νῦν πεφανέρωται. Ἑλθόντες τοίνυν οἱ μοναχοὶ. εὗρον τὸν μὲν κείμενον νεκρὸν, καὶ ἔθαψαν, τὸν δὲ ἕτερον ἀνεκτήσαντο τῷ ὕδατι, καὶ ἀπήγαγον πρὸς τὸν γέροντα· ἦν γὰρ τὸ διάστημα ἡμέρας ὁδός. Ἐὰν δὲ ζητήσῃ τις, διὰ τί μὴ πρὸ τοῦ τελευτῆσαι τὸν ἄλλον οὐκ εἴρηκεν οὐκ ὀρθῶς ζητεῖ τοῦτο λέγων. Οὐ γὰρ ἦν Ἀντωνίου τὸ τοῦ θανάτου κρῖμα, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοῦ καὶ περὶ ἐκείνου κρίναντος, καὶ περὶ τούτου ἀποκαλύψαντος. Μόνον δὲ Ἀντωνίου τοῦτο θαῦμα ἦν, ὅτι ἐν τῷ ὄρει καθήμενος, εἶχε τὴν,μὲν καρδίαν, νήφουσαν, τὸν δὲ Κύριον δεικνύοντα αύτῷ τὰ μακράν.

Eiserchomenōn de dyo adelphōn tinōn, kai leipsantos en tę̄ hodǭ tou hydatos, ho men heis apethanen, 6 de heteros emelle; mēketi goun ischyōn hodeuein, ekeito kai autos epi tēs gēs tethnēxesthai prosdokōn. Ho de Antōnios, kathēmenos en tǭ orei, phōnēsas dyo monachous (synebē gar ekei toutous einai ), ēpeige legōn; Labete keramion hydatos, kai dramete tēn epʼ Aigypton hodon ; dyo gar erchomenōn, ho men heis arti teteleutēken, ho de heteros mellei, ean mē speusēte. Touto gar euchomenǭ moi nyn pephanerōtai. Helthontes toinyn hoi monachoi. heuron ton men keimenon nekron, kai ethapsan, ton de heteron anektēsanto tǭ hydati, kai apēgagon pros ton geronta; ēn gar to diastēma hēmeras hodos. Ean de zētēsę̄ tis, dia ti mē pro tou teleutēsai ton allon ouk eirēken ouk orthōs zētei touto legōn. Ou gar ēn Antōniou to tou thanatou krima, alla tou Theou, tou kai peri ekeinou krinantos, kai peri toutou apokalypsantos. Monon de Antōniou touto thauma ēn, hoti en tǭ orei kathēmenos, eiche tēn,men kardian, nēphousan, ton de Kyrion deiknyonta autǭ ta makran.

Once, when two brothers were coming to him and their water ran out on the road, one of them died, and the other was about to die; no longer able to walk, he too lay on the ground expecting death. Antony, sitting on the mountain, called two monks who happened to be there and urged them, saying: ‘Take a jar of water and run along the road toward Egypt; for of two who were coming, one has just died, and the other will die unless you hurry. This has just been revealed to me as I prayed.’ The monks went and found the one lying dead, and buried him; the other they revived with water and brought to the old man; for the distance was a day’s journey. If anyone asks why he did not speak before the first one died, he is not right to ask this. For the judgment of death was not Antony’s but God’s, who both judged concerning the one and revealed concerning the other. This alone was Antony’s marvel: that while sitting on the mountain he kept his heart watchful, and the Lord showed him things far away.

Notes and citation

Summary: Antony foresaw two brothers dying of thirst on the road and sent monks with water, who saved one of them; the death of the other was God’s judgment.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: 6 for ὁ; OCR: misread letter; OCR: misread letters; OCR: stray letter; OCR: word split; OCR: word split, stray letter): Εἱσε ρχομένων → Εἰσερχομένων; ἔτει ρος → ἕτερος; '0 δὲ Ἀντώνιος, καθήμενος. ὲν τῷ δρει → Ὁ δὲ Ἀντώνιος, καθήμενος ἐν τῷ ὄρει; λέγων ο Λάβετε → λέγων· Λάβετε; γέρονταο → γέροντα·; διὰ τε μὴ → διὰ τί μὴ; τὺ τοῦ θανάτου → τὸ τοῦ θανάτου; ἀπογαλύῴαντος → ἀποκαλύψαντος; ος, 6 μὲν → ος, ὁ μὲν; ων, 6 μὲν → ων, ὁ μὲν; κεν, 6 δὲ ἕ → κεν, ὁ δὲ ἕ.

Cite (SBL): Athanasius, V. Ant. 59 (PG 26:928c–929a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-vita-antonii/59/#p-59).

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR, corrections logged; lines lost in the scan marked …), then compared section by section with the public-domain English of NPNF² 4 (Robertson, 1892); differences checked against the Greek.

Chapter 60

60PG 26:929a–932a

Καὶ γάρ ποτε πάλιν, καθήμενος ἐν τῷ ὄρει καὶ ἀναβλέψας, εἶδεν ἐν τῷ ἀέρι ἀναγόμενόν τινα, πολλήν τε τῶν ἀπαντώντων γινομένην τήν χαράν. Εἶτα θαυμάζων καὶ μακαρίζων τὸν τοιοῦτον χορὸν, ηὔχετο μαθεῖν, τί ἂν εἴη τοῦτο. Καὶ εὐθὺς ἦλθεν αὐτῷ φωνὴ, ταύτην εἶναι τοῦ Ἀμοῦν τὴν ψυχὴν, τοῦ ἐν τῇ Νιτρίᾳ μοναχοῦ. Ἦν δὲ οὗτος ἕως γήρως ἀσκητὴς διαμείνας. Καὶ τὸ διάστημα δὶ τὸ ἀπὸ Νιτρίας ἕως τοῦ ὅρους, ἔνθα ἧν ὁ Ἀντώνιος, ἡμερῶν ἔστι δεκατριῶν. Οἱ τοίνυν ὄντες μετὰ Ἀντωνίου, βλέποντες τὸν γέροντα θαυμάζοντα, ἠξίωσαν μαθεῖν· καὶ ἤκουσαν, ὅτι ἄρτι τετελεύτηκεν ὁ Ἀμοῦν. Ἢν γὰρ γνώριμος, διὰ τὸ πυκνότερον αὐτὸν ἐκεῖ παραγίνεσθαι, καὶ πολλὰ καὶ διʼ αὐτοῦ σημεῖα γεγενῆσθαι· ἐξ ὧν ἓν ἐστι τοῦτο· Ποτὲ χρείας γενομένης παρελθεῖν αύτὸν τὸν ποταμὸν τὸν λεγόμενον Λύκον (ἦν δὲ τότε πλημμύρα τῶν ὑδάτων), ἠξίωσε τὸν σὺν αὐτῷ Θεόδωρον μακρὰν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι, ’ίνα μὴ ἀλλήλους ἴδωσι γυμνοὺς, ἐν τῷ διανήχεσθαι τὸ ὕδωρ. Εἶτα ἀπελθόντος τοῦ Θεοδώρου, ᾐσχύνετο πάλιν καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἰδεῖν γυμνόν. Ἕως τοίνυν ᾐσχύνετο, καὶ ἐφρόντιζεν, ἐξαίφνης ἀπηνέχθη εἰς τὸ πέραν. Ὁ οὖν Θεόδωρος, καὶ αὐτὸς ἀνὴρ εὐλαβὴς, ἐγγίσας καὶ ἑωρακὼς αὐτὸν προλαβόντα, καὶ μήθʼ ὅλως ὕδατι βραχὲντα, ἠξίου μαθεῖν τὸν τρόπον τοῦ περάματος. Ὡς δὲ ἑώρα μὴ θέλοντα εἰπεῖν αὐτὸν, διισχυρίζετο, κατἔχων αὖτοῦ τοὺς πόδας, μὴ πρότερον ἐξαφεῖναι, πρὶν ἂν μάθῃ παρʼ αὐτοῦ. Βλέπων τοιγαροῦν ὁ Ἀμοῦν τὸ φιλόνεικον τοῦ Θεοδώρου, μάλιστα καὶ διὰ τὸν λόγον ’ὸν εἶπεν, ἆπῄτησε καὶ αὐτὸς μηδενὶ λέγειν αὐτὸς ἓως θανάτου αὐτοῦʼ καὶ οὕτως ἀπήγγειλε, βεβαστάχθαι καὶ τεθεῖσθαι αὐτὸν εἷς τὸ πέραν· μήτε δὲ περιπεπατηκέναι εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ, μήθʼ ὅλως εἶναι τοῦτο δυνατὸν ἀνθρώποις, εἴ μὴ μόνῳ τῷ κυρίῳ, καὶ οἷς ἂν αὐτὸς ἐπιτρέψῃ, ὡς τῷ μεγάλῳ ἀποστόλῳ Πὲτρῳ πεποίηκεν. Ὁ μὲν οὖν Θεόδωρος μετὰ θάνατον τοῦ Ἀμοῦν διηγήσατο τοῦτοʼ οἱ δὲ μοναχοὶ, οἷς εἶπεν 6 ’Δντώνιος περί τοῦ Θανάτου τοῦ ’Δμοῦν, ἐσημειώσαντο τὴν ἡμέραν· καὶ ἀνελθόντων τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἀπὸ τῆς Νιτρίας μετᾶ τριάκοντα ἡμέρας, ἐπύθοντο, καὶ ἔγνωσαν ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ καὶ τῇ ὥρᾳ κεκοιμῆσθαι τὸν Ἀμοῦν, οὗ τὴν ψυχὴν εἶδεν ἀναφερομένην ὁ γέ-

Kai gar pote palin, kathēmenos en tǭ orei kai anablepsas, eiden en tǭ aeri anagomenon tina, pollēn te tōn apantōntōn ginomenēn tēn charan. Eita thaumazōn kai makarizōn ton toiouton choron, ēucheto mathein, ti an eiē touto. Kai euthys ēlthen autǭ phōnē, tautēn einai tou Amoun tēn psychēn, tou en tę̄ Nitrią monachou. Ēn de houtos heōs gērōs askētēs diameinas. Kai to diastēma di to apo Nitrias heōs tou horous, entha hēn ho Antōnios, hēmerōn esti dekatriōn. Hoi toinyn ontes meta Antōniou, blepontes ton geronta thaumazonta, ēxiōsan mathein; kai ēkousan, hoti arti teteleutēken ho Amoun. Ēn gar gnōrimos, dia to pyknoteron auton ekei paraginesthai, kai polla kai diʼ autou sēmeia gegenēsthai; ex hōn hen esti touto; Pote chreias genomenēs parelthein auton ton potamon ton legomenon Lykon (ēn de tote plēmmyra tōn hydatōn), ēxiōse ton syn autǭ Theodōron makran apʼ autou genesthai, ’ina mē allēlous idōsi gymnous, en tǭ dianēchesthai to hydōr. Eita apelthontos tou Theodōrou, ę̄schyneto palin kai heauton idein gymnon. Heōs toinyn ę̄schyneto, kai ephrontizen, exaiphnēs apēnechthē eis to peran. Ho oun Theodōros, kai autos anēr eulabēs, engisas kai heōrakōs auton prolabonta, kai mēthʼ holōs hydati brachenta, ēxiou mathein ton tropon tou peramatos. Hōs de heōra mē thelonta eipein auton, diischyrizeto, katechōn autou tous podas, mē proteron exapheinai, prin an mathę̄ parʼ autou. Blepōn toigaroun ho Amoun to philoneikon tou Theodōrou, malista kai dia ton logon ’on eipen, apę̄tēse kai autos mēdeni legein autos heōs thanatou autouʼ kai houtōs apēngeile, bebastachthai kai tetheisthai auton heis to peran; mēte de peripepatēkenai eis to hydōr, mēthʼ holōs einai touto dynaton anthrōpois, ei mē monǭ tǭ kyriǭ, kai hois an autos epitrepsę̄, hōs tǭ megalǭ apostolǭ Petrǭ pepoiēken. Ho men oun Theodōros meta thanaton tou Amoun diēgēsato toutoʼ hoi de monachoi, hois eipen 6 ’Dntōnios peri tou Thanatou tou ’Dmoun, esēmeiōsanto tēn hēmeran; kai anelthontōn tōn adelphōn apo tēs Nitrias meta triakonta hēmeras, epythonto, kai egnōsan en ekeinę̄ tę̄ hēmerą kai tę̄ hōrą kekoimēsthai ton Amoun, hou tēn psychēn eiden anapheromenēn ho ge-

Once again, sitting on the mountain and looking up, he saw someone being carried up in the air, and great joy among those who met him. Marveling, and calling such a choir blessed, he prayed to learn what this might be. At once a voice came to him: this was the soul of Amoun, the monk in Nitria. He had persevered as an ascetic until old age. The distance from Nitria to the mountain where Antony was is thirteen days’ journey. Those who were with Antony, seeing the old man marveling, asked to learn what it was, and they heard that Amoun had just died. For he was well known, because he came there quite often, and many signs had been done through him. This is one of them. Once, when he needed to cross the river called Lycus (and the waters were then in flood), he asked Theodore, who was with him, to go far away from him, so that they might not see each other naked while swimming across. Then, when Theodore had gone, he was ashamed again even to see himself naked. While he was ashamed and anxious, he was suddenly carried over to the other side. Theodore, himself a devout man, came near and saw that Amoun had got across first without being wet by the water at all, and asked to learn the manner of the crossing. When he saw that Amoun did not wish to tell, he insisted, holding his feet and saying that he would not let go until he learned it from him. Amoun, then, seeing Theodore’s insistence, especially because of what he had said, demanded in turn that he tell no one until Amoun’s death; and so he told him that he had been carried and set down on the other side; that he had not walked on the water, nor is this possible at all for human beings, except only for the Lord and those to whom he permits it, as he did for the great apostle Peter. Theodore told this after Amoun’s death. The monks to whom Antony had spoken about Amoun’s death noted the day; and when the brothers came up from Nitria thirty days later, they inquired and learned that Amoun had fallen asleep on that day and at that hour at which the old man saw his soul being carried up …

Matt 14:29 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Antony saw the soul of Amoun of Nitria carried to heaven at the hour of his death, thirteen days’ journey away; Amoun had once been carried across a flooded river.

Amoun was the founder of monastic settlement at Nitria, west of the Nile Delta.
The chapter breaks off in the scan (marked “…”).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: 6 for ὁ; OCR: Latin letters; OCR: misread breathing; OCR: misread letter; OCR: misread letters; OCR: stray letter; OCR: word split): ἆέρι → ἀέρι; αὖ· τῷ φωνὴ → αὐτῷ φωνὴ; γεγενῆσθαιο → γεγενῆσθαι·; ﬂore χρείας → Ποτὲ χρείας; ἆηνὲχθη είς τὸ πάραν → ἀπηνέχθη εἰς τὸ πέραν; τε φιλόνεικον → τὸ φιλόνεικον; μάῖιστα → μάλιστα; βεβαστά· χθαι → βεβαστάχθαι; περι, πεπατηκέναι → περιπεπατηκέναι; δυ νατὸν → δυνατὸν; οῖς ἃ αὐτὸς → οἷς ἂν αὐτὸς; ἡμέραψ → ἡμέραν·; ἑν τήν ψυχην → οὗ τὴν ψυχὴν; ἧν 6 Ἀντ → ἧν ὁ Ἀντ; κεν 6 Ἀμο → κεν ὁ Ἀμο; οῦν 6 Ἀμο → οῦν ὁ Ἀμο; νην 6 γέ- → νην ὁ γέ-.

Cite (SBL): Athanasius, V. Ant. 60 (PG 26:929a–932a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-vita-antonii/59/#p-60).

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Chapter 61

61PG 26:932b–932c

Καὶ μὴν καὶ Ἀρχέλαός ποτε ὁ κομης, εὗρων αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ ὅρει τῷ ἔξω, προσεύξασθαι μόνον ἠξίωσεν αὐτὸν περὶ Πολυκρατείας τῆς ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ Θαυμαστῆς καὶ Χριστοφόρου παρθὲνου. Ἐπασχε γὰρ ἐκείνη δεινῶς τὸν στόμαχον καὶ τὸ πλευρὸν ἀπὸ τῆς ἄγαν ἀσκήσεως, καὶ ὅλη ἧν ἀσθενὴς τῷ σώματι. Ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἀντώνιος ηὔχετο· ὁ δὲ κόμης ἐσημειώσατο τὴν ἡμέραν, ἐν ᾗ γέγονεν ἡ εὐχή· καὶ, ἀπελθὼν εἰς τὴν Λαοδίκειαν, εὗρεν ὑγιῆ τήν παρθένον. Πυνθανόμενος δὲ, πότε καὶ ποίᾳ ἡμέρᾳ πέπαυται τῆς ἀσθενείας, προήνεγκε τὸν χάρτην, ἐν ᾧ τὸν χρόνον τῆς εὐχῆς ἔγραψε· καὶ μαθὼν, ἔδειξε καὶ αὐτὸς εὐθὺς τὴν ἐν τῷ χάρτῃ γραφήν· καὶ πάντες ἐθαύμασαν ἐπιγνόντες, ὅτι τότε πὲπαυκεν ὁ Κύριος αὐτὴν τῶν πόνων, ὅτε ἦν εὐχόμενος 6 ’Λντώνιος καὶ παρακαλῶν τήν ἀγαθότητα τοῦ Σωτῆρος περὶ αὐτῆς.

Kai mēn kai Archelaos pote ho komēs, heurōn auton en tǭ horei tǭ exō, proseuxasthai monon ēxiōsen auton peri Polykrateias tēs en Laodikeią Thaumastēs kai Christophorou parthenou. Epasche gar ekeinē deinōs ton stomachon kai to pleuron apo tēs agan askēseōs, kai holē hēn asthenēs tǭ sōmati. Ho men oun Antōnios ēucheto; ho de komēs esēmeiōsato tēn hēmeran, en hę̄ gegonen hē euchē; kai, apelthōn eis tēn Laodikeian, heuren hygiē tēn parthenon. Pynthanomenos de, pote kai poią hēmerą pepautai tēs astheneias, proēnenke ton chartēn, en hǭ ton chronon tēs euchēs egrapse; kai mathōn, edeixe kai autos euthys tēn en tǭ chartę̄ graphēn; kai pantes ethaumasan epignontes, hoti tote pepauken ho Kyrios autēn tōn ponōn, hote ēn euchomenos 6 ’Lntōnios kai parakalōn tēn agathotēta tou Sōtēros peri autēs.

Moreover, Archelaus the count once found him on the outer mountain and asked him simply to pray for Polycratia of Laodicea, an admirable virgin who bore Christ within her. She was suffering terribly in her stomach and side from excessive discipline, and was altogether weak in body. Antony prayed, and the count noted the day on which the prayer was made; and going to Laodicea he found the virgin well. When he asked when and on what day she had been freed from her illness, he brought out the paper on which he had written the time of the prayer; and having learned the day, he at once showed what was written on the paper; and all marveled, recognizing that the Lord had freed her from her pains at the very time when Antony was praying and entreating the Savior’s goodness for her.

Notes and citation

Summary: At the request of Count Archelaus, Antony prayed for the sick virgin Polycratia of Laodicea, who was healed at the very hour of his prayer.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: 6 for ὁ; OCR: Latin letters; OCR: misread letters; OCR: word split): γὲγονεν δεύχήο → γέγονεν ἡ εὐχή·; ei: τὴν Λαοδίκειαν → εἰς τὴν Λαοδίκειαν; παρακαο λῶν → παρακαλῶν; οτε 6 κομ → οτε ὁ κομ; το· 6 δὲ → το· ὁ δὲ ; κεν 6 Κύρ → κεν ὁ Κύρ.

Topics: Prayer

Cite (SBL): Athanasius, V. Ant. 61 (PG 26:932b–932c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-vita-antonii/59/#p-61).

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Chapter 62

62PG 26:932c–932d

Καὶ περῖ τῶν ἐρχομὲνων δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν πολλάκις προέλεγε πρὸ ἡμερῶν, ἦν δὲ ὅτε καὶ πρό μηνὸς, καὶ τήν αἰτίαν, διʼ ἦν ἤρχοντο· οἱ μὶν γὰρ ἕνεκα τοῦ μόνον ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν ἤρχοντο, οἱ δὲ διʼ ἀσθὲνειαν, καὶ ἄλλοι πάσχοντες ὑπὸ δαιμόνων. Καὶ πάντες οὐ σκυλμὸν οὐδὲ ζημίαν ἡγοῦντο τὸν κόπον τῆς ὁδοῦ· ἀνέκαμπτε γὰρ ἕκαστος αἰσθόμενος τῆς ὠφελείας. Τοιαῦτα δὲ λέγων καὶ βλέπων, ἠξίου μηδένα θαυμάζειν αὐτὸν ἐν τούτῳ, ἀλλᾶ μᾶλλον θαυμάζειν τὸν Κύριον, ὅτι ἀνθρώποις ἡμῖν οὖσιν ἐχαρίσατο κατὰ δύναμιν γινώσκειν αὐτόν.

Kai peri tōn erchomenōn de pros auton pollakis proelege pro hēmerōn, ēn de hote kai pro mēnos, kai tēn aitian, diʼ ēn ērchonto; hoi min gar heneka tou monon idein auton ērchonto, hoi de diʼ astheneian, kai alloi paschontes hypo daimonōn. Kai pantes ou skylmon oude zēmian hēgounto ton kopon tēs hodou; anekampte gar hekastos aisthomenos tēs ōpheleias. Toiauta de legōn kai blepōn, ēxiou mēdena thaumazein auton en toutǭ, alla mallon thaumazein ton Kyrion, hoti anthrōpois hēmin ousin echarisato kata dynamin ginōskein auton.

He also often foretold, days beforehand, and sometimes even a month before, who was coming to him and why: some came only to see him, others because of illness, and others suffering from demons. And none of them regarded the labor of the journey as a trouble or a loss; for each went back having felt the benefit. Though he said and saw such things, he asked that no one should admire him for this, but rather admire the Lord, who has granted to us, who are human beings, to know him according to our capacity.

Notes and citation

Summary: Antony foreknew who was coming to him and why, but asked that the Lord, not he, be admired for it.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: misread letter; OCR: misread letters; OCR: stray mark; OCR: word split): πο) λάκις → πολλάκις; ἤρχοντω → ἤρχοντο·; γὲιρ → γὰρ; Γοιαῦτα → Τοιαῦτα; ἐν τούτῳ) → ἐν τούτῳ,; Ξύναμιν → δύναμιν.

Cite (SBL): Athanasius, V. Ant. 62 (PG 26:932c–932d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-vita-antonii/59/#p-62).

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Chapter 63

63PG 26:933a–933b

Κατελθὼν δέ ποτε πάλιν εἷς τὰ ἔξω μοναστήρια, καὶ ἀξιωθεὶς εἷς πλοῖον εἲσελθεῖν, καὶ εὔξασθαι μετὰ μοναχῶν, μόνος αὐτὸς ἀντελάβετο δεινῆς δυσωδίας καὶ πάνυ πικρᾶς. Τῶν δὲ ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ λεγόντων, ἰχθὺν εἶναι καὶ τάριχον ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ, καὶ τούτων εἶναι τὴν ὀσμὴν, αὐτὸς ἄλλην ἔλεγεν εἶναι τήν δυσωδίαν· ἔτι δὶ αὐτοῦ λὲγοντος, νεώτερός τις ἔχων δαίμονα, ὃς προεισελθὼν ἐκρύπτετο ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ, εὐθὺς ἀνέκραξεν. Ἐπιτιμηθεὶς δὲ ὁ δαίμων ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐξῆλθε· καὶ ὁ μὶν ἅνθρωπος γέγονεν ὑγιής· πάντες δὲ ἔγνωσαν, ὅτι τοῦ δαίμονος ἦν ἡ δυσωδία.

Katelthōn de pote palin heis ta exō monastēria, kai axiōtheis heis ploion eiselthein, kai euxasthai meta monachōn, monos autos antelabeto deinēs dysōdias kai pany pikras. Tōn de en tǭ ploiǭ legontōn, ichthyn einai kai tarichon en tǭ ploiǭ, kai toutōn einai tēn osmēn, autos allēn elegen einai tēn dysōdian; eti di autou legontos, neōteros tis echōn daimona, hos proeiselthōn ekrypteto en tǭ ploiǭ, euthys anekraxen. Epitimētheis de ho daimōn en tǭ onomati tou Kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Christou, exēlthe; kai ho min hanthrōpos gegonen hygiēs; pantes de egnōsan, hoti tou daimonos ēn hē dysōdia.

Once, when he went down again to the outer monasteries and was asked to go aboard a boat and pray with some monks, he alone perceived a terrible and very bitter stench. When those in the boat said that there was fish and salted meat aboard and that the smell came from these, he said that the stench was something else. While he was still speaking, a young man who had a demon, and who had come aboard earlier and was hiding in the boat, at once cried out. The demon was rebuked in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and came out; the man was made well, and all knew that the stench had been the demon’s.

Mark 1:23–26 (echo, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: On a boat Antony smelled a stench no one else noticed, which proved to come from a demon hidden in a young man; he cast it out in Christ’s name.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: 6 for ὁ; OCR: Latin letters; OCR: misread letter; OCR: misread letters; OCR: stray letter; OCR: words joined): πικρᾶς.Τῶν → πικρᾶς. Τῶν; δυσωδίαψ → δυσωδίαν·; Kuρίου → Κυρίου; ἐξῆλοεο → ἐξῆλθε·; ὑγιήςο → ὑγιής·; δὲ 6 δαί → δὲ ὁ δαί; καὶ 6 μὶν → καὶ ὁ μὶν.

Cite (SBL): Athanasius, V. Ant. 63 (PG 26:933a–933b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-vita-antonii/59/#p-63).

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Chapter 64

64PG 26:933b–933d

Καὶ ἄλλος δέ τις τῶν ἐπιφανῶν ἦλθεν ἔχων δαίμονα πρὸς αὐτόν. Ἦν δὲ ὁ δαίμων ἐκεῖνος οὕτω δεινὸς, ὡς τὸν ἐνεργούμενον μὴ γινώσκειν, εἷ πρὸς Ἀντώνιον ᾖεν ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ τὰ περιττὰ κατήσθιεν. Οἱ μὲν οὖν ἀγαγόντες αὐτὸν, παρεκάλουν τὸν Ἀντώνιον εὔξασθαι ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ· ὁ δὲ Ἀντώνιος συμπαθὼν τῷ νεανίσκῳ, ηὔχετο· καὶ τὴν νύκτα πᾶσαν συνηγρὺπνησεν αὐτῷ. Καὶ ὁ μὲν νεανίσκος, ἐξαίφνης ἐπελθὼν τῷ Ἀντωνίῳ περὶ τήν ἓω, ὥθησεν αὐτόνʼ τῶν δὲ σὺν ἐκείνῳ ἐλθόντων ἀγανακτούντων, ἔφη ὁ Ἀντώνιος” Μὴ χαλεπαίνετε τῷ νεανίσκῳ· οὐ γὰρ αὐτός ἐστιν, ἀλλʼ ὁ ἐν αὐτῷ δαίμων· ἐπιτιμηθεὶς δέ, καὶ κελευσθεὶς ἐλασθῆναι εἷς ἀνύδρους τόπους, ἐμάνη, καὶ τοῦτο πεποίηκε. Δοξάζετε οὖν τὸν Κύριον· τὸ γὰρ οὕτως αὐτὸν ὁρμῆσαι κατʼ ἐμοῦ σημεῖον ὑμῖν γέγονε τῆς τοῦ δαίμονος ἐξόδου. Ταῦτα τοῦ Ἀντωνίου εἰπόντος, εὐθὺς ὁ νεανίσκος γέγονεν ὑγιής· καὶ λοιπὸν σωφρονήσας, ἔγνω, ὅπου τε ἦν, καὶ κατησπάζετο τὸν γέροντα εὐχαριστῶν τῷ Θεῷ.

Kai allos de tis tōn epiphanōn ēlthen echōn daimona pros auton. Ēn de ho daimōn ekeinos houtō deinos, hōs ton energoumenon mē ginōskein, hei pros Antōnion ę̄en alla kai tou sōmatos autou ta peritta katēsthien. Hoi men oun agagontes auton, parekaloun ton Antōnion euxasthai hyper autou; ho de Antōnios sympathōn tǭ neaniskǭ, ēucheto; kai tēn nykta pasan synēgrypnēsen autǭ. Kai ho men neaniskos, exaiphnēs epelthōn tǭ Antōniǭ peri tēn heō, hōthēsen autonʼ tōn de syn ekeinǭ elthontōn aganaktountōn, ephē ho Antōnios” Mē chalepainete tǭ neaniskǭ; ou gar autos estin, allʼ ho en autǭ daimōn; epitimētheis de, kai keleustheis elasthēnai heis anydrous topous, emanē, kai touto pepoiēke. Doxazete oun ton Kyrion; to gar houtōs auton hormēsai katʼ emou sēmeion hymin gegone tēs tou daimonos exodou. Tauta tou Antōniou eipontos, euthys ho neaniskos gegonen hygiēs; kai loipon sōphronēsas, egnō, hopou te ēn, kai katēspazeto ton geronta eucharistōn tǭ Theǭ.

Another man, one of the notables, came to him with a demon. That demon was so terrible that the possessed man did not know that he was going to Antony; he even ate the excrement of his own body. Those who brought him begged Antony to pray for him; and Antony, feeling compassion for the young man, prayed and kept vigil with him the whole night. Toward dawn the young man suddenly attacked Antony and pushed him; and when those who had come with him were indignant, Antony said: ‘Do not be angry with the young man; for it is not he, but the demon in him. Rebuked and commanded to be driven into waterless places, it went mad and did this. So glorify the Lord; for his rushing at me in this way has become a sign to you that the demon has gone out.’ When Antony had said this, at once the young man was made well; and coming to his senses he knew where he was, and he embraced the old man, giving thanks to God.

Matt 12:43 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: A violently possessed young nobleman attacked Antony at dawn after a night of prayer, which Antony recognized as the sign that the demon had left him.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: 6 for ὁ; OCR: Latin letters; OCR: lost letter; OCR: misread letters; OCR: misread marks; OCR: stray letter; OCR: word split, misread letters): ἰκεῑνος → ἐκεῖνος; αἶ)τοῦ τὰ τεριττᾶ → αὐτοῦ τὰ περιττὰ; Ol μὲν οὗν → Οἱ μὲν οὖν; ηὔχετοο → ηὔχετο·; νεαινί σκιρσ → νεανίσκῳ·; ἆλλ·ὁ ἐν αὐτῴ δαίμωνο → ἀλλʼ ὁ ἐν αὐτῷ δαίμων·; ἐλαθῆναι → ἐλασθῆναι; πεποίηκει Δοξάζετε → πεποίηκε. Δοξάζετε; Κύριονο τὸ γὰρ → Κύριον· τὸ γὰρ; δὲ 6 δαί → δὲ ὁ δαί; οῦ· 6 δὲ → οῦ· ὁ δὲ ; Καὶ 6 μὲν → Καὶ ὁ μὲν; ἔφη 6 Ἀντ → ἔφη ὁ Ἀντ; θὺς 6 νεα → θὺς ὁ νεα.

Cite (SBL): Athanasius, V. Ant. 64 (PG 26:933b–933d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-vita-antonii/59/#p-64).

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Chapter 65

65PG 26:933d–936d

Πολλά τε ἄλλα τοιαῦτα συμφώνως καὶ ὁμαλῶς εἰρήκασι περὶ αὐτοῦ πλεῖστοι τῶν μοναχῶν διʼ αὐτοῦ γεγενῆσθαι. Οὐκ ἔτι δὲ ταῦτα θαυμαστὰ τοσοῦτον, ὅσον τὰ ἄλλα θαυμασιώτερα μᾶλλον φαίνεται. Μέλλων γὰρ ἐσθίειν ποτὲ, καὶ ἄναστὰς εὔξασθαι περὶ τὴν ἐννάτῃν ὥραν, ᾔσθετο ἑαυτὸν ἁρπαγέντα τῇ διανοίᾳ· καὶ, τὸ παράδοξον, ἑστὼς ἔβλεπεν ἑαυτὸν ὥσπερ ἔξωθεν ἑαυτοῦ γινόμενον, καὶ ὡς εἷς τὸν ἀέρα ὁδηγούμενον ὑπό τινων· εἶτα πικροὺς καὶ δεινούς τινας ἑστῶτας ἐν τῷ ἀέρι καὶ θέλοντας αὐτὸν κωλῦσαι ὥστε μὴ διαβῆναι. Τῶν δὲ ὁδηγοῦντων ἀντιμαχομὲνων, ἀπῄτουν ἐκεῖνοι λόγον, εἱ μὴ ὑπεύθυνος αὐτοῖς εἶή. Θελόντων τοίνυν συνᾶραι λόγον ἀπὸ τῆς γεννήσεως αὐτοῦ, ἐκώλυον οἱ τὸν Ἀντώνιον ὁδηγοῦντες, λέγοντες ἐκείνοις Τὰ μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς γεννήσεως αὖτοῦ ὁ Κύριος ἀπήλειψεν· ἐξ οὗ δὶ γέγονε μοναχὸς, καὶ ἐπηγγείλατο τῷ Θεῷ, ἔξεστι λόγον ποιῆσαι. Τότε κατηγορούντων, καὶ μὴ ἐλεγχόντων, ἐλευθέρα γέγονεν αὐτῷ καὶ ἀκώλυτος ἡ ὁδὸς· καὶ εὐθὺς εἶδεν ἑαυτὸν ὣσπερ ἐρχόμενον καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν Eetion, καὶ πάλιν ἦν ὅλως Ἀντώνιος. Τότε τοῦ μὶν φαγεῖν αὐτὸς ἐπιλαθόμενος, ἔμεινε τὸ λοιπὸν τῆς ἡμέρας καὶ διʼ ὅλης τῆς νυκτὸς στενάζων καὶ εὐχόμενος. Εθαύμαζε γὰρ βλέπων πρὸς πόσους ἡμῖν ἐστιν ἢ πάλη, καὶ διὰ πόσων πόνων ἔχει τις διαβῆναι τὸν ἀέρα· καὶ ἐμνημόνευεν, ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστιν ὃ ἔλεγεν ὁ Ἀπόστολος. Κατᾶ τὸν ἄρχοντα τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος. Ἐν τούτῳ γὰρ ὁ ἐχθρὸς ἔχει τήν ἐξουσίαν, ἐν τῷ μάχεσθαι καὶ πειράζειν διακωλύειν τοὺς διερχομένους. Διʼ ’ὀ καὶ μάλιστα παρῄνει· Ἀναλάβετε τὴν πανοπλίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ’ἱνα δυνηθῆτε ἀντιστῆναι ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ πονηρᾷ· ἵνα μηδὲν ἔχων λέγειν περὶ ἡμῶν φαῦλον ὁ ἐχθρὸς καταισχυνθῇ. Ἡμεῖς δὲ, τοῦτο μαθόντες, μνημονεύωμεν τοῦ Ἀποστόλου λέγοντος· Εἴτε ἐν σώματι, οὐκ οῗδα εἴτε ἐκτὸς τοῦ σώματος, οὐκ οἶδα· 6 Θεὸς οἶδεν. Ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν Παῦλος ἓως τρίτου οὐρανοῦ ἡρπάγη, καὶ ἀκούσας ἄρρητα ῥήματα κατῆλθεν· ὁ δὲ ’Λντώνιος ἓως τοῦ ἀέρος ἑαυτὸν εἶδε φθάσαντα, καὶ ἀγωνισάμενον ἓως ἐλεύθερος φανῇ·

Polla te alla toiauta symphōnōs kai homalōs eirēkasi peri autou pleistoi tōn monachōn diʼ autou gegenēsthai. Ouk eti de tauta thaumasta tosouton, hoson ta alla thaumasiōtera mallon phainetai. Mellōn gar esthiein pote, kai anastas euxasthai peri tēn ennatę̄n hōran, ę̄stheto heauton harpagenta tę̄ dianoią; kai, to paradoxon, hestōs eblepen heauton hōsper exōthen heautou ginomenon, kai hōs heis ton aera hodēgoumenon hypo tinōn; eita pikrous kai deinous tinas hestōtas en tǭ aeri kai thelontas auton kōlysai hōste mē diabēnai. Tōn de hodēgountōn antimachomenōn, apę̄toun ekeinoi logon, hei mē hypeuthynos autois eiē. Thelontōn toinyn synarai logon apo tēs gennēseōs autou, ekōlyon hoi ton Antōnion hodēgountes, legontes ekeinois Ta men apo tēs gennēseōs autou ho Kyrios apēleipsen; ex hou di gegone monachos, kai epēngeilato tǭ Theǭ, exesti logon poiēsai. Tote katēgorountōn, kai mē elenchontōn, eleuthera gegonen autǭ kai akōlytos hē hodos; kai euthys eiden heauton hōsper erchomenon kai pros heauton Eetion, kai palin ēn holōs Antōnios. Tote tou min phagein autos epilathomenos, emeine to loipon tēs hēmeras kai diʼ holēs tēs nyktos stenazōn kai euchomenos. Ethaumaze gar blepōn pros posous hēmin estin ē palē, kai dia posōn ponōn echei tis diabēnai ton aera; kai emnēmoneuen, hoti touto estin ho elegen ho Apostolos. Kata ton archonta tēs exousias tou aeros. En toutǭ gar ho echthros echei tēn exousian, en tǭ machesthai kai peirazein diakōlyein tous dierchomenous. Diʼ ’o kai malista parę̄nei; Analabete tēn panoplian tou Theou, ’hina dynēthēte antistēnai en tę̄ hēmerą tę̄ ponērą; hina mēden echōn legein peri hēmōn phaulon ho echthros kataischynthę̄. Hēmeis de, touto mathontes, mnēmoneuōmen tou Apostolou legontos; Eite en sōmati, ouk oïda eite ektos tou sōmatos, ouk oida; 6 Theos oiden. Allʼ ho men Paulos heōs tritou ouranou hērpagē, kai akousas arrēta rhēmata katēlthen; ho de ’Lntōnios heōs tou aeros heauton eide phthasanta, kai agōnisamenon heōs eleutheros phanę̄;

Many other such things, consistently and in agreement, most of the monks have told of as having been done through him. Yet these do not seem so wonderful as other things, which appear more wonderful still. Once, when he was about to eat and had risen to pray about the ninth hour, he felt himself caught up in his mind; and, strangest of all, as he stood he saw himself as though he were outside himself and being led up into the air by certain beings. Then he saw some bitter and terrible beings standing in the air and wishing to hinder him from passing through. When his guides resisted them, they demanded an account, to see whether he was answerable to them. When they wished to reckon up an account from his birth, Antony’s guides prevented them, saying to them: ‘What dates from his birth the Lord has wiped out; but from the time he became a monk and made his promise to God, you may make an account.’ Then, as they accused him but could prove nothing, the way became free and unhindered for him; and at once he saw himself as though coming back and returning to himself, and he was wholly Antony again. Then, forgetting to eat, he spent the rest of the day and the whole night groaning and praying. For he marveled to see against how many our wrestling is, and through what labors one must pass through the air; and he remembered that this is what the Apostle said: ‘according to the ruler of the authority of the air.’ For in this lies the enemy’s authority: in fighting and trying to hinder those who pass through. That is why the Apostle especially exhorted: ‘Take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand in the evil day,’ so that the enemy, having nothing evil to say about us, may be put to shame. And we, having learned this, let us remember the Apostle, who says: ‘Whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know; God knows.’ But Paul was caught up as far as the third heaven, and came down having heard unspeakable words; while Antony saw himself reach the air and struggle until he was shown to be free.

Eph 2:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 6:12 (allusion, medium confidence) · Eph 6:13 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 12:2–4 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: In a vision Antony was led up through the air, where hostile powers demanded an account of his life since he became a monk, but could prove nothing against him.

The vision reflects the belief that souls pass through hostile powers in the air after death; it is translated as written. The phrase describing his return to himself is garbled in the scan and translated by sense.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: 6 for ὁ; OCR: Latin letters; OCR: lost letter; OCR: misread ending; OCR: misread letter; OCR: misread letters; OCR: misread letters, words joined; OCR: stray letter; OCR: words joined, misread letter): [Ιολλᾶ τε ἄλλατοιαῦτα → Πολλά τε ἄλλα τοιαῦτα; Θαυματῖᾶ → θαυμαστὰ; θαυμασιυότεόα → θαυμασιώτερα; hau. τοῦ γινόμενον → ἑαυτοῦ γινόμενον; ὁδηγούμενοι] → ὁδηγούμενον; ἐξ· ἑστω → ἔξεστι; κατηγορούτων → κατηγορούντων; ἡ ὁὲὸς → ἡ ὁδὸς; ’πόσον πόνων → πόσων πόνων; 6 ἰχθρὸς → ὁ ἐχθρὸς; παρῄνειδΑναλάὅετε → παρῄνει· Ἀναλάβετε; ἀντιστῆνα → ἀντιστῆναι; ΕῨτε → Εἴτε; οὐκ οἶδαο → οὐκ οἶδα·; ρήμαεα → ῥήματα; τοῦ 6 Κύρ → τοῦ ὁ Κύρ; λον 6 ἐχθ → λον ὁ ἐχθ; λλʼ 6 μὲν → λλʼ ὁ μὲν; εν· 6 δὲ → εν· ὁ δὲ .

Topics: Eschatology

Cite (SBL): Athanasius, V. Ant. 65 (PG 26:933d–936d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-vita-antonii/59/#p-65).

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Chapter 66

66PG 26:936d–937c

Εἶχε δὲ καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν χάρισμα. Ἐν γὰρ τῷ ὄρει κατᾶ μόνας καθήμενος, εἷʼ ποτὲ τι πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ζητῶν ἠπόρει, τοῦτο αὐτῷ παρά τῆς Προνοίας εὖχομὲνῳ ἀπεκαλύπτετο. Καὶ ἦν, κατᾶ τὸ γεγραμμένον, Θεοδιδακτος γενόμενος ὁ μακάριος. Μετᾶ ταῦτα γοῦν διαλέξεως αὐτῷ ποτε γενομένης πρός τινας εἰσελθόντας πρὸς αὐτὸν, περὶ τῆς διαγωγῆς τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ ποῖος μετὰ ταῦτα αὐτῇ τόπος ἔσται, τῇ ἑξῆς νυκτὶ καλεῖ τις αὑτὸν ἄνωθεν, λέγων· Ἀντώνιε, ἀναστὰς ἔξελθε, καὶ βλέπε. Ἐξελθὼν τοίνυν, (ᾔδει γάρ τίσιν ὑπακούειν ὀφείλει) καὶ ἐθεώρησέ τινα μακρὸν ἀναβλέψας, ἀειδῆ καὶ φοβερὸν, ἑστῶτα καὶ φθάνοντα μέχρι τῶν νεφελῶν, καὶ ἀναβαίνοντας τινας ὥσπερ ἐπτερωμένους· κάκεῖνον ἐκτείνοντα τὰς χεῖρας· καὶ τοὺς μὲν κωλυομένους παρʼ αὑτοῦ, τοὺς δὲ ὑπεριπταμένους, καὶ διελθόντας λοιπὸν, ἀμερίμνως ἀνάγεσθαι. Ἐπὶ μὲν οὖν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἔτριζε τοὺς ὀδόντας ὁ μακρὸς ἐκεῖνος· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῖς ἀποπίπτουσιν, ἔχαιρε. Καὶ εὐθὺς πρὸς ’Λντώνιον ἐγένετο φωνή · Νόει τὸ βλεπόμενον· καὶ διανοιχθείσης αὐτοῦ τῆς διανοίας, ἐνενόει τῶν ψυχῶν εἶναι τὴν πάροδον, καὶ τὸν ἑστῶτα μακρὸν εἶναι τὸν ἐχθρὸν τὸν φθονοῦντα τοῖς πιστοῖς· καὶ τοὺς μὶν ὑπευθύνους αὑτῷ κρατοῦντα καὶ κωλύοντα διελθεῖν, τοὺς δέ μή πεισθέντας αὐτῷ μή δυνάμενον κρατεῖν ὡς ὑπερβαίνοντας. Τοῦτο πάλιν ἑωρακὼς, καὶ ὥσπερ ὑπομιμνησκόμενος, μαλλον ἠγωνίζετο προκόπτειν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν καθʼ ἡμέραν. Ταῦτα δὲ οὐχ ἑκὼν ἀπήγγελλεν αὐτός· ἐν δὲ τῷ χρονίζειν ἐν ταῖς εὐχαῖς καὶ καθʼ ἑαυτὸν θαυμάζειν, πυνθανομένων τῶν συνόντων καὶ θλιβόντων αὑτὸν, ἠναγκάζετο λέγειν, ὡς πατὴρ οὐ δυνάμενος κρύπτειν τοῖς τέκνοις· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡγούμενος, ὅτι τὸ μέν αὐτοῦ συνειδός ἐστι καθαρὸν, ἐκείνοις δὲ τὸ διήγημα γίνεται πρὸς ὠφέλειαν, μανθάνουσι τῆς ἀσκήσεως εἶναι καρπὸν ἀγαθὸν, τῶν τε πόνων πολλάκις παραμύθιον γίνεσθαι τὰς ὀπτασίας.

Eiche de kai touto palin charisma. En gar tǭ orei kata monas kathēmenos, heiʼ pote ti pros heauton zētōn ēporei, touto autǭ para tēs Pronoias euchomenǭ apekalypteto. Kai ēn, kata to gegrammenon, Theodidaktos genomenos ho makarios. Meta tauta goun dialexeōs autǭ pote genomenēs pros tinas eiselthontas pros auton, peri tēs diagōgēs tēs psychēs, kai poios meta tauta autę̄ topos estai, tę̄ hexēs nykti kalei tis hauton anōthen, legōn; Antōnie, anastas exelthe, kai blepe. Exelthōn toinyn, (ę̄dei gar tisin hypakouein opheilei) kai etheōrēse tina makron anablepsas, aeidē kai phoberon, hestōta kai phthanonta mechri tōn nephelōn, kai anabainontas tinas hōsper epterōmenous; kakeinon ekteinonta tas cheiras; kai tous men kōlyomenous parʼ hautou, tous de hyperiptamenous, kai dielthontas loipon, amerimnōs anagesthai. Epi men oun tois toioutois etrize tous odontas ho makros ekeinos; epi de tois apopiptousin, echaire. Kai euthys pros ’Lntōnion egeneto phōnē ; Noei to blepomenon; kai dianoichtheisēs autou tēs dianoias, enenoei tōn psychōn einai tēn parodon, kai ton hestōta makron einai ton echthron ton phthonounta tois pistois; kai tous min hypeuthynous hautǭ kratounta kai kōlyonta dielthein, tous de mē peisthentas autǭ mē dynamenon kratein hōs hyperbainontas. Touto palin heōrakōs, kai hōsper hypomimnēskomenos, mallon ēgōnizeto prokoptein tois emprosthen kathʼ hēmeran. Tauta de ouch hekōn apēngellen autos; en de tǭ chronizein en tais euchais kai kathʼ heauton thaumazein, pynthanomenōn tōn synontōn kai thlibontōn hauton, ēnankazeto legein, hōs patēr ou dynamenos kryptein tois teknois; alla kai hēgoumenos, hoti to men autou syneidos esti katharon, ekeinois de to diēgēma ginetai pros ōpheleian, manthanousi tēs askēseōs einai karpon agathon, tōn te ponōn pollakis paramythion ginesthai tas optasias.

He also had this further gift. Sitting alone on the mountain, if ever he was at a loss in seeking something by himself, it was revealed to him by Providence as he prayed; and the blessed man was, as it is written, taught by God. Later, at any rate, when he once had a discussion with some who had come to him about the passage of the soul and what place it will have after this life, the following night someone called him from above, saying: ‘Antony, get up, go out, and look.’ So he went out (for he knew whom he ought to obey), and looking up he saw a tall figure, misshapen and frightful, standing and reaching to the clouds, and some beings ascending as if they had wings; and that figure was stretching out his hands; some were stopped by him, while others flew over him and, having passed through, were carried up thereafter without care. At these the tall figure gnashed his teeth, but over those who fell back he rejoiced. At once a voice came to Antony: ‘Understand what you see.’ And his understanding was opened, and he understood that this was the passage of souls, and that the tall figure standing there was the enemy who envies the faithful: he seizes those who are answerable to him and prevents them from passing, but cannot seize those who have not obeyed him, as they pass beyond. Having seen this, and being as it were reminded, he strove all the more each day to advance toward what lies ahead. He did not tell these things willingly; but when he spent long in prayer and marveled to himself, and those with him questioned and pressed him, he was compelled to speak, as a father who cannot hide things from his children. He also thought that his own conscience was pure, while the account would benefit them, as they learned that the fruit of the ascetic life is good, and that visions often come as a consolation for its labors.

1 Thess 4:9 (allusion, medium confidence) · Phil 3:13 (allusion, medium confidence) · Luke 24:45 (echo, low confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: In another vision Antony saw souls ascending past a giant figure, the enemy, who seized those subject to him while the faithful passed beyond; he told such things only when pressed, for others’ benefit.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: 6 for ὁ; OCR: Latin letters; OCR: misread accents; OCR: misread case; OCR: misread letter; OCR: noise characters and lost accents; OCR: stray letter): 6‘s xxi → δὲ καὶ; τρὸς ἑαυτὸν → πρὸς ἑαυτὸν; ἁπεκαλῦπτετο → ἀπεκαλύπτετο; είσςλθόντας → εἰσελθόντας; ἔξεΛθε → ἔξελθε; ὀφείλειο) → ὀφείλει); έοεώρησέ → ἐθεώρησέ; ί κ ’Υ υ Ι Ἰ \ ON! Ἐπι μεν ουν τοις τοιουτοις ετριζε τους οοοντας → Ἐπὶ μὲν οὖν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἔτριζε τοὺς ὀδόντας; διανοιχοείσης → διανοιχθείσης; ὑπευθόνους → ὑπευθύνους; πεισσέντας → πεισθέντας; σόνειδός → συνειδός; νος 6 μακ → νος ὁ μακ.

Topics: Eschatology

Cite (SBL): Athanasius, V. Ant. 66 (PG 26:936d–937c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-vita-antonii/59/#p-66).

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Chapter 67

67PG 26:937d–940b

Πρὸς δὲ καὶ τὸ ἦθος ἀνεξίκακος ἦν, καὶ τήν ψυχὴν ταπεινόφρων· τοιοῦτος γάρ ὢν, τόν τε κανόνα τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ὑπερφυῶς ἐτίμα, καὶ πάντα κληρικὸν τῇ τιμῇ προηγεῖσθαι ἤθελεν ἑαυτοῦ. Τοῖς μὶν γὰρ ἐπισκόποις καὶ πρεσβυτέροις οὐκ ᾐδεῖτο κλῖναι τὴν κεφαλήν· διάκονος δὲ εἷʼ ποτε πρὸς αὐτόν ὠφελείας χάριν ἀπήντα, τὰ μὶν πρὸς ὠφέλειαν διελέγετο· τά δὲ τῆς εὐχῆς αὑτῷ παρεχώρει, οὐκ αἰδούμενος μανθάνειν καί αὐτός. Καὶ γὰρ πολλάκις ἐπυνθάνετο, καὶ ἠξίου παρᾶ τῶν συνοντῶν ἀκούειν· καὶ ὡμολόγει ὥφελεῖσθαι, εἴ τι χρήσιμόν τις ἔλεγε. Καὶ μὴν καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ χάριν εἶχε πολλὴν καὶ παράδοξον. Εἶχε δὶ καὶ τοῦτο τὸ χάρισμα παρᾶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος· εἰ γὰρ μετὰ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν μοναχῶν παρῆν, καὶ τοῦτον ἰδεῖν τις ἐβούλετο μὴ πρότερον γινώσκων, προσελθὼν εὐθὺς, τοὺς μὶν ἄλλους ὑπερέβαινε, πρὸς αὐτὸν δὶ ἔτρεχεν, ὡς ὑπὸ τῶν ὄψεων αὐτοῦ ἑλκόμενος. Οὐχ ὕψει δὲ, ούδὶ τῷ πλάτει διέφερε τῶν ἄλλων, ἀλλὰ τῇ τῶν ἠθῶν καταστάσει, καὶ τῇ τῆς ψυχῆς καθαρότητι. Ἀθορύβου γὰρ οὔσης τῆς ψυχῆς, ἀταράχους εἶχε καὶ τὰς ἔξωθεν αἰσθήσεις· ὡς ἀπὸ τῆς χαρᾶς τῆς ψυχῆς ἱλαρὸν ἔχειν καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν τοῦ σώματος κινημάτων αἰσθέσθαι καὶ νοεῖν τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς κατάστασιν, κατᾶ τὸ γεγραμμένον· Καρδίας εύφραινομὲνης, θάλλει πρόσωπον ἐν δὲ λύπαις οὔσης, σκυθρωπάζει. οὕτως Ἰακὼβ ἐπέγνω τὸν Λάβαν ἐπιβουλὴν ἐνθυμούμενον, καί φησι πρὸς τὰς γυναῖκας· Οὐκ ἔστι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν ὡς χθὲς καὶ τρίτην ἡμέραν οὕτως ὁ Σαμουὴλ ἒπὲγνω τὸν Δαβίδ· χαροποιοὺς γὰρ εἶχε τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, καὶ τοὺς ὀδόντας ὡς γάλα λευκούς.

Pros de kai to ēthos anexikakos ēn, kai tēn psychēn tapeinophrōn; toioutos gar ōn, ton te kanona tēs Ekklēsias hyperphyōs etima, kai panta klērikon tę̄ timę̄ proēgeisthai ēthelen heautou. Tois min gar episkopois kai presbyterois ouk ę̄deito klinai tēn kephalēn; diakonos de heiʼ pote pros auton ōpheleias charin apēnta, ta min pros ōpheleian dielegeto; ta de tēs euchēs hautǭ parechōrei, ouk aidoumenos manthanein kai autos. Kai gar pollakis epynthaneto, kai ēxiou para tōn synontōn akouein; kai hōmologei hōpheleisthai, ei ti chrēsimon tis elege. Kai mēn kai to prosōpon autou charin eiche pollēn kai paradoxon. Eiche di kai touto to charisma para tou Sōtēros; ei gar meta tou plēthous tōn monachōn parēn, kai touton idein tis ebouleto mē proteron ginōskōn, proselthōn euthys, tous min allous hyperebaine, pros auton di etrechen, hōs hypo tōn opseōn autou helkomenos. Ouch hypsei de, oudi tǭ platei diephere tōn allōn, alla tę̄ tōn ēthōn katastasei, kai tę̄ tēs psychēs katharotēti. Athorybou gar ousēs tēs psychēs, atarachous eiche kai tas exōthen aisthēseis; hōs apo tēs charas tēs psychēs hilaron echein kai to prosōpon, kai apo tōn tou sōmatos kinēmatōn aisthesthai kai noein tēn tēs psychēs katastasin, kata to gegrammenon; Kardias euphrainomenēs, thallei prosōpon en de lypais ousēs, skythrōpazei. houtōs Iakōb epegnō ton Laban epiboulēn enthymoumenon, kai phēsi pros tas gynaikas; Ouk esti to prosōpon tou patros hēmōn hōs chthes kai tritēn hēmeran houtōs ho Samouēl epegnō ton Dabid; charopoious gar eiche tous ophthalmous, kai tous odontas hōs gala leukous.

Moreover, he was forbearing in character and humble in soul. Being such, he honored the rule of the church exceedingly, and wished every cleric to be given precedence over himself in honor. He was not ashamed to bow his head to bishops and presbyters; and if ever a deacon came to him for help, he discussed with him what would benefit him, but gave place to him in prayer, not ashamed to learn himself as well. For he often asked questions and sought to hear from those who were with him, and he admitted that he was helped if anyone said something useful. His face, too, had great and remarkable grace. He had this gift also from the Savior: if he was present among the crowd of monks, and someone who did not know him before wished to see him, that person would come forward and at once pass by the others and run to Antony, as though drawn by his appearance. He did not differ from the others in height or breadth, but in the settled state of his character and the purity of his soul. For since his soul was untroubled, his outward senses were also undisturbed, so that from the joy of his soul his face too was cheerful, and from the movements of his body one could perceive and understand the state of his soul, as it is written: ‘When the heart is glad, the face flourishes; but when it is in grief, it is gloomy.’ So Jacob recognized that Laban was plotting, and said to his wives: ‘Your father’s face is not toward me as it was yesterday and the day before’; so Samuel recognized David, for he had joyful eyes and teeth white as milk. …

Prov 15:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 31:5 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 16:12 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 49:12 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Antony honored the clergy, deferring even to deacons, was eager to learn, and had a face so radiant with inner peace that strangers recognized him at once among the monks.

Prov 15:13 is quoted in the Septuagint form; the description of David blends 1 Sam 16:12 with Gen 49:12.
The chapter seems to end with a lost line in the scan (marked “…”).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: misread letter; OCR: misread letters; OCR: stray letter; OCR: word split): Ἐκκληςίας → Ἐκκλησίας; διάκενος → διάκονος; παράο δοξον → παράδοξον; εξ γὰρ → εἰ γὰρ; ὑπερίβαινε → ὑπερέβαινε; ἳτρεχεν → ἔτρεχεν; ἅλ).ων,ἆλλᾶ → ἄλλων, ἀλλὰ; καθαράτητι → καθαρότητι; αἰσθήσειςο → αἰσθήσεις·; αἷσθίσθαι → αἰσθέσθαι; λύπαις Β οῧσης → λύπαις οὔσης; Ἰακὼῦ ἒπὲγνω τὸν Λὰβχν → Ἰακὼβ ἐπέγνω τὸν Λάβαν; Δαβίᾶ χαροποιοὺς → Δαβίδ· χαροποιοὺς.

Topics: Church office

Cite (SBL): Athanasius, V. Ant. 67 (PG 26:937d–940b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-vita-antonii/59/#p-67).

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Chapter 68

68PG 26:940b–941a

Καὶ τά πίστει δὶ πάνυ θαυμαστὸς ἦν καὶ εὑσεβής. Οὔτε γὰρ Μελετιανοῖς τοῖς σχισματικοῖς ποτε κεκοινώνηκεν, εῗδὼς αύτῶν τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς πονηρίαν καῑ ἀποστασίαν· οὔτε Μανιχαίοις, ἢ ἄλλοις τισὶν αἱρετικοῖς ὡμίλησε φιλικὰ, ἢ μόνον ἄχρι νουθεσίας τῆς εἶς εὐσέβειαν μεταβολῆς· ἡγούμενος καὶ παραγγέλλων τὴν τούτων φιλίαν καὶ ὁμιλίαν βλάβην καὶ ἀπώλειαν εἶναι ψυχῆς. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ τὴν τῶν Ἀρειανῶν αἵρεσιν ἐβδελύσσετο, παρήγγελλε τε πᾶσι μήτε ἐγγίζειν αὐτοῖς, μήτε τὴν κακοπιστίαν αύτῶν ἔχειν. Ἀπελθόντας γοῦν ποτε τινας πρὸς αὐτὸν τῶν Αρειομανιτῶν, ἀνακρίνας καὶ μαθὼν ἀσεβοῦντας, ἐδίωξεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὅρους, λέγων ὄφεων ἰοῦ χείρονας εἶʼναι τοὺς λόγους αὐτῶν.

Kai ta pistei di pany thaumastos ēn kai heusebēs. Oute gar Meletianois tois schismatikois pote kekoinōnēken, eïdōs autōn tēn ex archēs ponērian kai apostasian; oute Manichaiois, ē allois tisin hairetikois hōmilēse philika, ē monon achri nouthesias tēs eis eusebeian metabolēs; hēgoumenos kai parangellōn tēn toutōn philian kai homilian blabēn kai apōleian einai psychēs. Houtō goun kai tēn tōn Areianōn hairesin ebdelysseto, parēngelle te pasi mēte engizein autois, mēte tēn kakopistian autōn echein. Apelthontas goun pote tinas pros auton tōn Areiomanitōn, anakrinas kai mathōn asebountas, ediōxen apo tou horous, legōn opheōn iou cheironas eiʼnai tous logous autōn.

In faith too he was altogether admirable and devout. He never held communion with the Melitians, the schismatics, knowing their wickedness and apostasy from the beginning; nor did he converse in friendship with the Manichees or any other heretics, except only to admonish them to turn to piety, holding and charging others that friendship and conversation with them is harm and destruction to the soul. So too he loathed the heresy of the Arians, and charged everyone neither to go near them nor to share their false faith. Once, when some of the Ariomaniacs came to him, he questioned them, and on learning that they were impious, he drove them from the mountain, saying that their words were worse than the venom of snakes.

Notes and citation

Summary: Antony kept apart from Melitian schismatics, Manichees, and other heretics, and drove away Arian visitors, calling their teaching worse than snake venom.

The Melitians were an Egyptian schism begun by Melitius of Lycopolis during the persecution. “Ariomaniacs” is Athanasius’s polemical name for the Arians. Antony’s stance is reported as written.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: misread accent; OCR: misread letter; OCR: misread letters; OCR: stray letter): μεταβολῆςο → μεταβολῆς·; παριγγὲλλων → παραγγέλλων; ᾄίρεσιν ἕβδελύσσετο → αἵρεσιν ἐβδελύσσετο; ἶχιιν → ἔχειν; ’Δπελθόντας → Ἀπελθόντας; ΐοῦ → ἰοῦ.

Topics: Heresy

Cite (SBL): Athanasius, V. Ant. 68 (PG 26:940b–941a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-vita-antonii/59/#p-68).

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Chapter 69

69PG 26:941a–941b

Καὶ ψευσαμένων δὲ ποτε τῶν Ἀρειανῶν, ὠς ἐκείνοις τὰ αὐτὰ φρονοῦντος, ἠγανάκτει καὶ ἐθυμοῦτο κατʼ ἐκείνων. Εἶτα παρακληθεὶς παρᾶ τε τῶν ἐπισκόπων καὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν πάντων, κατῆλθεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄρους· καὶ εἴσελθὼν εἷς τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν, τοὺς Ἀρειανοὺς ἀπεκήρυξεν· αἵρεσιν ἐσχάτην λέγων εἶναι ταύτην, καὶ πρόδρομον τοῦ Ἀντιχρίστου. ’Ἐδίδασκε τε τὸν λαὸν μὴ εἶναι κτίσμα τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, μηδὲ ἐξ οὐκ ὅντων γεγενῆσθαι· ἀλλʼ ὅτι ἀίδιός ἐστι τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας Λόγος καὶ Σοφία. Διʼ ’ὀ καὶ ἀσεβὲς ἐστι λέγειν. Ἦν ὅτε οὐκ ἦνʼ ἦν γὰρ ἀεὶ ὁ Λόγος συνυπάρχων τῷ Πατρί· ὅθεν μηδὲ μίαν ἔχετε κοινωνίαν πρὸς τοὺς ἀσεβεστάτους Ἀρειανούς· οὐδεμία γὰρ κοινωνία φωτὶ πρὸς σκότος. Ὑμεῖς μὲν γαρ εῦσεβοῦντες Χριστιανοί ἐστε· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ, κτίσμα λέγοντες τὸν ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Λόγον, οῦδὲν διαφέρουσιν ἐθνικῶν, λατρεύοντες τῇ κτίσει παρά τὸν κτίσαντα Θεὸν. Πιστεύσατε δὲ, ὅτι καὶ αὐτή ἡ κτίσις πᾶσα ἀγανακτεῖ κατʼ αὐτῶν· ὅτι τὸν κτίστην καὶ Κύριον τοῦ παντὸς, ἐν ᾧ τὰ πάντα γέγονε, τοῦτον τοῖς γενητοῖς συναριθμοῦσιν.

Kai pseusamenōn de pote tōn Areianōn, ōs ekeinois ta auta phronountos, ēganaktei kai ethymouto katʼ ekeinōn. Eita paraklētheis para te tōn episkopōn kai tōn adelphōn pantōn, katēlthen apo tou orous; kai eiselthōn heis tēn Alexandreian, tous Areianous apekēryxen; hairesin eschatēn legōn einai tautēn, kai prodromon tou Antichristou. ’Edidaske te ton laon mē einai ktisma ton Huion tou Theou, mēde ex ouk hontōn gegenēsthai; allʼ hoti aidios esti tēs tou Patros ousias Logos kai Sophia. Diʼ ’o kai asebes esti legein. Ēn hote ouk ēnʼ ēn gar aei ho Logos synyparchōn tǭ Patri; hothen mēde mian echete koinōnian pros tous asebestatous Areianous; oudemia gar koinōnia phōti pros skotos. Hymeis men gar eusebountes Christianoi este; ekeinoi de, ktisma legontes ton ek tou Patros Huion tou Theou kai Logon, ouden diapherousin ethnikōn, latreuontes tę̄ ktisei para ton ktisanta Theon. Pisteusate de, hoti kai autē hē ktisis pasa aganaktei katʼ autōn; hoti ton ktistēn kai Kyrion tou pantos, en hǭ ta panta gegone, touton tois genētois synarithmousin.

And once, when the Arians falsely claimed that he held the same views as they did, he was indignant and angry with them. Then, called upon by the bishops and all the brothers, he came down from the mountain, and entering Alexandria he publicly denounced the Arians, saying that this was the last of the heresies and the forerunner of the Antichrist. He taught the people that the Son of God is not a creature, nor did he come into being from nothing, but that he is the eternal Word and Wisdom of the Father’s being. ‘Therefore it is impious to say, “There was when he was not”; for the Word always coexisted with the Father. So have no communion at all with the most impious Arians; for there is no communion of light with darkness. You are devout Christians; but they, by saying that the Son of God and Word who is from the Father is a creature, differ in nothing from the pagans, serving the creature rather than God the Creator. Believe me, the whole creation itself is indignant with them, because they number among created things the Creator and Lord of all, in whom all things came to be.’

2 Cor 6:14 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 1:25 (allusion, high confidence) · Col 1:16 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: When the Arians claimed him, Antony came to Alexandria and denounced Arianism, teaching that the Son is the eternal Word and Wisdom of the Father’s being, not a creature.

“Being” translates οὐσία. “There was when he was not” is the Arian formula condemned at Nicaea. The polemic is reported as written.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: misread letter; OCR: misread letters; OCR: stray mark; OCR: words joined, misread accent): παρακλαθεὶς → παρακληθεὶς; ὃροός → ὄρους; αʼίρεσιν ἐσχάτην → αἵρεσιν ἐσχάτην; όῦδεμία → οὐδεμία; φωτῖ πρὸςσσκότος → φωτὶ πρὸς σκότος.

Topics: Christology, Trinity, Heresy

Cite (SBL): Athanasius, V. Ant. 69 (PG 26:941a–941b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-vita-antonii/59/#p-69).

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Chapter 70

70PG 26:941b–944a

Οἱ μὲν οῦν λαοί πάντες ἔχαιρον ἀκούοντες παρὰ τοῦ τοιούτου ἀνδρὸς ἀναθεματιζομὲνην τὴν χριστομάχον αἵρεσιν· οἱ δὲ τῆς πόλεως πάντες συνέτρεχον ἰδεῖν τὸν Ἀντώνιον. Ἕλληνές τε καὶ αὐτοὶ οἱ λεγόμενοι αὐτῶν ἱερεῖς, εἰς τὸ Κυριακὸν ἤρχοντο λέγοντες. Ἀξιοῦμεν ἴδεῖν τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄνθρωπον πάντες γὰρ αὐτὸν οὕτως ἐκάλουν. Καὶ γὰρ κάκεῖ πολλοὺς διʼ αὐτοῦ ἐκαθάρισεν ὁ Κύριος ἀπὸ δαιμόνων, καὶ βλαβέντας τὴν διάνοιαν ἰάσατο. Πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ Ἕλληνες ἠξίουν κᾶν μόνον ἅπτεσθαι τοῦ γέροντος, πιστεύοντες ὡφελεῖσθαι· Ἀμέλει τοσοῦτοι γεγόνασι Χριστιανοὶ ἐν ταῖς ὀλίγαις ἡμέραις ἐκείναις, ὅσους ἂν τις εἶδεν ἐνιαυτῷ γενομὲνους. Εἶτα, τινῶν νομιζόντων ἐκ τῶν ὄχλων αὐτὸν ταραττεσθαι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀποτρεπόντων ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ πάντας, αὐτὸς ού ταραττόμενος ἔλεγε, μή πλείους εἶναι τούτους ἐκείνων μεθʼ ὧν ἐν τῷ ὄρει παλαίομεν δαιμόνων.

Hoi men oun laoi pantes echairon akouontes para tou toioutou andros anathematizomenēn tēn christomachon hairesin; hoi de tēs poleōs pantes synetrechon idein ton Antōnion. Hellēnes te kai autoi hoi legomenoi autōn hiereis, eis to Kyriakon ērchonto legontes. Axioumen idein ton tou Theou anthrōpon pantes gar auton houtōs ekaloun. Kai gar kakei pollous diʼ autou ekatharisen ho Kyrios apo daimonōn, kai blabentas tēn dianoian iasato. Polloi de kai Hellēnes ēxioun kan monon haptesthai tou gerontos, pisteuontes hōpheleisthai; Amelei tosoutoi gegonasi Christianoi en tais oligais hēmerais ekeinais, hosous an tis eiden eniautǭ genomenous. Eita, tinōn nomizontōn ek tōn ochlōn auton tarattesthai, kai dia touto apotrepontōn apʼ autou pantas, autos ou tarattomenos elege, mē pleious einai toutous ekeinōn methʼ hōn en tǭ orei palaiomen daimonōn.

All the people rejoiced to hear the heresy that fights against Christ anathematized by such a man; and the whole city ran together to see Antony. Pagans too, and even their so-called priests, came to the Lord’s house, saying: ‘We ask to see the man of God’; for so they all called him. For there too the Lord cleansed many of demons through him, and healed those who were injured in mind. Many pagans also asked just to touch the old man, believing they would be helped. Indeed, as many became Christians in those few days as one might have seen become Christians in a year. Then, when some thought that he was troubled by the crowds and for this reason turned everyone away from him, he said, quite untroubled, that these were no more numerous than the demons with whom we wrestle on the mountain.

Notes and citation

Summary: In Alexandria crowds, including pagans and their priests, flocked to see the “man of God”; he healed many, and many became Christians.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Latin letters; OCR: Latin letters, stray letter; OCR: misread breathing; OCR: misread letters; OCR: misread letters, words joined; OCR: stray letter): αʼίρεσινσ oi δὲ → αἵρεσιν· οἱ δὲ; συνἑτρεχον → συνέτρεχον; ’ἙΛληνές τε καὶ αὐτοὶ οἱλεγόμενοι → Ἕλληνές τε καὶ αὐτοὶ οἱ λεγόμενοι; ei; τὸ Κυριακὸν → εἰς τὸ Κυριακὸν; ἀπὸ γ δαιμόνῶν → ἀπὸ δαιμόνων; icio-otto. → ἰάσατο.; ἰν ταῖς ὀλίγαις ἡμᾶραις ὲκείναις, δσους → ἐν ταῖς ὀλίγαις ἡμέραις ἐκείναις, ὅσους.

Cite (SBL): Athanasius, V. Ant. 70 (PG 26:941b–944a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-vita-antonii/59/#p-70).

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Chapter 71

71PG 26:944a–944b

Ὀτε δὶ ἀπεδήμει, καὶ προεπέμπομεν αὐτὸν, ὡς ἐφθάσαμεν εἰς τὴν πύλην, ὅπισθὲν τις ἐβόα γυνή· Μεῖνον, ἄνθρωπε τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἡ θυγάτηρ μου δεινῶς ὑπὸ δαίμονος ἐνοχλεῖται· μεῖνον, πάρακαλῶ, μὴ κάγὼ κινδυνεύσω τρέχουσα. Ἀκούσας ὁ γὲρων, καὶ ἀξιωθεὶς παρʼ ἡμῶν, θὲλων ἔμεινεν. Ὠς δὲ ἤγγισεν ἡ γυνὴ, ἡ μὶν παῖς ἔρῥιπτο χαμαί· τοῦ δὲ ’Δντωνίου προσευξαμένου, καὶ τὸν Χριστὸν ὀνομάσαντος, ἠγέρθη ἡ παῖς ὑγιὴς, ἐξελθόντος τοῦ ἀκαθάρτου δαίμονος. Ἥ τε μήτηρ εὐλόγει τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ πάντες ηὐχαρίστουν. Καὶ αὐτὸς δὶ ἔχαιρεν ἄποδημῶν, ὡς εἷς τὸν ἴδιον οῖκον, εἴς τὸ ὅρος.

Ote di apedēmei, kai proepempomen auton, hōs ephthasamen eis tēn pylēn, hopisthen tis eboa gynē; Meinon, anthrōpe tou Theou, hē thygatēr mou deinōs hypo daimonos enochleitai; meinon, parakalō, mē kagō kindyneusō trechousa. Akousas ho gerōn, kai axiōtheis parʼ hēmōn, thelōn emeinen. Ōs de ēngisen hē gynē, hē min pais errhipto chamai; tou de ’Dntōniou proseuxamenou, kai ton Christon onomasantos, ēgerthē hē pais hygiēs, exelthontos tou akathartou daimonos. Hē te mētēr eulogei ton Theon, kai pantes ēucharistoun. Kai autos di echairen apodēmōn, hōs heis ton idion oikon, eis to horos.

When he was leaving and we were escorting him, as we reached the gate a woman behind us cried out: ‘Wait, man of God! My daughter is terribly troubled by a demon. Wait, I beg you, so that I do not come to harm myself by running.’ Hearing this, and asked by us, the old man willingly waited. When the woman came near, the girl was thrown to the ground; and when Antony had prayed and named Christ, the girl got up well, the unclean demon having gone out. The mother blessed God, and everyone gave thanks. And he himself rejoiced as he went away to the mountain, as to his own home.

Notes and citation

Summary: As Athanasius and others escorted Antony out of Alexandria, he healed a possessed girl at the city gate.

“We”: Athanasius himself was among those escorting Antony.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: misread breathing; OCR: misread letter; OCR: misread letters; OCR: stray letter): ε“ς τὴν πύλην → εἰς τὴν πύλην; ἀξιωθεές → ἀξιωθεὶς; ὴ γυνὴ → ἡ γυνὴ; χαμαίο → χαμαί·; τοὸ ἀκαθάρτου → τοῦ ἀκαθάρτου.

Cite (SBL): Athanasius, V. Ant. 71 (PG 26:944a–944b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-vita-antonii/59/#p-71).

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Chapter 72

72PG 26:944c–944d

Καὶ φρόνιμος δὲ ἦν λίαν· καὶ τὸ θαυμαστὸν, δτι, γράμματα μή μαθὼν, ἀγχίνους ἦν καὶ συνετὸς ἅνθρωπος. Ποτὶ γοῦν φιλόσοφοι δύο ἦλθον πρὸς αὐτὸν Ἕλληνες, νομίζοντες δύνασθαι τὸν ’Λντώνιον πειρᾶσαι· ἦν δὲ ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ ἔξω ὁ δὶ ἐκ τοῦ προσώπου συνεὶς τοὺς ἅνθρώπους, ἐξελθὼν πρὸς αύτοὺς, ἔφη διʼ ἑρμηνέως· Τί τοσοῦτον ἐσκύλητε, ὦ φιλόσοφοι, πρὸς μωρὸν ἄνθρωπον; Τῶν δὶ εἴπόντων, μή εἶναι μωρὸν αὐτὸν, ἀλλᾶ καὶ μάλα φρόνιμον, ἔφη πρὸς αὐτούςʼ Εἰ μὲν πρὸς μωρὸν ἤλθετε, περιττὸς ὑμῶν ὁ κάματος· εί δὶ νομίζετὲ με φρόνιμον εἶναι, γίνεσθε ὡς ἐγώ” δεῖ γὰρ τὰ καλὰ μιμεῖσθαι. Καὶ εἰ μὲν ἐγὼ πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἠρχόμην, ἐμιμησάμην ἂν ὑμᾶς· εἰ δὲ ὑμεῖς πρὸς ἐμέ, γίνεσθε ὡς ἐγώ· Χριστιανὸς γάρ εἶμι. Οἱ δὶ θαυμάζοντες ἀνεχώρουν ἔβλεπον γὰρ καὶ δαίμονας φοβουμένους τὸν Ἄντώνιον.

Kai phronimos de ēn lian; kai to thaumaston, dti, grammata mē mathōn, anchinous ēn kai synetos hanthrōpos. Poti goun philosophoi dyo ēlthon pros auton Hellēnes, nomizontes dynasthai ton ’Lntōnion peirasai; ēn de en tǭ orei tǭ exō ho di ek tou prosōpou syneis tous hanthrōpous, exelthōn pros autous, ephē diʼ hermēneōs; Ti tosouton eskylēte, ō philosophoi, pros mōron anthrōpon? Tōn di eipontōn, mē einai mōron auton, alla kai mala phronimon, ephē pros autousʼ Ei men pros mōron ēlthete, perittos hymōn ho kamatos; ei di nomizete me phronimon einai, ginesthe hōs egō” dei gar ta kala mimeisthai. Kai ei men egō pros hymas ērchomēn, emimēsamēn an hymas; ei de hymeis pros eme, ginesthe hōs egō; Christianos gar eimi. Hoi di thaumazontes anechōroun eblepon gar kai daimonas phoboumenous ton Antōnion.

He was also very wise; and the wonderful thing is that, though he had not learned letters, he was a shrewd and intelligent man. Once, at any rate, two pagan philosophers came to him, thinking that they could test Antony. He was on the outer mountain; and understanding the men from their faces, he went out to them and said through an interpreter: ‘Why have you taken so much trouble, philosophers, to come to a foolish man?’ When they said that he was not foolish but very wise, he said to them: ‘If you have come to a foolish man, your labor is wasted; but if you think that I am wise, become as I am; for one ought to imitate what is good. If I had come to you, I would have imitated you; but since you have come to me, become as I am; for I am a Christian.’ They went away marveling; for they saw that even demons feared Antony.

Notes and citation

Summary: Two pagan philosophers came to test the unlettered Antony, who told them that if they thought him wise they should imitate him and become Christians.

“Through an interpreter”: Antony spoke Coptic.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Latin letters; OCR: misread letter; OCR: misread letter, stray letter; OCR: misread letters; OCR: misread letters, stray marks; OCR: stray letter; OCR: word split, misread breathing): αὖ· τὸν Ἓλληνες → αὐτὸν Ἕλληνες; πειρᾶσαν → πειρᾶσαι·; ἑρμηνέωςο → ἑρμηνέως·; ἄνθρωπονς → ἄνθρωπον;; Et μὲν πρὸς → Εἰ μὲν πρὸς; ὅμῶν ὁ κάματοςο → ὑμῶν ὁ κάματος·; ήρχόμεν ἕμιμησάμην → ἠρχόμην, ἐμιμησάμην; ιί δὲ *ὑμεῖς πρὸς ἐμὴ-γίνεσθε ὧς- ἐγώ·Χριστιανὸς → εἰ δὲ ὑμεῖς πρὸς ἐμέ, γίνεσθε ὡς ἐγώ· Χριστιανὸς.

Cite (SBL): Athanasius, V. Ant. 72 (PG 26:944c–944d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-vita-antonii/59/#p-72).

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Chapter 73

73PG 26:945a–945b

Ἀλλων δὲ πάλιν τοιούτων ἀπαντησάντων πρὸς αὐτὸν έν τῷ ὅρει τῷ ἔξω, καὶ νομιζόντων χλευάζειν, οτι μὴ μεμάθηκε γράμματα, λέγει πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ Ἀντώνιος · Ὑμεῖς δὲ τί λέγετε; Τί πρῶτόν ἐστι, νοῦς ἢ γράμματα; καὶ τί τίνος αἴτιον, ὁ νοῦς τῶν γραμμάτων, ἢ τὰ γράμματα τοῦ νοῦ; Τῶν δὲ εἰπόντων πρῶτον εἶναι τὸν νοῦν, καὶ τῶν γραμμάτων εὑρέτην· ἔφη ὁ Ἀντώνιος ᾯ τοίνυν ὁ νοῦς ὑγιαίνει,τούτῳ οὐκ ἀναγκαῖα τὰ γράμματα. Τοῦτο καὶ τοὺς παρόντας καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐξέπληξεν. Ἀπῆλθον οῦν θαυμάζοντες, ὅτι τοσαύτην ἔβλεπον έν ἰδιώτῃ σύνεσιν · καὶ γὰρ οὐχ ὡς έν ὄρει τραφεὶς, κάκεῖ γέρων γενόμενος, ἄγριον εἶχε τὸ ἦθος· ἀλλὰ καὶ χαρίεις ἦν καὶ πολιτικός. Τὸν δὲ λόγον εἶχεν ἠρτυμένον τῷ θείῳ ἅλατι · ὥστε μηδένα φθονεῖν, χαίρειν δὲ μᾶλλον ἐπʼ αὐτῷ πάντας τοὺς ἐρχομένους πρὸς αὐτόν.

Allōn de palin toioutōn apantēsantōn pros auton en tǭ horei tǭ exō, kai nomizontōn chleuazein, oti mē memathēke grammata, legei pros autous ho Antōnios ; Hymeis de ti legete? Ti prōton esti, nous ē grammata? kai ti tinos aition, ho nous tōn grammatōn, ē ta grammata tou nou? Tōn de eipontōn prōton einai ton noun, kai tōn grammatōn heuretēn; ephē ho Antōnios Hǭ toinyn ho nous hygiainei,toutǭ ouk anankaia ta grammata. Touto kai tous parontas kai autous exeplēxen. Apēlthon oun thaumazontes, hoti tosautēn eblepon en idiōtę̄ synesin ; kai gar ouch hōs en orei trapheis, kakei gerōn genomenos, agrion eiche to ēthos; alla kai charieis ēn kai politikos. Ton de logon eichen ērtymenon tǭ theiǭ halati ; hōste mēdena phthonein, chairein de mallon epʼ autǭ pantas tous erchomenous pros auton.

When again others of the same kind met him on the outer mountain, and thought to mock him because he had not learned letters, Antony said to them: ‘What do you say? Which comes first, mind or letters? And which is the cause of which: the mind of letters, or letters of the mind?’ When they said that mind comes first and is the inventor of letters, Antony said: ‘The one whose mind is sound, then, has no need of letters.’ This astonished both those present and the philosophers themselves. They went away marveling that they saw such understanding in an unlettered man. For he did not have a rough character, as though he had been raised on a mountain and grown old there; he was gracious and courteous. His speech was seasoned with divine salt, so that no one envied him, but all who came to him rather rejoiced in him.

Col 4:6 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: To philosophers who mocked his lack of learning, Antony replied that the mind, which invented letters, needs no letters if it is sound.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: 6 for ὁ; OCR: misread breathing; OCR: misread letter; OCR: misread letters; OCR: stray letter; OCR: words joined): πρῶπόν → πρῶτόν; αἷίτιον → αἴτιον; εὑρέτην ο ἔφη → εὑρέτην· ἔφη; ᾫ τοίνυν → ᾯ τοίνυν; καὶγὰρ → καὶ γὰρ; ἐίγριον εἶχε τὸ ἦθος ο ἀλλὰ → ἄγριον εἶχε τὸ ἦθος· ἀλλὰ; οὺς 6 Ἀντ → οὺς ὁ Ἀντ.

Cite (SBL): Athanasius, V. Ant. 73 (PG 26:945a–945b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-vita-antonii/59/#p-73).

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Chapter 74

74PG 26:945b–948c

’Δμέλει μετὰ ταῦτα πάλιν ἐλθόντων ἑτέρων τινῶν ο ἦσαν δὲ οῦτοι τῶν παρʼ Ἕλλησι δοκούντων εἶναι σοφῶν· καὶ ἀπαιτούντων αὐτὸν λόγον περὶ τῆς καθʼ ἡμᾶς έν Χριστῷ πίστεως ἐπιχειρούντων δὲ συλλογίζεσθαι περὶ τοῦ κηρύγματος τοῦ θείου σταυροῦ καὶ βουλομένων χλευάζειν · ὀλίγον ἐπισχὼν 6 ’Δντώνιος, καὶ πρῶτον οἰκτείρας αὐτοῦς ἐπὶ τῇ ἀγνωσία, ἔλεγε διʼ ἑρμηνέως, τοῦ καλῶς τὰ ἐκείνου διερμηνεύοντος · Τί κάλλιόν ἐστι, σταυρὸν ὁμολογεῖν, ἢ μοιχείας καὶ παιδοφθορίας προσάπτειν τοῖς παρʼ ὑμῖν λεγομένοις θεοῖς ; Τὸ μὶν γὰρ παρʼ ἡμῶν λεγόμενον ἀνδρίας ἐστὶ τεκμήριον, καὶ καταφρονήσεως Θανάτου γνώρισμα· τὰ δὲ ὑμέτερα ἀσελγείας ἐστὶ πάθη. Ἔπειτα τί βέλτιόν ἐστι, λέγειν, ὅτι ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος οὐκ ἐτράπη · ἀλλʼ ὁ αὐτὸς ὣν, ἐπὶ σῶτηρίᾳ καὶ εύεργεσίᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀνείληφε σῶμα ἀνθρώπινον, ἵνα, τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ γενέσει κοινωνήσας, ποιήσῃ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους κοινωνῆσαι θείας καὶ νοερᾶς φύσεως · ἢ έν ἀλόγοις ἐξομοιοῦν τὸ Θεῖον, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο σέβειν τετράποδα, καὶ ἑρπετὰ, καὶ ἀνθρώπων εἰκόνας; Ταῦτα γὰρ ὑμῶν ἐστι τῶν σοφῶν τὰ σεβάσματα. Πῶς δὶ χλευάζειν τολμᾶτε ἡμᾶς, λέγοντας τὸν Χριστὸν ἄνθρωπον πεφανερῶσθαι ὅπου γε ὑμεῖς, ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν χωρίζοντες, φάσκετε πεπλανῆσθαι αὐτὴν καὶ πεπτωκέναι ἀπὸ τῆς ἀψίδος τῶν οὐρανῶν εἶς σῶμα · καὶ εἷʼθε εἰς ἀνθρώπινον μόνον, καὶ μὴ εἷς τετράποδα καὶ ἑρπετὰ μεταβαίνειν καὶ μεταπίπτειν. Ἠ μὲν γὰρ ἡμετέρα πίστις ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουσίαν λεγει · ὑμεῖς δὲ πλανᾶσθε, ὅτι περὶ ἆγεννήτου ψυχῆς ἐξηγεῖσθε. Καὶ ἡμεῖς μὶν τὸ δυνατὸν καί φιλάνθρωπον τῆς Προνοίας φρονοῦμεν, ὅτι καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀδύνατον ἧν τῷ Θεῷ ὑμεῖς δί, εἰκόνα τοῦ νοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν λέγοντες, πτώματα προσάπτετε αὐτῇ, καὶ τρεπτὴν αὐτὴν μυθολογεῖτε· καὶ λοιπὸν καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν νοῦν διὰ τὴν ψυχὴν τρεπτὸν εἶσάγετε. Ὁποια γὰρ ἦν ἡ εἷʼκὼν, τοιοῦτον ἀνάγκη κάκεῖνον εἶναι, οὗ ἐστιν ἡ εἷκών. ’Οτʼ ἃν δὲ περὶ τοῦ νοῦ τοιαῦτα νομίζετε, ἐνθυμεῖσθε, ὅτι καὶ είς αὐτὸν τὸν Πατέρα τοῦ νοῦ βλασφημεῖτε.

’Dmelei meta tauta palin elthontōn heterōn tinōn o ēsan de outoi tōn parʼ Hellēsi dokountōn einai sophōn; kai apaitountōn auton logon peri tēs kathʼ hēmas en Christǭ pisteōs epicheirountōn de syllogizesthai peri tou kērygmatos tou theiou staurou kai boulomenōn chleuazein ; oligon epischōn 6 ’Dntōnios, kai prōton oikteiras autous epi tę̄ agnōsia, elege diʼ hermēneōs, tou kalōs ta ekeinou diermēneuontos ; Ti kallion esti, stauron homologein, ē moicheias kai paidophthorias prosaptein tois parʼ hymin legomenois theois ? To min gar parʼ hēmōn legomenon andrias esti tekmērion, kai kataphronēseōs Thanatou gnōrisma; ta de hymetera aselgeias esti pathē. Epeita ti beltion esti, legein, hoti ho tou Theou Logos ouk etrapē ; allʼ ho autos hōn, epi sōtērią kai euergesią tōn anthrōpōn aneilēphe sōma anthrōpinon, hina, tę̄ anthrōpinę̄ genesei koinōnēsas, poiēsę̄ tous anthrōpous koinōnēsai theias kai noeras physeōs ; ē en alogois exomoioun to Theion, kai dia touto sebein tetrapoda, kai herpeta, kai anthrōpōn eikonas? Tauta gar hymōn esti tōn sophōn ta sebasmata. Pōs di chleuazein tolmate hēmas, legontas ton Christon anthrōpon pephanerōsthai hopou ge hymeis, apo tou ouranou tēn psychēn chōrizontes, phaskete peplanēsthai autēn kai peptōkenai apo tēs apsidos tōn ouranōn eis sōma ; kai heiʼthe eis anthrōpinon monon, kai mē heis tetrapoda kai herpeta metabainein kai metapiptein. Ē men gar hēmetera pistis epi sōtērią tōn anthrōpōn tēn tou Christou parousian legei ; hymeis de planasthe, hoti peri agennētou psychēs exēgeisthe. Kai hēmeis min to dynaton kai philanthrōpon tēs Pronoias phronoumen, hoti kai touto ouk adynaton hēn tǭ Theǭ hymeis di, eikona tou nou tēn psychēn legontes, ptōmata prosaptete autę̄, kai treptēn autēn mythologeite; kai loipon kai auton ton noun dia tēn psychēn trepton eisagete. Hopoia gar ēn hē heiʼkōn, toiouton anankē kakeinon einai, hou estin hē heikōn. ’Otʼ han de peri tou nou toiauta nomizete, enthymeisthe, hoti kai eis auton ton Patera tou nou blasphēmeite.

Indeed, after this some others came again, men reputed wise among the Greeks, and asked him for an account of our faith in Christ; they attempted to reason about the preaching of the divine cross and wished to mock it. Antony paused a little, and, first pitying them for their ignorance, said through an interpreter who translated his words well: ‘Which is nobler, to confess a cross, or to attribute adulteries and the corruption of boys to those you call gods? For what we say is a proof of courage and a mark of contempt for death; but your tales are passions of licentiousness. Next, which is better: to say that the Word of God was not changed, but, remaining the same, took a human body for the salvation and benefit of human beings, so that, sharing in human birth, he might make human beings share in the divine and spiritual nature; or to liken the Divine to irrational creatures, and for this reason to worship four-footed beasts, creeping things, and images of men? For these are the objects of worship of you wise men. How do you dare to mock us for saying that Christ appeared as a man, when you separate the soul from heaven and say that it went astray and fell from the vault of heaven into a body; and would that it were only into a human body, and that you did not say it passes and falls into four-footed beasts and creeping things! Our faith speaks of the coming of Christ for the salvation of human beings; but you go astray, because you teach about an unoriginate soul. We think of the power and the love for humanity of Providence, holding that this too was not impossible for God; but you, calling the soul an image of the mind, attribute falls to it and tell myths that it is changeable, and then you make the mind itself changeable because of the soul. For as the image is, so must that be of which it is the image. When you think such things about the mind, consider that you blaspheme even the Father of the mind himself.’

2 Pet 1:4 (allusion, high confidence) · John 1:14 (echo, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Antony answered Greek sages who mocked the cross: the cross shows courage, the Incarnation shows the unchanged Word sharing human birth, while their myths and doctrine of the soul’s fall and transmigration dishonor the divine.

Antony attacks the Platonist doctrine that the unoriginate soul fell from heaven into bodies and transmigrates into animals, and the Neoplatonic hierarchy in which the soul is the image of Mind and Mind proceeds from a first principle (“the Father of the mind”).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Latin letters; OCR: Latin letters, misread letter; OCR: misread letter; OCR: misread letters, words joined; OCR: stray letter; OCR: stray mark; OCR: word split): δοκούντων εἷναι σοφῶν ο καὶ → δοκούντων εἶναι σοφῶν· καὶ; θείου. σταυροῦ → θείου σταυροῦ; χλευέζειν → χλευάζειν; ὁμολορεῖν ἢμοιχείπς → ὁμολογεῖν, ἢ μοιχείας; -καὶ καταφρονήσεως → καὶ καταφρονήσεως; σῶμα. ἀνθρώπιvov,'iva, τῇ ἀνθραπίνῃ → σῶμα ἀνθρώπινον, ἵνα, τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ; εἷʼκόναςὶ → εἰκόνας;; bl» τοῦ οὐρανοῦ → ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ; Προτοίας → Προνοίας; μυθολογεῖτι → μυθολογεῖτε·; ἐν· θυμεῖσθε → ἐνθυμεῖσθε; βλασφη μεῖτε → βλασφημεῖτε.

Extrabiblical texts: Plato, Phaedr. 246c–249b (Plato (works); allusion)

Topics: Christology

Cite (SBL): Athanasius, V. Ant. 74 (PG 26:945b–948c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-vita-antonii/59/#p-74).

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Chapter 75

75PG 26:948c–949a

Περὶ δὲ τοῦ σταυροῦ τί βέλτιον ἃν εἴποιτε, ἐπιβουλῆς ἐπειγομένης παρᾶ πονηρῶν ὑπομένειν σταυρὸν, καὶ μὴ πτήσσειν τὸν ὅπως δήποτε Θάνατον ἐπαγόμενον· πλάνας Ὀσίριδος καὶ Ἴσιδος, καὶ ἐπιβουλὰς Τυφῶνος, καὶ Κρόνου φυγήν, καὶ τέκνων καταπόσεις, καὶ πατροκτονίας μυθολογεῖν; Ταῦτα γὰρ ὑμῶν ἐστι τὰ σοφά. Πῶς δὲ, χλευάζοντες τὸν σταυρὸν, οὐ Θαυμάζετε τήν ἀνάστασιν ; Οἱ γὰρ τοῦτο εἰπόντες κάκεῖνο ἔγραψαν. Ἢ διὰ τί, μνημονεύοντες τοῦ σταυροῦ, σιωπᾶτε περῖ τῶν ἑγερθέντων νεκρῶν καὶ τῶν ἀναβλεψάντων τυφλῶν, καὶ τῶν θεραπευθέντων παραλυτικῶν, τῶν τε καθαρισθέντων λεπρῶν καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν πεζοπορίας, τῶν τε ἄλλων σημείων καὶ τεραστίων, ἅπερ οὐκέτι ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλά Θεὸν δείκνυσι τόν Χριστόν; Πάνυ μοι δοκεῖτε ἀδικεῖν ἑαυτοὺς, καὶ μὴ γνησίως ἐντετυχηκέναι ταῖς Γραφαῖς ἡμῶν. Ἀλλʼ ἐντυγχάνετε μὶν ὑμεῖς, καὶ βλέπετε, ὅτι ἃ πεποίηκεν ὁ Χριστὸς, Θεὸν αὐτὸν ἀποδεικνύουσιν, ἐπιδημήσαντα ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων.

Peri de tou staurou ti beltion han eipoite, epiboulēs epeigomenēs para ponērōn hypomenein stauron, kai mē ptēssein ton hopōs dēpote Thanaton epagomenon; planas Osiridos kai Isidos, kai epiboulas Typhōnos, kai Kronou phygēn, kai teknōn kataposeis, kai patroktonias mythologein? Tauta gar hymōn esti ta sopha. Pōs de, chleuazontes ton stauron, ou Thaumazete tēn anastasin ? Hoi gar touto eipontes kakeino egrapsan. Ē dia ti, mnēmoneuontes tou staurou, siōpate peri tōn hegerthentōn nekrōn kai tōn anablepsantōn typhlōn, kai tōn therapeuthentōn paralytikōn, tōn te katharisthentōn leprōn kai tēs epi tēn thalassan pezoporias, tōn te allōn sēmeiōn kai terastiōn, haper ouketi anthrōpon, alla Theon deiknysi ton Christon? Pany moi dokeite adikein heautous, kai mē gnēsiōs entetychēkenai tais Graphais hēmōn. Allʼ entynchanete min hymeis, kai blepete, hoti ha pepoiēken ho Christos, Theon auton apodeiknyousin, epidēmēsanta epi sōtērią tōn anthrōpōn.

‘About the cross, which would you say is better: when wicked men press on with a plot, to endure a cross and not to cower before death, however it is inflicted; or to tell myths of the wanderings of Osiris and Isis, the plots of Typhon, the flight of Cronus, the swallowing of children, and the murder of fathers? For these are your wisdom. And how is it that, while mocking the cross, you do not marvel at the resurrection? For those who told of the one wrote of the other too. Or why, when you remember the cross, are you silent about the dead who were raised, the blind who received their sight, the paralytics who were healed, the lepers who were cleansed, the walking on the sea, and the other signs and wonders, which show Christ to be no longer a man but God? You seem to me to wrong yourselves greatly and not to have read our Scriptures with sincerity. But do read them, and see that the things Christ did prove him to be God, who came among us for the salvation of human beings.’

Matt 11:5 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 14:25 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Antony contrasts the honorable death of the cross with pagan myths, and points to the resurrection and Christ’s miracles as proof that he is God.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: 6 for ὁ; OCR: misread letter; OCR: misread letter, words joined; OCR: misread letters; OCR: stray letter; OCR: words joined; OCR: words joined, hyphenation): ὑπομὶνειν σταυρὸν. καὶμὴ → ὑπομένειν σταυρὸν, καὶ μὴ; μυθολογεῖνς → μυθολογεῖν;; Ἦ διὰτί → Ἢ διὰ τί; στα·)ροῦ → σταυροῦ; καὶτῶν Θεραπευ- Θιντων → καὶ τῶν θεραπευθέντων; ωθαρισθὲντων λεποῶν → καθαρισθέντων λεπρῶν; ἰπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν → ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν; Χριστόνς → Χριστόν;; κεν 6 Χρι → κεν ὁ Χρι.

Topics: Christology

Cite (SBL): Athanasius, V. Ant. 75 (PG 26:948c–949a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-vita-antonii/59/#p-75).

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Chapter 76

76PG 26:949a–949b

Εἴπατε δὲ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἡμῖν τὰ ὑμετερά. Τί δʼ ἂν εἴποιτε περὶ των ἀλόγων, ἢ ἀλογίαν καὶ ἀγριότητα; Ἐὰν δὲ, ὡς ἀκούω, θελήσητε λέγειν μυθικῶς λέγεσθαι ταῦτα παρʼ ὑμῖν· καὶ ἀλληγορεῖτε ἁρπαγὴν Κόρης εἰς τὴν γῆν, καὶ Ἡφαίστου χωλότητα εἷς τὸ πῦρ, καὶ ’Ἥραν εἰς τὸν ἀέρα, καὶ Ἀπόλλωνα εἷς τὸν ἥλιον, καὶ ’Ἄρτεμιν μὶν εἷς τὴν σελήνην, τὸν δὲ Ποσειδῶνα εἷς τὴν θάλασσανʼ οὐδὲν ἧττον αὐτὸν οὐ Θεὸν σέβεσθε, ἀλλά τῇ κτίσει λατρεύετε παρὰ τὸν τὰ πάντα κτίσαντα Θεὸν. Εἰ γάρ, ὅτι καλὴ ἡ κτίσις, τοιαῦτα συνεθήκατε· ἀλλʼ ἔδει μέχρι τοῦ Θαυμάσαι μόνον ὑμᾶς γενέσθαι, καὶ μὴ θεοποιῆσαι τὰ ποιήματα, ἵνα μή τὴν τοῦ Δημιουργοῦ τιμὴν τοῖς γενητοῖς παρέχητε· Ἐπεὶ ὥρα ὑμᾶς καὶ τοῦ ἀρχιτέκτονος τήν τιμὴν εἰς τὴν ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ γενομένην οἰκίαν μεταφέρειν, ἢ τὴν τοῦ στρατηγοῦ εἰς τὸν στρατιώτην. Τί τοίνυν πρὸς ταῦτα λέγετε, ’ἱνα γνῶμεν,εἲ ἄξιόν τι χλεύης ὁ σταυρὸς ἔχει.

Eipate de kai hymeis hēmin ta hymetera. Ti dʼ an eipoite peri tōn alogōn, ē alogian kai agriotēta? Ean de, hōs akouō, thelēsēte legein mythikōs legesthai tauta parʼ hymin; kai allēgoreite harpagēn Korēs eis tēn gēn, kai Hēphaistou chōlotēta heis to pyr, kai ’Hēran eis ton aera, kai Apollōna heis ton hēlion, kai ’Artemin min heis tēn selēnēn, ton de Poseidōna heis tēn thalassanʼ ouden hētton auton ou Theon sebesthe, alla tę̄ ktisei latreuete para ton ta panta ktisanta Theon. Ei gar, hoti kalē hē ktisis, toiauta synethēkate; allʼ edei mechri tou Thaumasai monon hymas genesthai, kai mē theopoiēsai ta poiēmata, hina mē tēn tou Dēmiourgou timēn tois genētois parechēte; Epei hōra hymas kai tou architektonos tēn timēn eis tēn hypʼ autou genomenēn oikian metapherein, ē tēn tou stratēgou eis ton stratiōtēn. Ti toinyn pros tauta legete, ’hina gnōmen,ei axion ti chleuēs ho stauros echei.

‘Now tell us your own doctrines. What would you say about irrational creatures, except irrationality and savagery? And if, as I hear, you wish to say that these things are told among you as myths, and you allegorize the rape of Kore as the earth, the lameness of Hephaestus as fire, Hera as the air, Apollo as the sun, Artemis as the moon, and Poseidon as the sea, you nevertheless do not worship God himself, but serve the creature rather than God who created all things. For if you composed such tales because creation is beautiful, you ought to have gone only as far as admiring it, and not to have deified the things made, so as not to give the Creator’s honor to created things. Otherwise it is time for you to transfer the architect’s honor to the house he built, or the general’s to the soldier. What do you say to this, then, so that we may know whether the cross has anything worthy of mockery?’

Rom 1:25 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Allegorizing the gods as natural forces still means worshiping creation instead of the Creator, as absurd as honoring a house instead of its architect.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: 6 for ὁ; OCR: Latin letters; OCR: misread letter; OCR: misread letters; OCR: stray letter; OCR: words joined): lloσειδῶνα → Ποσειδῶνα; λατρεόετε → λατρεύετε; δτι καλὴ → ὅτι καλὴ; συνεθήκατεο → συνεθήκατε·; ποιήματον τίνα μή → ποιήματα, ἵνα μή; Ἑπεί ὥραΙὺμᾶς → Ἐπεὶ ὥρα ὑμᾶς; ὶχει, → ἔχει.; ύης 6 στα → ύης ὁ στα.

Cite (SBL): Athanasius, V. Ant. 76 (PG 26:949a–949b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-vita-antonii/59/#p-76).

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Chapter 77

77PG 26:949b–952b

Ἐκείνων δὲ διαπορούντων καὶ στρεφομενων ὧδε κάκεῖσε, μειδιάσας ὁ ’Δντώνιος ἔφη πάλιν διʼ ἑρμηνέωςʼ Ταῦτα μὶν καὶ ἀπʼ αὐτῆς τῆς ὅψεως ἔχει τὸν ἔλεγχον· ἐπειδή δὲ μᾶλλον ὑμεῖς τοῖς ἀποδεικτικοῖς λόγοις έπερείδεσθε, καὶ ταύτην ἔχοντες τὴν τέχνην, βούλεσθε καὶ ἡμᾶς μὴ ἄνευ τῆς διὰ τῶν λόγων ἀποδείξεως θεοσεβεῖν· εἷʼπατε πρῶτον ὑμεῖς, τὰ πράγματα, καὶ μάλιστα ἡ περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ γνῶσις, πῶς ἀκριβῶς διαγινώσκεται, διʼ ἀποδείξεως λόγων, ἢ διʼ ἐνεργείας πίστεως; καὶ τί πρεσβύτερόν ἐστιν, ἡ διʼ ἐνεργείας πίστις, ἢ ἡ διὰ λόγων ἀπόδειξις, Τῶν δὲ ἀποκριναμένων, πρεσβυτέραν εἶναι τήν διʼ ἐνεργείας πίστιν, καὶ ταύτην εἶναι τὴν ἀκριβῆ γνῶσιν· ἔφη ὁ ’Δντὼνιος Καλῶς εἶʼπατε· ἡ μέν γὰρ πίστις ἀπὸ διαθέσεως ψυχῆς γίνεταιʼ ἡ δὲ διαλεκτικὴ ἀπὸ τέχνης τῶν συντιθέντων ἐστίν. Οὐκοῦν οἷς πάρεστιν ‘ ἡ διὰ πίστεως ἐνέργεια, τούτοις οὐκ ἀναγκαία, ἢ τάχα καὶ περιττή ἡ διὰ λόγων ἀπόδειξις. Καὶ γὰρ ὅπερ ἡμεῖς ἐκ πίστεως νοοῦμεν, τοῦτο ὑμεῖς διὰ Λόγων κατασκευάζειν πειρᾶσθε· καὶ πολλάκις οὐδὲ φράσαι ἃ νοοῦμεν δύνασθε· ὥστε βελτίων καὶ ὀχυρωτέρα ἡ διὰ πίστεως ἐνέργεια τῶν σοφιστικῶν ὑμῶν συλλογισμῶν.

Ekeinōn de diaporountōn kai strephomenōn hōde kakeise, meidiasas ho ’Dntōnios ephē palin diʼ hermēneōsʼ Tauta min kai apʼ autēs tēs hopseōs echei ton elenchon; epeidē de mallon hymeis tois apodeiktikois logois epereidesthe, kai tautēn echontes tēn technēn, boulesthe kai hēmas mē aneu tēs dia tōn logōn apodeixeōs theosebein; heiʼpate prōton hymeis, ta pragmata, kai malista hē peri tou Theou gnōsis, pōs akribōs diaginōsketai, diʼ apodeixeōs logōn, ē diʼ energeias pisteōs? kai ti presbyteron estin, hē diʼ energeias pistis, ē hē dia logōn apodeixis, Tōn de apokrinamenōn, presbyteran einai tēn diʼ energeias pistin, kai tautēn einai tēn akribē gnōsin; ephē ho ’Dntōnios Kalōs eiʼpate; hē men gar pistis apo diatheseōs psychēs ginetaiʼ hē de dialektikē apo technēs tōn syntithentōn estin. Oukoun hois parestin ‘ hē dia pisteōs energeia, toutois ouk anankaia, ē tacha kai perittē hē dia logōn apodeixis. Kai gar hoper hēmeis ek pisteōs nooumen, touto hymeis dia Logōn kataskeuazein peirasthe; kai pollakis oude phrasai ha nooumen dynasthe; hōste beltiōn kai ochyrōtera hē dia pisteōs energeia tōn sophistikōn hymōn syllogismōn.

When they were at a loss and turned this way and that, Antony smiled and said again through an interpreter: ‘These things carry their refutation in the very sight of them. But since you rely rather on demonstrative arguments, and, having this art, you wish us too not to worship God without demonstration by arguments, tell us first: how are things, and especially the knowledge of God, accurately known? Through demonstration by arguments, or through the working of faith? And which comes first, faith through its working, or demonstration through arguments?’ When they answered that faith through its working comes first and that this is accurate knowledge, Antony said: ‘You have spoken well; for faith comes from the disposition of the soul, while dialectic comes from the art of those who devise it. So for those in whom the working through faith is present, demonstration by arguments is not necessary, or is perhaps even superfluous. For what we understand by faith, you try to establish by arguments; and often you cannot even express what we understand. So the working through faith is better and firmer than your sophistic syllogisms.’

Notes and citation

Summary: Antony made the philosophers admit that faith working in the soul comes before and surpasses proof by argument.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: lost letter; OCR: misread letter; OCR: stray characters; OCR: stray letter; OCR: words joined): ἔλεγχοψ → ἔλεγχον·; Θεοσεβεῖνο → θεοσεβεῖν·; μάλισταὴ → μάλιστα ἡ; ἀποδείξεω, λόγων → ἀποδείξεως λόγων; ἃνοοῦμεν → ἃ νοοῦμεν; συλλογισμῶν.. σοι· → συλλογισμῶν..

Cite (SBL): Athanasius, V. Ant. 77 (PG 26:949b–952b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-vita-antonii/59/#p-77).

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Chapter 78

78PG 26:952b–952d

Ἡμεῖς τοίνυν οἱ Χριστιανοὶ οὐκ ἐν σοφίᾳ λόγων Ἑλληνικῶν ἔχομεν τὸ μυστήριον· ἀλλʼ ἐν δυνάμει πίστεως ἐπιχορηγουμένης ἡμῖν διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ παρά Θεοῦ. Καὶ ὅτι ἀληθής ἐστιν ὁ λόγος, ἰδοὺ νῦν, μὴ μαθόντες ἡμεῖς γράμματα, πιστεύομεν εἰς τὸν Θεὸν, ἐπιγινώσκοντες διὰ τῶν ποιημάτων αὐτοῦ τὴν εἷς πάντα πρόνοια. Καὶ ὅτι ἐνεργής ἐστιν ἡ πίστις ἡμῶν, ἰδοὺ νῦν ἡμεῖς ἐπερειδόμεθα τῇ πίστει τῇ εἷς τὸν Χριστὸν, ὑμεῖς δὲ σοφιστικαῖς λογομαχίαις, Καὶ τὰ μὶν παρʼ ὑμῖν τῶν εῖδώλων φάσματα καταργεῖται, ἡ δὲ παρʼ ἡμῖν πίστις ἐπεκτείνεται πανταχοῦ. Καὶ ὑμεῖς μὲν συλλογιζόμενοι καὶ σοφιζόμενοι, οὐ μεταπείθετε ἀπὸ Χριστιανισμοῦ εἰς Ἑλληνισμόν· ἡμεῖς δὲ τὴν εἷς Χριστὸν πίστιν διδάσκοντες, ψιλοῦμεν ὑμῖν τήν δεισιδαιμονίαν, ἐπιγινωσκόντων πάντων τὸν Χριστὸν εἶναι Θεὸν, καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ Υῖὸν. Καὶ ὑμεῖς μὲν τῇ καλλιεπείᾳ οὐκ ἐμποδίζετε τήν τοῦ Χριστοῦ διδασκαλίαν· ἡμεῖς δὶ, ὀνομάζοντες τὸν ἐσταυρωμένον Χριστὸν, πάντας διώκομεν δαίμονας οὕς ὑμεῖς φοβεῖσθε ὡς θεούς. Καὶ ἔνθα τὸ σημεῖον τοῦ σταυροῦ γίνεται, ἀσθενεῖ μὶν μαγεία, οὐκ ἐνεργεῖ δὲ φαρμακεία.

Hēmeis toinyn hoi Christianoi ouk en sophią logōn Hellēnikōn echomen to mystērion; allʼ en dynamei pisteōs epichorēgoumenēs hēmin dia Iēsou Christou para Theou. Kai hoti alēthēs estin ho logos, idou nyn, mē mathontes hēmeis grammata, pisteuomen eis ton Theon, epiginōskontes dia tōn poiēmatōn autou tēn heis panta pronoia. Kai hoti energēs estin hē pistis hēmōn, idou nyn hēmeis epereidometha tę̄ pistei tę̄ heis ton Christon, hymeis de sophistikais logomachiais, Kai ta min parʼ hymin tōn eidōlōn phasmata katargeitai, hē de parʼ hēmin pistis epekteinetai pantachou. Kai hymeis men syllogizomenoi kai sophizomenoi, ou metapeithete apo Christianismou eis Hellēnismon; hēmeis de tēn heis Christon pistin didaskontes, psiloumen hymin tēn deisidaimonian, epiginōskontōn pantōn ton Christon einai Theon, kai tou Theou Uion. Kai hymeis men tę̄ kalliepeią ouk empodizete tēn tou Christou didaskalian; hēmeis di, onomazontes ton estaurōmenon Christon, pantas diōkomen daimonas hous hymeis phobeisthe hōs theous. Kai entha to sēmeion tou staurou ginetai, asthenei min mageia, ouk energei de pharmakeia.

‘We Christians, then, hold the mystery not in the wisdom of Greek arguments, but in the power of faith supplied to us by God through Jesus Christ. And to show that what I say is true: see, we who have not learned letters believe in God, recognizing his providence over all things through his works. And to show that our faith is effective: see, we rely on faith in Christ, but you on sophistic wrangling over words; the phantoms of your idols are being brought to nothing, while our faith spreads everywhere. You, with your syllogisms and sophistries, convert no one from Christianity to paganism; but we, by teaching faith in Christ, strip you of your superstition, as all come to recognize that Christ is God and the Son of God. You do not hinder the teaching of Christ by your eloquence; but we, by naming Christ crucified, drive away all the demons whom you fear as gods. And where the sign of the cross is made, magic grows weak and sorcery has no effect.’

1 Cor 2:4–5 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 1:23 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Christian faith, held even by the unlettered, spreads and overcomes demons and magic by the name of Christ crucified, while pagan argument converts no one.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: misread letter; OCR: stray mark; OCR: words joined): ἐπιχορηγουμίνης → ἐπιχορηγουμένης; εʼίς Ἑλληνισμόν → εἰς Ἑλληνισμόν; ὑμεῖςμὲν → ὑμεῖς μὲν; Θεοός → θεούς.

Cite (SBL): Athanasius, V. Ant. 78 (PG 26:952b–952d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-vita-antonii/59/#p-78).

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Chapter 79

79PG 26:952d–953c

Εἴπατε γοῦν, ποῦ νῦν ὑμῶν τὰ μαντεῖα; ποῦ αἱ τῶν Αίγυπτίων ἐπαοιδαί; ποῦ τῶν μάγων αἱ φαντασίαι; πότε ταῦτα πάντα πέπαυται καὶ ἠσθένησεν, εἰ μὴ ὅτε ὁ τοῦ Χριστοῦ σταυρὸς γέγονεν ; Ἀρα οὖν ἄξιος οὗτος χλεύης, ἢ μᾶλλον τὰ καταργούμενα παρʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐλεγχόμενα ἀσθενῆ; Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο θαυμαστόν ἐστιν · ὅτι τὰ μὲν ὑμέτερα οὐδέποτε ἐδιώχθη, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ ἀνθρώπων κατὰ πόλιν τιμᾶται · οἱ δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ διώκονται, καὶ μᾶλλον τά παρʼ ἡμῖν ὑπερ τὰ ὑμέτερα ἀνθεῖ καὶ πληθύνει. Καὶ τὰ μὲν ὑμέτερα εὐσημούμενα καί περικλειόμενα διαφθείρεται· ἡ δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πίστις καὶ ἡ διδασκαλία, χλευαζομένη παρʼ ὑμῶν, καὶ διωχθεῖσα παρά βασιλέων πολλάκις, πεπλήρωκε τὴν οἷκουμὲνην. Πότε γὰρ οὕτω θεογνωσία ἐξέλαμψεν ; ἢ πότε οὕτω σωφροσύνη καὶ ἀρετὴ παρθενίας ἐφάνη; ἢ πότε οὕτως ὁ Θάνατος κατεφρονήθη, εἱ μὴ ὅτε ὁ σταυρὸς τοῦ Χριστοῦ γὲγονε ; Τοῦτο δὲ οὐδεὶς ἀμφιβάλλει βλὲπων τοὺς μάρτυρας διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν καταφρονοῦντας τοῦ θανᾶτου, βλέπων τὰς τῆς Ἐκκλησίας παρθένους διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν καθαρά καὶ ἀμίαντα τὰ σῶματα φυλαττούσας.

Eipate goun, pou nyn hymōn ta manteia? pou hai tōn Aigyptiōn epaoidai? pou tōn magōn hai phantasiai? pote tauta panta pepautai kai ēsthenēsen, ei mē hote ho tou Christou stauros gegonen ? Ara oun axios houtos chleuēs, ē mallon ta katargoumena parʼ autou kai elenchomena asthenē? Kai gar kai touto thaumaston estin ; hoti ta men hymetera oudepote ediōchthē, alla kai para anthrōpōn kata polin timatai ; hoi de tou Christou diōkontai, kai mallon ta parʼ hēmin hyper ta hymetera anthei kai plēthynei. Kai ta men hymetera eusēmoumena kai perikleiomena diaphtheiretai; hē de tou Christou pistis kai hē didaskalia, chleuazomenē parʼ hymōn, kai diōchtheisa para basileōn pollakis, peplērōke tēn hoikoumenēn. Pote gar houtō theognōsia exelampsen ? ē pote houtō sōphrosynē kai aretē parthenias ephanē? ē pote houtōs ho Thanatos katephronēthē, hei mē hote ho stauros tou Christou gegone ? Touto de oudeis amphiballei blepōn tous martyras dia ton Christon kataphronountas tou thanatou, blepōn tas tēs Ekklēsias parthenous dia ton Christon kathara kai amianta ta sōmata phylattousas.

‘Tell us, then: where now are your oracles? Where are the incantations of the Egyptians? Where are the apparitions of the magicians? When did all these cease and grow weak, if not when the cross of Christ came? Is the cross, then, worthy of mockery, or rather are the things it has brought to nothing and exposed shown to be weak? This too is wonderful: your religion has never been persecuted, but is honored by people in every city; while the followers of Christ are persecuted, and yet ours flourishes and multiplies more than yours. Yours, though praised and protected, is perishing; but the faith and teaching of Christ, mocked by you and often persecuted by emperors, has filled the world. When did the knowledge of God ever shine out like this? When did self-control and the virtue of virginity ever appear like this? When was death ever so despised, if not since the cross of Christ came? No one doubts this who sees the martyrs despising death for Christ’s sake, and sees the virgins of the church keeping their bodies pure and undefiled for Christ’s sake.’

Notes and citation

Summary: Since the cross, oracles and magic have failed, while persecuted Christianity has filled the world with martyrs and virgins.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: misread ending; OCR: misread letters; OCR: words joined): ιῗ μὴ → εἰ μὴ; καὶτοῦτο → καὶ τοῦτο; ὑμέτεροι → ὑμέτερα; καίπληθύνει → καὶ πληθύνει.

Topics: Martyrdom

Cite (SBL): Athanasius, V. Ant. 79 (PG 26:952d–953c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-vita-antonii/59/#p-79).

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Chapter 80

80PG 26:953c–956b

Καὶ ἔστι μὲν ἱκανὰ ταῦτα τεκμήρια δεῖξαι τὴν κατᾶ Χριστὸν πίστιν μόνην ἀληθῆ εἶναι εἷς θεοσέβειαν. Ἰδοὺ ἀκμὴν ὑμεῖς ἀπιστεῖτε ζητοῦντες τοὺς ἐκ τῶν λόγων συλλογισμούς. Ἡμεῖς μὲν οὐκ ἒν πειθοῖς σοφίας Ἑλληνικῆς λόγοις, ὡς εἶπεν ὁ διδάσκαλος ἡμῶν, ἁποδείκνυμεν ° τῇ δὲ πίστει πείθομεν ἐναργῶς προλαμβανουσῃ τὴν ἐκ τῶν λόγων κατασκευήν. Ἰδοὺ πάρεισιν ὧδε ὑπὸ δαιμόνων πάσχοντες· ἦσαν δὲ τινες ἐλθόντες πρὸς αὐτὸν ὑπὸ δαιμόνων ἐνοχλούμενοι, καὶ παραγαγὼν αὐτοὺς εἲς τὸ μέσον, ἔφη ’Ή ὑμεῖς τοῖς συλλογισμοῖς αὐτῶν, καὶ ἂν βούλησθε τέχνῃ ἢ μαγείᾳ ἐπικαλούμενοι τὰ εἷʼδωλα ἑαυτῶν, καθαρίσατε αὐτούς ἢ, εἰ μὴ δύνασθε, κατάθεσθε τήν πρὸς ἡμᾶς μάχην, καὶ ὄψεσθε τοῦ σταυροῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὴν δύναμιν. Καὶ ταῦτα εἶʼπὼν, ἐπεκαλέσατο τὸν Χριστὸν, ἐσφράγισέ τε τοὺς πάσχοντας τῷ σημείῳ τοῦ σταυροῦ δεύτερον καὶ τρίτον. Καὶ εὐθὺς ἔστησαν οἱ ἅνθρωποι ὁλόκληροι, σωφρονοῦντες καὶ εὐχαριστοῦντες τῷ Κυρίῳ λοιπόν. Καὶ οἱ μὶν λεγόμενοι φιλόσοφοι ἐθαύμαζον, καὶ ἀληθῶς ἐξεπλήττοντο ἐπὶ τῇ συνέσει τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, καὶ τῷ γενομένῳ σημείῳ. Ὁ δὲ Ἀντώνιος ἔφη· Τί θαυμάζετε ἐπὶ τούτῳ; οὐκ ἐσμὲν ἡμεῖς οἱ ποιοῦντες, ἀλλʼ ὁ Χριστός ἐστιν, ἡ διὰ τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν πιστευὸντων ταῦτα ποιῶν. Πιστεύσατε οὖν καὶ ὑμεῖς · καὶ ὄψεσθε, ὅτι οὐ τέχνη λόγων τὰ παρʼ ἡμῖν ἐστιν. ἀλλὰ πίστις διʼ ἀγάπης τῆς εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν ἐνεργουμένης· ἥντινα ἐὰν σχοίητε καὶ ὑμεῖς, οὐκέτι τὰς διὰ λόγων ἀποδείξεις ζητήσετε · ἀλλʼ αὐτ-

Kai esti men hikana tauta tekmēria deixai tēn kata Christon pistin monēn alēthē einai heis theosebeian. Idou akmēn hymeis apisteite zētountes tous ek tōn logōn syllogismous. Hēmeis men ouk en peithois sophias Hellēnikēs logois, hōs eipen ho didaskalos hēmōn, hapodeiknymen ° tę̄ de pistei peithomen enargōs prolambanousę̄ tēn ek tōn logōn kataskeuēn. Idou pareisin hōde hypo daimonōn paschontes; ēsan de tines elthontes pros auton hypo daimonōn enochloumenoi, kai paragagōn autous eis to meson, ephē ’Ē hymeis tois syllogismois autōn, kai an boulēsthe technę̄ ē mageią epikaloumenoi ta heiʼdōla heautōn, katharisate autous ē, ei mē dynasthe, katathesthe tēn pros hēmas machēn, kai opsesthe tou staurou tou Christou tēn dynamin. Kai tauta eiʼpōn, epekalesato ton Christon, esphragise te tous paschontas tǭ sēmeiǭ tou staurou deuteron kai triton. Kai euthys estēsan hoi hanthrōpoi holoklēroi, sōphronountes kai eucharistountes tǭ Kyriǭ loipon. Kai hoi min legomenoi philosophoi ethaumazon, kai alēthōs exeplēttonto epi tę̄ synesei tou andros, kai tǭ genomenǭ sēmeiǭ. Ho de Antōnios ephē; Ti thaumazete epi toutǭ? ouk esmen hēmeis hoi poiountes, allʼ ho Christos estin, hē dia tōn eis auton pisteuontōn tauta poiōn. Pisteusate oun kai hymeis ; kai opsesthe, hoti ou technē logōn ta parʼ hēmin estin. alla pistis diʼ agapēs tēs eis ton Christon energoumenēs; hēntina ean schoiēte kai hymeis, ouketi tas dia logōn apodeixeis zētēsete ; allʼ aut-

‘These are sufficient proofs that the faith of Christ alone is true religion. See, you still do not believe, but look for syllogisms drawn from arguments. We do not demonstrate, as our teacher said, “in persuasive words of Greek wisdom”; we persuade by faith, which clearly anticipates the construction of arguments. See, here are some who suffer from demons.’ (For some had come to him troubled by demons.) And bringing them into the middle he said: ‘Either you cleanse them by your syllogisms, or by any art or magic you wish, invoking your idols; or, if you cannot, lay down your quarrel with us, and you will see the power of the cross of Christ.’ Having said this, he called upon Christ and sealed the sufferers with the sign of the cross two and three times. At once the men stood up whole, in their right minds and from then on giving thanks to the Lord. The so-called philosophers marveled and were truly astonished at the man’s understanding and at the sign that had been done. But Antony said: ‘Why do you marvel at this? It is not we who do it, but Christ, who does these things through those who believe in him. So believe, you too, and you will see that what we have is not an art of words but faith working through love toward Christ; if you too had it, you would no longer look for demonstrations through arguments, but …’

1 Cor 2:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Gal 5:6 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Antony challenged the philosophers to heal the demon-possessed by their arguments or magic; when they could not, he healed them with the sign of the cross, giving the credit to Christ.

A line describing Antony’s reply is garbled in the scan and restored by sense; the chapter breaks off at the end (marked “…”).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: 6 for ὁ; OCR: Latin letters; OCR: misread letter; OCR: next chapter number; OCR: noise characters and lost accents; OCR: stray letter; OCR: word split, misread letters): ὑμεῖο → ὑμεῖς; πάσχοντες ο ἦσαν → πάσχοντες· ἦσαν; ἂν βού) ησθε → ἂν βούλησθε; ἔπικαο λίσατο → ἐπεκαλέσατο; ἐσφράγισὲ τι → ἐσφράγισέ τε; σημείῳ ο σε ν ι,ι ι ιγ ν κ,ι _ ν o οὲ Αντωνιος εφη, Τι Θαυμαεετε επι τοδτῳ, ουκ → σημείῳ. Ὁ δὲ Ἀντώνιος ἔφη· Τί θαυμάζετε ἐπὶ τούτῳ; οὐκ; ΙΙιστεῦσατε → Πιστεύσατε; sic τὸν Χριστὸν → εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν; ἐνεργουμένης ο ἥντινα → ἐνεργουμένης· ἥντινα; ἀποδείξεισ → ἀποδείξεις; αὖτ- 81. → αὐτ-; λλʼ 6 Χρι → λλʼ ὁ Χρι; ιν, 6 διὰ → ιν, ἡ διὰ.

Cite (SBL): Athanasius, V. Ant. 80 (PG 26:953c–956b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-vita-antonii/59/#p-80).

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Chapter 81

81PG 26:956b–957a

Ἐσθασε δὲ καὶ μέχρι βασιλέων ἡ περὶ Ἀντωνίου φήμη. Ταῦτα γὰρ μαθόντες Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ Αὕγουστος, καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ Κωνστάντιος καὶ Κώνστας οἱ Αὔγουστοι, ἔγραφον αὖτῷ ὡς πατρὶ, καὶ ηὔχοντο λαμβάνειν ἀντίγραφα παρʼ αὐτοῦ. Ἀλλʼ οὔτε τὰ γράμματα περὶ πολλοῦ τινος ἐποιεῖτο, οὔτε ἐπὶ ταῖς ἐπιστολαῖς ἐγεγήθει · ὁ αὐτὸς δὲ ἦν, οἶος καὶ πρὸ τοῦ γράφειν αὖτῷ τοὺς βασιλέας. ’Ὁτι δὶ ἐκομίζετο αὐτῷ τὰ γράμματα, ἐκάλει τοὺς μοναχοὺς, καὶ ἔλεγε Μὴ Θαυμάζετε, εἴ γράφει βασιλεὺς πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ἄνθρωπος γάρ ἐστιν ' ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον θαυμάζετε, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς τὸν νόμον ἀνθρώποις ἔγραψε, καὶ διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου Υἱοῦ λελάληκεν ἡμῖν. Ἐβούλετο μὲν οὖν μὴ δέχεσθαι τὰς ἐπιστολὰς. λέγων οὐκ εἶδὲναι πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα, ἀντιγράφειν · προτραπεὶς δὲ παρὰ τῶν μοναχῶν, ὅτι Χριστιανοί εἶσιν οἱ βασιλεῖς, xui *ἱνα μὴ ὡς προρῥιφέντες σκανδαλισθεῖεν, ἐπέτρεπεν ἀναγινώσκεσθαι. Καὶ ἀντέγραφεν, ἀποδεχόμενος μὲν αὐτοὺς, ὅτι τὸν Χριστὸν προσκυνοῦσι, συνεβούλευε δὲ τὰ εἷς σωτηρίαν · καὶ μὴ μεγάλα ἡγεῖσθαι τὰ παρόντα, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον μνημονεύειν της μελλούσης κρίσεως, καὶ εἷʼδέναι, ὅτι ὁ Χριστὸς μόνος ἀληθὴς καὶ αἰώνιός ἐστι βασιλεύς. Φιλανθρὼπους τε αὐτοὺς εἶναι ἠξίου, καὶ φροντίζειν τοῦ δικαίου καὶ τῶν πτωχῶν. Κἀκεῖνοι δεχόμενοι ἔχαιρον. Οὕτω παρᾶ πᾶσιν ἦν προσφιλὴς, καὶ πάντες ἔχειν αὐτὸν ἠξίου πατέρα.

Esthase de kai mechri basileōn hē peri Antōniou phēmē. Tauta gar mathontes Kōnstantinos ho Haugoustos, kai hoi huioi autou Kōnstantios kai Kōnstas hoi Augoustoi, egraphon autǭ hōs patri, kai ēuchonto lambanein antigrapha parʼ autou. Allʼ oute ta grammata peri pollou tinos epoieito, oute epi tais epistolais egegēthei ; ho autos de ēn, oios kai pro tou graphein autǭ tous basileas. ’Hoti di ekomizeto autǭ ta grammata, ekalei tous monachous, kai elege Mē Thaumazete, ei graphei basileus pros hēmas, anthrōpos gar estin ' alla mallon thaumazete, hoti ho Theos ton nomon anthrōpois egrapse, kai dia tou idiou Huiou lelalēken hēmin. Ebouleto men oun mē dechesthai tas epistolas. legōn ouk eidenai pros ta toiauta, antigraphein ; protrapeis de para tōn monachōn, hoti Christianoi eisin hoi basileis, xui *hina mē hōs prorrhiphentes skandalistheien, epetrepen anaginōskesthai. Kai antegraphen, apodechomenos men autous, hoti ton Christon proskynousi, synebouleue de ta heis sōtērian ; kai mē megala hēgeisthai ta paronta, alla mallon mnēmoneuein tēs mellousēs kriseōs, kai heiʼdenai, hoti ho Christos monos alēthēs kai aiōnios esti basileus. Philanthrōpous te autous einai ēxiou, kai phrontizein tou dikaiou kai tōn ptōchōn. Kakeinoi dechomenoi echairon. Houtō para pasin ēn prosphilēs, kai pantes echein auton ēxiou patera.

The fame of Antony reached even the emperors. When Constantine Augustus and his sons Constantius and Constans, the Augusti, learned of these things, they wrote to him as to a father and begged to receive replies from him. But he made little of the letters, nor was he delighted by them; he was the same as he had been before the emperors wrote to him. When the letters were brought to him, he called the monks and said: ‘Do not marvel if an emperor writes to us, for he is a man; marvel rather that God wrote the law for human beings and has spoken to us through his own Son.’ He wished not to receive the letters, saying that he did not know how to answer such things; but the monks urged him, because the emperors were Christians, and so that they would not be offended at being rejected; so he allowed them to be read. He wrote back, commending them for worshiping Christ, and counseling them on what concerns salvation: not to think the present world great, but rather to remember the coming judgment, and to know that Christ alone is the true and eternal King. He asked them to be humane and to care for justice and for the poor. They received his letter and rejoiced. So he was dear to all, and all wished to have him as a father.

Heb 1:2 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Constantine and his sons wrote to Antony, who was unimpressed but replied, urging them to remember the judgment, to rule justly, and to care for the poor.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: 6 for ὁ; OCR: Latin letters; OCR: lost letter; OCR: misread breathing; OCR: misread letter; OCR: misread letters; OCR: words joined; OCR: xui for καὶ): o't υἱοὶ → οἱ υἱοὶ; Κωνστάντιας → Κωνστάντιος; Κώνστας oi → Κώνστας οἱ; τοὺ βασιλέας → τοὺς βασιλέας; μεναχοὺς → μοναχοὺς; Tini} → Υἱοῦ; oi βασιλεῖς → οἱ βασιλεῖς; σκανδαλισθιῖηιν → σκανδαλισθεῖεν; ἇναγικώσκεσθαι → ἀναγινώσκεσθαι; ἀποδεχόμενος μὶ αὐτοὺς → ἀποδεχόμενος μὲν αὐτοὺς; πτωχῶν.Κάκεῖνοι → πτωχῶν. Κἀκεῖνοι; ῆξίου → ἠξίου; νος 6 Αὕγ → νος ὁ Αὕγ; ι · 6 αὐτ → ι · ὁ αὐτ; ὅτι 6 Θεὸ → ὅτι ὁ Θεὸ; ς, xui εἷ → ς, καὶ εἷ.

Cite (SBL): Athanasius, V. Ant. 81 (PG 26:956b–957a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-vita-antonii/59/#p-81).

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