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| Birth and beginnings of Antony.
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1. Antony you must know
was by descent an Egyptian: his parents were of good family and
possessed considerable wealth985
| 985 At Coma
in Upper Egypt, see Sozom. i. 13. | , and as they were
Christians he also was reared in the same Faith. In infancy he was
brought up with his parents, knowing nought else but them and his home.
But when he was grown and arrived at boyhood, and was advancing in
years, he could not endure to learn986
| 986 Cf. St.
Aug. de Doctr. Christ. Prologue. | letters, not
caring to associate with other boys; but all his desire was, as it is
written of Jacob, to live a plain man at home987
. With
his parents he used to attend the Lord’s House, and neither as a
child was he idle nor when older did he despise them; but was both
obedient to his father and mother and attentive to what was read,
keeping in his heart what was profitable in what he heard. And though
as a child brought up in moderate affluence, he did not trouble his
parents for varied or luxurious
fare, nor was this a source of pleasure to him; but was content simply
with what he found nor sought anything further.
2. After the death of his father and mother he
was left alone with one little sister: his age was about eighteen or
twenty, and on him the care both of home and sister rested. Now it was
not six months after the death of his parents, and going according to
custom into the Lord’s House, he communed with himself and
reflected as he walked how the Apostles988
left
all and followed the Saviour; and how they in the Acts989
sold their possessions and brought and laid
them at the Apostles’ feet for distribution to the needy, and
what and how great a hope was laid up for them in heaven. Pondering
over these things he entered the church, and it happened the Gospel was
being read, and he heard the Lord saying to the rich man990
, ‘If thou wouldest be perfect, go and
sell that thou hast and give to the poor; and come follow Me and thou
shalt have treasure in heaven.’ Antony, as though God had put him
in mind of the Saints, and the passage had been read on his account,
went out immediately from the church, and gave the possessions of his
forefathers to the villagers—they were three hundred acres991
| 991 ἄρουραι. The
arura was 100 Egyptian cubits square, see Herod. ii.
168. | , productive and very fair—that they
should be no more a clog upon himself and his sister992
| 992 Or,
perhaps, ‘in order that they (the villagers) might have no
occasion to trouble himself and his sister,’ i.e. on condition of
future immunity from taxes, &c. (so Neander). | .
And all the rest that was movable he sold, and having got together much
money he gave it to the poor, reserving a little however for his
sister’s sake.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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