38 – The First Monk of the World
We introduce Christian monasticism into our narrative, by looking at the so-called first monk, Antony of Egypt…
Greek Icon of Antony
Coptic Icon of Antony
The Temptation of Saint Antony – Schongauer
The Temptation of St. Antony – Michelangelo
Map of Monastic Egypt from The Lives of the Desert Fathers – Ward and Russell
It does seem improbable that a rich man in urban Egypt wouldn’t have gained at least a passing familiarity with Greek philosophy. The paideia wasn’t fully established yet as a training for imperial service, but the value of Greek literary education for one’s civic future was well recognized by then.