From the Prologue of Ochrid
Anthony was an Egyptian, born around the year 250 in a village called Coma near Heraclea. After the death of his noble and wealthy parents, he divided the inherited estate with his underage sister, provided for her with certain relatives, distributed his portion of the estate to the poor, and in his twentieth year devoted himself to the ascetic life, for which he had yearned from childhood. At first he practiced asceticism near his village, but in order to avoid disturbances from people, he withdrew into the desert, to the shores of the Red Sea, where as a recluse he spent twenty years associating with no one except God through unceasing prayer, meditation and contemplation, patiently enduring inexpressible demonic temptations. His fame spread throughout the whole world, and around him gathered a multitude of disciples, whom he directed by example and words onto the path of salvation. In eighty-five years of his ascetic life he went to Alexandria only twice, the first time seeking martyrdom during the persecution of the Church, and the second time at the invitation of Saint Athanasius, in order to refute the slander of the Arians as though he too was an adherent of the Arian heresy. He ended his life in the one hundred fifth year of his life, leaving behind him an entire army of disciples and imitators. Although Anthony was unlearned in books, he became a counselor and teacher to the most learned people of that time, such as Saint Athanasius the Great. When certain Greek philosophers tested him with book wisdom, Anthony shamed them with the question: "Which is older: reason or book? and which (of these two) was the cause of the other?" The shamed philosophers dispersed, for they saw that they had only book memory without reason, while Anthony had reason. Behold a man who attained such perfection as man can generally attain on earth. Behold an educator of educators and a teacher of teachers, who for a full eighty-five years improved himself, and only thus could improve many others as well. Filled with many years and great deeds, Anthony reposed in the Lord in the year 335.
