Person

Anthony the Great

c. 251–356 · 4th century · Also known as Saint Anthony the Great

Anthony the Great was an Egyptian Christian who gave away his property and withdrew into the desert as a hermit in the late third century. Disciples gathered around him, and he is regarded as a founder of Christian monasticism. The Life of Antony by Athanasius of Alexandria made him the model of the ascetic hermit throughout the Christian world.

Anthony the Great
Image: Michael Damaskinos · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Anthony the Great. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/anthony-the-great
MLA
“Anthony the Great.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/anthony-the-great. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Anthony the Great.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/anthony-the-great.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Anthony the Great’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/anthony-the-great (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻