E00669: Athanasius of Alexandria recounts the death of *Antony ('the Great', monk of Egypt, ob. 356, S00098): he demands to be buried at a secret place, and distributes his poor belongings to two bishops and two of his fellow monks, who keep them as valuables. Account in Athanasius’ Life of Antony (Ε00631), written in Greek in Alexandria (Egypt) in c. 360.
Creators: name: Bryan
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2015
Subjects: History

description: Athanasius of Alexandria, Life of Antony (CPG 2101, BHG 140), 90-92<br><br>For a summary of the complete Life, see E00631.<br><br>These paragraphs belong to the last scene of the Life of Antony, concerning his death. Antony is at the ‘outer mountain’, when he realises that the time of his death is approaching, and decides to move back to his normal dwelling at the ‘inner mountain’, in order to die and be buried there.<br><br>(90.) 1. Τῶν δὲ ἀδελφῶν βιαζομένων αὐτὸν μεῖναι παρ’ αὐτοῖς κἀκεῖ τελειωθῆναι, οὐκ ἠνέσχετο διὰ πολλὰ μέν, ὡς αὐτὸς καὶ σιωπῶν ἐνέφαινεν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο δὲ μάλιστα. 2. Οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι τὰ τῶν τελευτώντων σπουδαίων σώματα, καὶ μάλιστα τῶν ἁγίων μαρτύρων, φιλοῦσι θάπτειν μὲν καὶ περιελίσσειν ὀθονίοις, μὴ κρύπτειν δὲ ὑπὸ γῆν, ἀλλ’ ἐπὶ σκιμποδίων τιθέναι καὶ φυλάττειν ἔνδον παρ’ ἑαυτοῖς, νομίζοντες ἐν τούτῳ τιμᾶν τοὺς ἀπελθόντας. 3. Ὁ δὲ Ἀντώνιος πολλάκις περὶ τούτου καὶ ἐπισκόπους ἠξίου παραγγέλλειν τοῖς λαοῖς. 4. Καὶ λαϊκοὺς ἐνέτρεπε καὶ γυναιξὶν ἐπέπληττεν, λέγων μήτε νόμιμον μήτε ὅλως ὅσιον εἶναι τοῦτο.<br><br>(91.) 1. Αὐτὸς δέ, τοῦτο γινώσκων, καὶ φοβούμενος μὴ καὶ τὸ αὐτοῦ ποιήσωσιν οὕτω σῶμα, ἤπειξεν ἑαυτόν, συνταξάμενος τοῖς ἐν τῷ ἔξω ὄρει μοναχοῖς. Καὶ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὸ ἔνδον ὄρος, ἔνθα καὶ μένειν εἰώθει, μετὰ μῆνας ὀλίγους ἐνόσησεν. Καὶ καλέσας τοὺς ὄντας σὺν αὐτῷ (δύο δὲ ἦσαν, οἵτινες καὶ ἔμειναν ἔνδον, δέκα καὶ πέντε ἔτη ἀσκούμενοι, καὶ ὑπηρετοῦντες αὐτῷ διὰ τὸ γῆρας) ἔλεγε πρὸς αὐτούς· … 6. Καὶ εἰ μέλει ὑμῖν περὶ ἐμοῦ καὶ μνημονεύετε ὡς περὶ πατρός, μὴ ἀφῆτέ τινας τὸ σῶμά μου λαβεῖν εἰς Αἴγυπτον, μήπως ἐν τοῖς οἴκοις ἀπόθωνται. Τούτου γὰρ χάριν εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὸ ὄρος καὶ ἦλθον ὧδε. 7. Οἴδατε δὲ καὶ πῶς ἀεὶ ἐνέτρεπον τοὺς τοῦτο ποιοῦντας, καὶ παρήγγελλον παύεσθαι τῆς τοιαύτης συνηθείας. Θάψατε οὖν τὸ ἡμέτερον ὑμεῖς καὶ ὑπὸ γῆν κρύψατε, καὶ ἔστω τὸ παρ’ ἐμοῦ ῥῆμα φυλαττόμενον παρ’ ὑμῖν, ὥστε μηδένα γινώσκειν τὸν τόπον πλὴν ὑμῶν μόνων. 8. Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει τῶν νεκρῶν ἀπολήψομαι παρὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἄφθαρτον αὐτό. Διέλετε δέ μου τὰ ἐνδύματα· καὶ Ἀθανασίῳ μὲν τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ δότε τὴν μίαν μηλωτὴν καὶ ὃ ὑπεστρωννυόμην ἱμάτιον, ὅπερ αὐτὸς μέν μοι καινὸν δέδωκεν, παρ’ ἐμοὶ δὲ πεπαλαίωται. 9. Καὶ Σεραπίωνι δὲ τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ δότε τὴν ἑτέραν μηλωτήν· καὶ ὑμεῖς ἔχετε τὸ τρίχινον ἔνδυμα. Καὶ λοιπὸν σῴζεσθε, τέκνα· ὁ γὰρ Ἀντώνιος μεταβαίνει καὶ οὐκέτι μεθ’ ὑμῶν ἐστιν.<br><br>(92.) 1. Ταῦτα εἰπών, καὶ ἀσπασαμένων ἐκείνων αὐτόν, ἐξάρας τοὺς πόδας, καὶ ὥσπερ φίλους ὁρῶν τοὺς ἐλθόντας ἐπ’ αὐτὸν καὶ δι’ αὐτοὺς περιχαρὴς γενόμενος (ἐφαίνετο γὰρ ἀνακείμενος ἱλαρῷ τῷ προσώπῳ) ἐξέλιπε καὶ προσετέθη καὶ αὐτὸς πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας. 2. Κἀκεῖνοι λοιπόν, καθὰ δέδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐντολάς, θάψαντες καὶ εἰλίξαντες, ἔκρυψαν ὑπὸ γῆν αὐτοῦ τὸ σῶμα, καὶ οὐδεὶς οἶδε τέως ποῦ κέκρυπται πλὴν μόνων αὐτῶν τῶν δύο. 3. Καὶ τῶν λαβόντων δὲ ἕκαστος τὴν μηλωτὴν τοῦ μακαρίου Ἀντωνίου καὶ τὸ τετριμμένον παρ’ αὐτοῦ ἱμάτιον, ὡς μέγα χρῆμα φυλάττει. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ βλέπων αὐτά, ὡς Ἀντώνιόν ἐστι θεωρῶν· καὶ περιβαλλόμενος δὲ αὐτά, ὡς τὰς νουθεσίας αὐτοῦ βαστάζων ἐστὶ μετὰ χαρᾶς.<br><br><br>'90. 1. When the brothers tried to force him to stay with them and die there, he refused for a number of reasons (which he indicated even by his silence), but especially because of this. 2. The Egyptians have the custom to prepare for burial and wrap in linen the bodies of eminent people who have died, especially the holy martyrs (καὶ μάλιστα τῶν ἁγίων μαρτύρων), but not to bury them in the ground; instead, they place them on small couches and keep them at their homes, believing that by doing this they honour the departed. 3. But Antony had often asked the bishops to provide direction to the people about this practice. 4. And he would shame laymen and rebuke women, saying that this was neither lawful, nor godly.<br><br>91. 1 Yet, knowing that practice, and fearing that they would do the same with his body, he shared his plans with the monks on the outer mountain, and hastened away. So he went to the inner mountain, where he usually lived, and after a few months he became ill. He summoned those who were with him (there were two of them who had stayed there with him for fifteen years, living ascetically and serving him on account of his old age), and said to them: “… 6. And if you care about me and keep my memory as you would your father’s, do not allow anyone to take my body to Egypt, lest they keep it in their homes. Indeed, it was on account of this practice that I returned to the mountain and came here. 7. You know how I have always put to shame those who do this and how I have ordered them to stop this custom. Therefore bury me, according to our custom, and hide my body under the earth, and let my word be kept between you, so that no one knows the place except you alone. 8. I will receive my body back imperishable from the Lord at the resurrection of the dead. Distribute my clothing. To Bishop Athanasios give the one sheepskin coat (μηλωτὴ mēlōtē) and the sheet I used for bedding. He gave it to me new, but I have worn it out. 9. To Bishop Serapion give the other sheepskin coat, and you keep the hairshirt yourselves. And now, children, farewell, for Antony is departing and is with you no more.”<br><br>92. 1. When he said this, they kissed him, and he lifted up his feet. Looking at those who had come for him as if seeing his friends and being overjoyed by their presence — for, as he lay down, his face appeared joyful —, he died and was gathered to the fathers. 2. Then the two monks, just as he had ordered them, prepared, wrapped and buried the body under the earth, and, to this day, no one knows where it is buried except them. And each one of those who received the sheepskin coat from blessed Antony, and his worn-out cloak from him, keep them and treat them as great valuables. For even seeing these things is like laying eyes on Antony, and putting them on is like bearing his admonitions with joy.'<br><br>Text: Bartelink 2004. Translation: Athanassakis 2003, modified.