Description
Book SynopsisWritten between the mid-fourth and late sixth centuries to commemorate and glorify the achievements of early Christian saints, these six biographies depict men who devoted themselves to solitude, poverty and prayer. Athanasius records Antony's extreme seclusion in the Egyptian desert, despite temptation by the devil and visits from his followers. Jerome also shows those who fled persecution or withdrew from society to pursue lives of chastity and asceticism in his accounts of Paul of Thebes, Hilarion and Malchus. In his
Life of Martin, Sulpicius Severus describes the achievements of a man who combined the roles of monk, bishop and missionary, while Gregory the Great tells of Benedict, whose Rule became the template for monastic life. Full of vivid incidents and astonishing miracles, these
Lives have provided inspiration as models for centuries of Christian worship.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the Engl
Table of ContentsChronology
Map of the World of Antony, Paul, Hilarion, Malchus, Martin and Benedict
General Introduction:
The Early Development of Monasticism
The Writing of Biography: Pagan Past and Christian Future
Principal Primary Sources relating to Early Monasticism
The Saints in Iconography
Translation Past and Present
Further Reading
Early Christian Lives
Life of Antony by Athanasius
Life of Paul of Thebes by Jerome
Life of Hilarion by Jerome
Life of Malchus by Jerome
Life of Martin of Tours by Sulpicius Severus
Life of Benedict by Gregory the Great
Notes
