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Anthony was born in Qumans, Egypt in 251 A.D. or thereabouts, the son of wealthy Christian farmers. His parents died before he reached the age of 20, leaving him an estate to manage and a younger sister to look after. Anthony soon felt the need to follow the exhortation: "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me" (Matthew 19.21). So he gave away all he had to the poor and put his sister in a female community, preferring to follow the life of a hermit, dedicating himself to prayer, helping the poor and taking a vow of chastity.
To begin with he lived in a mountainside cave near his birthplace; in 305, he founded a community in Fayum and later another in Pispir. He is thus called the “father of monasteries”, though there was no set of rules. Anthony become famous throughout Egypt, people flocking to him for advice. At this point he started to help the ill, performing several “healings” and “exorcism”.
He lived to the age over 100 and died a hermit on Mount Colztum, close to the Red Sea.
The Feast of St. Anthony the Abbot is celebrated on 17th January (or the nearest Sunday). For the Ancient Romans the end of January was a period of purification (men, beasts and fields) to ensure a fruitful new season. The pagan rites (blessing of the fields) were absorbed by Christianity and hence farmyard animals - and also pets nowadays – are blessed outside the churches dedicated this saint.
His symbols are a T-shaped staff (tau) and a pig. Initially a wild boar, it was the attribute of the Celtic god Lug venerated in Gaul ( Gallia) and often mentioned in Irish sagas. Given that reliquaries of the saint were brought to France, the early Celtic Christians transferred to St. Anthony the qualities of the pagan saint: hence the boar (and later a pig, to avoid pagan undertones) became part of the cult of St. Anthony. One legend tells how the boar was, in fact, the devil, defeated by Anthony by resisting temptation; another tells how the saint healed a piglet, which then followed him everywhere he went like a dog.
St. Anthony’s fire: it was rumoured that Anthony healed herpes zoster, thanks to his ability to master fire (it’s said that he stole fire from hell with the aid of his pig).
The Feast of St. Anthony the Abbot is celebrated in the following towns in the Maremma Laziale:
- Cellere
- Canino
- Monte Romano
- Montalto di Castro
- Tarquinia
- Tuscania
Further info
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