Anthony withdraws to the desert

c. 285 CE · Monastic era

Anthony gives away his possessions and settles in the eastern desert, drawing imitators within his lifetime. The monastic movement he inspired soon generates letters, accounts and teachings recorded in Coptic.

Why it matters for the language — Monasticism made Coptic the language of a vast new literature.

Date: c. 285 CE
Era: Monastic era

PeopleAnthony the Great

PlacesMonastery of Saint Antony