ANTONIANI. — These are the disciples of St. Antonio abate. In the Vita Antonii written by St. Atanasio, mention is made of a colony of hermits who, around 306, placed themselves under the direction of the saint, whom they venerated as “father.” Gathered together and oriented toward a way of life that was in some manner communal, they formed a kind of eremitical community, of which Antonio was the leader; his leadership, however, was purely spiritual, based on the free will of each individual, which underlay their persevering dependence on him or, on his advice, on the most experienced member of the colony. It is therefore improper to speak of the a. as a religious family, nor did the Saint intend to found an eremitical community. But through the work he performed and, above all, through his extensive instruction in the ascetic life, strengthened by his example, he became God’s instrument for the further development and organization of ancient monasticism. The work thus begun was continued by his imitators: during the 4th century, colonies of solitaries were formed in Egypt, initially consisting of 2–10 persons and later increasing until they reached 6000 monks, according to the testimony of Rufino. Vi-
During Antonio’s lifetime, anchoritism spread throughout Lower Egypt, in the northern and western part of the desert and on both sides of the Nile delta. Particularly noteworthy were the eremitical colonies of Nitria and Scete. Each solitary lived by the work of his own hands, which continued from morning until three in the afternoon, at which hour the singing of the psalms began in the cells. Divine worship was reserved for Saturday and Sunday. The oldest of eight priests, assisted by the other seven, offered the sacrifice of the Mass and expounded the Gospel. After some time, experienced anchorites were required to leave the colony and withdraw to separate cells, arranged at a certain distance from one another, so that no one could hear or see his neighbor. The founder of the colonies of Nitria was s. Ammonio (died before 356), while in those of Scete s. Macario, known as the Egyptian or the Elder, d. in 391, distinguished himself.