ARSENIO, called the GREAT (Ἀρσένιος ὁ Μέγας), saint. — One of the most celebrated “desert fathers.” Born in Rome to a senatorial family around 354. He was probably ordained a deacon by s. Damaso (cf. Zonara, Annal., 13, 19: PG 134, 1177 and Martirologio romano). Summoned to the imperial court by Theodosius, he went to Constantinople around 383, where for 11 years he was tutor to his sons, the future emperors Arcadius and Honorius. He then abandoned the honors of the court and withdrew to the eremitical life in the desert of Scete (Egypt); but because of incursions by barbarians from Libya (the Mazices), he had to leave his solitude, exclaiming: «Perdidit mundus Romam, et monachi Scytim» (Vitae Patr., 5, 2, 6; Apophthegmata Patrum, Arsen., 21). He took refuge at Troe, near Memphis, remaining there for about ten years. He then went to the little island of Canopus, but after three years returned to Troe, where he died more than ninety years old, «virtutibus omnibus consummatus et iugi lacrimarum imbre perfusus» (Martirologio rom.), around 445. He left disciples: Alessandro and Zoilo, who, in the school of A., educated Daniele. The latter transmitted to us the chronology of his life, his sayings, and his portrait: «tall, thin, and angelic in appearance» (Apophthegmata, 42 ff.). The Greek Church celebrates his feast on 8 May, the Syro-Maronite and Roman Churches on 19 July.
Two brief writings on the ascetic life are attributed to him (PG 66, 1617-26): Doctrina et exhortatio, Διδασκαλία καὶ παρανείας; In nomicum tentatorem, Εἰς τὸν πειραστὴν νομικὸν (cf. Lc. 10, 25), in which he asserts the necessity of purifying the inner man. Some of his sayings are preserved among the Apophthegmatis Patrum (§ De Abbate Arsenio, nos. 1-44: PG 65, 87-108); Nicephorus Callistus may be referring to these when he writes that A. left works worthy of remembrance and many sayings (Hist. eccl., 12, 25: PG 146, 816).
Cassiodorus speaks of A. as the superior of a monastery (Hist. Trip., 8, 11): the Bollandists and Boronio (Ann. eccl., nos. 383, no. 23) hold that s. Girolamo likewise refers to him in the letter to Eustochio (Ep. 108, 14); but the critical reading yields another name. According to J. David (s. V. in DHG, IV, cols. 745-47), A. died before 412 and his tutorship at the imperial court is legendary; s. Teodoro Studita, however, asserts the contrary.