Desert Fathers

Desert Fathers is a later arisen designation for early Christian monks who either led individually as a hermit or in groups, as Koinobiten, a reclusive, given by asceticism, prayer and work life in the deserts of Egypt and Syria since the late 3rd century.

  • 5.2.1 Popular literature and use literature

Origins

The retreat into the wilderness began at the end of the 3rd century AD in Egypt with rural people, the villages of Egypt left as anchorites during the persecution of Christians under the Tetrarchy of Diocletian and the in the desert, especially in the Sketischen desert, the Nitria and kellia, but settled in the Thebaid and in the deserts of Palestine and Syria. The first of these anchorites was probably Anthony the Great (perhaps 251-356 ).

Written traditions

In the lonely asceticism the Desert Fathers ( abba ) followed the path of the ora et labora, pray and working, as well as the hesychia, inner peace. Those who were up to the demands of the desert, had to witness a radical Christian life many students. Due to their sayings or Apophthegmata Patrum, in which biblical wisdom and human kindness combined, were partakers of Christian asceticism In addition to the written by Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, 360 Life of Antony, the more radically Aryan being valued Life of Paul the Hermit of Jerome and Historia Lausiaca of Palladio the various designated by the generic term Apophthegmata Patrum apophthegms collections remain the main sources for study of spiritual power and spirituality of those ascetics. Facing the challenges of life and the faith of the motto was: " Flee the bishop and the woman ," the motto of these monks.

Art history

In the Italian painting is the life of the Desert Fathers in the Theban desert in the so-called Thebaiden of the 14th and. 15th century represented, for example, in a fresco in the Campo Santo in Pisa, possibly by Buonamico Buffalmacco ( 1260 -1340 ) or by Francesco Traini ( 1321-1365 ), and in the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence by Paolo Uccello ( 1397-1475 ).

Other Desert Fathers

  • Ammon
  • Arsenius the Great
  • Hilarion of Gaza
  • Kyriakos
  • Macarius the Egyptian
  • Macarius of Alexandria
  • Moses the Ethiopian
  • Onophrios the Great
  • Paul of Thebes ( legendary )
  • Poimen
Nitria (monastic site) Palladius of Galatia Camposanto Monumentale Cyriacus the Anchorite Poemen Thomas Merton
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