Saints Andronicus and Athanasia of Egypt: A Married Couple Who Became Desert Monastics
Saints Andronicus and Athanasia are remembered as a wealthy married couple of Antioch who became monastics in Egypt after losing their children. Their story comes from a hagiographical Life linked with Abba Daniel of Scetis. This article explains what the sources say and where the details are tradition.
Saint Anthony the Great: Father of Monks and His Years Among the Tombs
Saint Anthony the Great was an Egyptian Christian ascetic of the third and fourth centuries, called the Father of Monks. Saint Athanasius wrote his Life, which describes his years living among tombs. This article explains what the sources say and where the tradition goes beyond them.
Saint Pachomius the Great: Egyptian Monk and Father of Communal Monasticism
A biography of Saint Pachomius the Great, the fourth century Egyptian founder of communal monasticism, with the Koinonia, the Rule, his death date, and what is documented and what is tradition.