Twenty Years in a Ruined Fort

Then once more, as he went on, he saw gold scattered in the road, and this time it was not an illusion but real gold. Whether the devil showed it to him, or some better power did so to test the athlete and show the evil one that Antony truly cared nothing for money, he never told and we do not know. But it is certain that what appeared was gold. Antony was amazed at how much there was, but he passed it by as if he were stepping over fire. He did not even turn around, but hurried on at a run so as to lose sight of the place. More and more strengthened in his purpose, he hurried on to the mountain. On the other side of the river he found a fort, deserted so long that it was full of creeping things. He crossed over to it and lived there. The reptiles left the place at once, as though someone were chasing them. He walled up the entrance completely, having stored up loaves for six months. This is a custom of the Thebans, and the loaves often stay fresh for a whole year. And since he found water inside, he went down into it as into a shrine, and stayed inside by himself, never going out and never looking at anyone who came. In this way he spent a long time training himself, and twice a year he received loaves let down to him from above. [a]

Those of his acquaintances who came often spent days and nights outside, since he did not let them in. They heard what sounded like crowds inside, shouting, making a din, letting out pitiful voices and crying: “Get away from what is ours! What are you doing in the desert at all? You cannot hold out against our attack.” At first those outside thought some men were fighting with him and had got in by ladders. But when they stooped down and looked through a hole and saw that there was nobody there, they were afraid, judging that these were demons, and they called out to Antony. He heard them at once, though he had paid no attention to the demons. He came to the door and begged them to go away and not be afraid. “For this is how the demons make their show of attack against those who are cowardly. So sign yourselves with the cross, and go away boldly, and let these amuse themselves.” So they went away, fortified with the sign of the cross. [b]

But he stayed there, not harmed at all by the evil spirits, nor worn out by the struggle. For visions from above came to help him, and the weakness of the enemy spared him much trouble and armed him with greater zeal. His acquaintances often used to come expecting to find him dead, and would hear him singing, “Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered; let those who hate him flee before his face. As smoke vanishes, let them vanish; as wax melts before the fire, so let sinners perish before the face of God.” And again, “All the nations surrounded me, and in the name of the Lord I paid them back.”