Antony at Alexandria in the Persecution

After this the persecution that took place at that time under Maximin seized the church. When the holy martyrs were taken to Alexandria, Antony too left his cell and followed, saying, “Let us go too, so that if we are called we may contend, or else watch those who are contending.” He longed to suffer martyrdom, but since he was not willing to hand himself over, he ministered to the confessors in the mines and in the prisons. In the courtroom he was very zealous in stirring up to readiness those who were summoned for their contest, and those who were being martyred he received and escorted on their way until they were made perfect. [a]

The judge, therefore, seeing the fearlessness of Antony and his companions and their zeal in this, ordered that no monk should appear in the courtroom or stay in the city at all. So all the others thought it best to hide that day. But Antony paid so little attention to the order that he washed his garment, and all the next day he stood on a raised place in front of them and showed himself at his best before the governor. While all the rest wondered at this, and the governor saw him as he passed by with his escort, he stood there fearlessly, showing the readiness of us Christians. For, as I said before, he prayed that he himself might be a martyr, and so he seemed like a man grieved that he had not borne his witness. But the Lord was keeping him for our benefit and the benefit of others, so that he might become a teacher to many of the discipline he had learned from the Scriptures. For many, just from seeing his way of life, were eager to imitate his ways. So he went on ministering to the confessors as usual, and he labored in his ministry as though he were their fellow prisoner.