Perhaps among all the literary compositions penned by an ancient Egyptian writer, none has achieved the fame and influence of “The Life of Anthony” written by Saint Athanasius the Apostolic (293-373 A.D.). The “Life of Anthony” is, however, not considered as ancient Egyptian literature, and is usually considered as Christian literature. The writer readily and gladly concedes the point regarding the prominence of the “Life of Anthony” among Christian literature. In fact, many of the literary compositions in Coptic reflect a strong influence of the tenets of Christianity and the Classics. However it is a historical that both the author “Athanasius” and the subject of his book “Antony” are ancient Egyptian.

The “Life of Anthony” is believed to have been written originally in Greek, then translated into Coptic, Latin, Syriac, and subsequently into other languages. The Latin Version of “Life of Anthony” or “Vita Antonii” achieved great renown and influence throughout Europe in a short time. Over the centuries the “Life of Anthony” inspired millions all over the world. Perhaps one of the most striking examples for that is the well-documented inspiration of Saint Augustine (354-430 A.D.). Tim Vivian (1) notes that “The Coptic Life returns the Coptic saint to his native language, in doing so; language itself serves to translate and transform Anthony”. For readers not familiar with Saint Anthony, the Coptic Synaxarium (2) provides a brief outline in its reading of Tobi 22nd   . The Copts usually refer to Anthony as “Saint Anthony the Great” in recognition for his stature. Reflection with a few lines on the life of Anthony would not do justice for this great saint.  For our present purposes however, suffice to note that the life of Anthony- and for that matter the life of Saint Athanasius - reflects patient struggle, spiritual warfare, and his ultimate victory. In essence it is a story of victory, the victory which only Christ the LORD bestows upon the believers.

In this article, the writer will address a related ancient Egyptian literary composition written in Coptic. It is an “Encomium of Saint Anthony” (3), written by John of Shemun and dated to the late 6th or early 7th century A.D. A copy of John’s encomium dated to the 9th century A.D. was among a collection of manuscripts found at the library of the Monastery of Saint Michael at al-Fayum in 1910. The manuscript, M579, is now a part of the collection of the Pierpont Morgan Library at New York. The main purpose of the “Encomium of Saint Anthony” is to praise Saint Anthony. However, the composition includes another major literary theme. It is a common ancient Egyptian literary theme, namely the love of the black land, Chimie, Egypt, found in many writings e.g. the “Tale of Sinuhe”. Vivian notes that  “Rhetorically, its style belongs to the second Sophistic (a hellenistic style), and many of its topoi or topics are inherited from Greco-roman rhetoric…Though a bit florid for modern tastes, the encomium is nevertheless inventive and well constructed, and John has a delightful eye for metaphor and image.” The following are excerpts from the “Encomium of Saint Anthony”:

“I wish today to offer you a banquet of honors for Anthony the Great, since it is an obligation incumbent on me. For who is called to honor the master more than his disciples?...Anthony, says Athanasius was Egyptian by birth. Where will the sun rise except in the east? And where do you wish Anthony to shine forth except in Egypt, the place where sin abounded but grace abounded all the more. For most of the saints who have lived have been from Egypt or Egypt has attracted them from other places…And it was Egypt that served a place of refuge for Christ when the same Herod sought the life of the infant in order to take it away…The land of Egypt is fertile not only for growing fruits that perish but also for people who bear fruit according to God. Yes, other lands bring different kinds of fruit to us and we find enjoyment in them, but our pride is in our own fruits, yes, in our own fruits, in what our land has produced, the likes of which are not produced elsewhere.”

Perhaps this is an apt conclusion for this series of articles about Coptic culture and ancient Egyptian literature. Previous articles of this series presented examples from ancient Egyptian literature to help shed light on Coptic culture. They also discussed norms and values esteemed by the ancient Egyptians, and used by their writers as literary themes e.g. the love of Egypt, “Maat” or justice, and order and chaos.  John of Shmun’s writing continues into the path charted by earlier ancient Egyptian writers, who wrote about their love for Egypt. The contemporary Copts, very much like their ancestors, such as the writers of the “Tale of Sinuhe” and the “Encomium of Saint Anthony”, both those who live in Egypt or the Diaspora continue to cherish Egypt, and carry its love deep in their bosoms. 

Epilogue: Among his many graces, the LORD has granted the Christians of Egypt, the Copts, a forward-looking culture. The Coptic culture has its genesis in the ancient Egyptian history and mythology. It has been greatly influenced by the tenets of the Christian faith, which enhanced and invigorated some of its attributes, and modified or changed others. The Coptic culture attributes include: 1) respect for education, knowledge, love of wisdom, and a predisposition to strive for excellence, 2) respect for the individual and his or her individuality and creative abilities, 3) respect for the family as an institution established and blessed by God bonding a man and a woman, which forms the corner stone of a civilized society,            4) respect for women and their role in the family and society at large, 5) equality of men and women,            6) taking initiative and a "can-do" approach to life, 7) flexibility, adaptability and innovation, 8) a sunny disposition and joy of life; and other attributes.

Over the centuries the Coptic culture has enabled and empowered the Copts not only survive but also thrive. It continues to enhance the prospects of the Copts for success and growth in the 21st century.

The peace of the Lord be with you all. Irene Passe.

References:

1) The Coptic Life of Antony translated and edited by Tim Vivian, International Scholars Publications, San Francisco, CA, 1995.

2) http://www.copticchurch.net/classes/synex.php?month=5&day=22&btn=View&lang=

3) The Life of Antony by Athanasius of Alexandria, The Greek Life of Antony, The Coptic Life of Antony, translated by Tim Vivian and Apostolos N. Athanassakis, with Rowan A. Greer, Cistercian Publications, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 2003.

Acknowledgement: The writer would like to acknowledge and thank the staff of the Library of Congress, Washington, DC, for their assistance with research for background material for this article.

Ed Rizkalla is a management consultant and a freelance writer. He is the founder of Pharos on the Potomac Group (POPG), a non-profit organization at Annandale, VA. http://mysite.verizon.net/vzes76jv/pharosonthepotomacgroup