Page "Anthony the Great" Paragraph 10

According to Athanasius, the devil fought St. Anthony by afflicting him with boredom, laziness, and the phantoms of women, which he overcame by the power of prayer, providing a theme for Christian art.

After that, he moved to a tomb, where he resided and closed the door on himself, depending on some local villagers who brought him food.

When the devil perceived his ascetic life and his intense worship, he was envious and beat him mercilessly, leaving him unconscious.

When his friends from the local village came to visit him and found him in this condition, they carried him to a church.