Martyr · 1 min read

St. Anthony of Antioch

Anthony was an early Christian priest who suffered martyrdom with Anastasius, Julian, Celsus and Marcionilla during the Diocletianic Persecution.

Listen to this story with read-aloud →

Feast date: January 9Roman Catholic commemoration; January 8 in Eastern Orthodox calendars.

Artistic interpretation of St. Anthony of Antioch
AI-generated artistic interpretation · About this artwork
In this story
  1. The surviving historical record

Anthony (Ἀντώνιος; died 302 AD) was an early Christian priest who suffered martyrdom with Anastasius, Julian, Celsus and Marcionilla during the Diocletianic Persecution. Denouncing the Roman way of life, he lived as a desert hermit, practiced celibacy, lived off roots and plants, and shunned any visitors he received. Anthony wished to live his life in complete solidarity with God.

The surviving historical record

The surviving biographical account of this saint is brief. It does not establish a complete chronology of childhood, family life, and daily activities. This page includes the available account rather than supplying imagined conversations or undocumented events. Where the account reports a tradition, it should be read as a tradition, not as a modern eyewitness record.

Biography adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read attribution and adaptation details.

Sources and editorial notes

Historical biography adapted from “Anthony of Antioch” by Wikipedia contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Source reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_of_Antioch

Source revision: 1365880333.

Feast-date reference: St. Anthony of Antioch — biography and calendar notes (Wikipedia contributors). Date reference checked 2026-09-24.

Open feast-date reference

Traditional accounts and later legends should be read with the qualifications in the biography. An attribution or date check is not a claim of independent review of the entire life.

About our editorial approach · Suggest a correction