Antony of Egypt, the son of Christian parents, inherited a large estate, but, having provided for the care of his sister, he gave his land to the tenants who lived on it, and gave his other wealth to the poor, and became a hermit, living alone for twenty years, praying and reading, and doing manual labour.

In 305, he gave up his solitude to become the head of a group of monks, devoting themselves to communal singing and worship, to prayer and study and manual labour under Antony's direction. They were diligent in prayer for their fellow Christians, worked with their hands to earn money that they might distribute it as alms, and preached and gave personal counselling to those who sought them out.