At the beginning of the second and third centuries of Christian history, violence against Christians on the part of the Roman Empire, struggles against pagan ideology, practices that corrupted the Church and a certain lax spiritual discipline had crept into many areas of the Christian faith. While some leaders attempted to control the faith by increasing their personal power and influence on the political front, others sought to escape the spiritual darkness they perceived in the world to maintain their own spiritual purity. Many men have fled life in the dominant culture in an attempt to purify their hearts and minds by practicing asceticism, or a lifestyle of self-denial for the purpose of Christ, as noted in Matthew 19:21 when he said: “If you want to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give them to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. » (NASB) They frequently locked themselves in caves on the outskirts of villages and towns to find relief in their heart relationship with God. Their behavior was marked by their willingness to put aside everything they possessed to escape the environment in which they lived while honoring God through their spiritual disciplines. for their sake, practice a life of discipline and work, but so that by living well we may please God. - Antony of the Desert Antony of Thebes or Antony of the Desert (ca. 250-355 AD), as described by the writer Athanasius of Alexandria (a "pupil" of Antony), is considered by scholars to be a figure leader of the monastic movement in the early Christian Church. He fled Egyptian society at around the age of twenty and spent the next eighty-six years of his life, first in a cave, a tomb, and then in an abandoned Roman fort, deep in the land the most rugged of the western Egyptian desert. Anthony found both comfort and spiritual struggles in extended periods of prayer, fasting, and rigorous spiritual disciplines. He was best known for his epic battles against satanic forces and demons that tormented him throughout his life. Occasional visits from Christian brothers who brought small quantities of food allowed them to hear a word or brief teaching from him during their stay. These sayings and teachings have often returned to mainstream culture..