E00702: Jerome, in his Life of Hilarion, describes a pious visit which Hilarion (anchorite in Palestine and Cyprus, ob. 371, S00099) paid to the hermitage of *Antony ('the Great', monk of Egypt, ob. 356, S00098) in the Eastern Desert of Egypt, during which Hilarion asked to see Antony's hidden grave. Written in Latin in Bethlehem (Palestine) in the early 390s.

Jerome, Life of Hilarion 20

Iacebat [Hilarion] in stratu eius et quasi calens adhuc cubile deosculabatur. Erat autem cellula non plus mensurae per quadrum tenens quam homo dormiens extendi poterat. Praeterea in sublimi montis uertice quasi per cochleam ascendentibus et arduo ualde nisu duae eiusdem mensurae cellulae uisebantur, in quibus uenientium frequentiam et discipulorum suorum contubernium fugiens moratus est; uerum hae in uiuo excisae saxo ostia tantum addita habebant. Postquam autem ad hortulum uenerant: "uidetis", inquit Isaac, "hoc pomarium arbusculis consitum et oleribus uirens? Ante hoc ferme triennium cum onagrorum grex hoc uastaret, unum e ductoribus eorum stare iussit, baculo que tundens latera: "quare", inquit, "comeditis, quod non seminastis?" Et exinde exceptis aquis, ad quas potandas uentitabant, numquam eos nec arbusculam nec olera contigisse. Praeterea rogabat senex, ut sibi locum tumuli ostenderent. Qui cum seorsum eum abduxissent, utrum monstrauerint necne, ignoratur, causam occultandi iuxta praeceptum antonii fuisse referentes, ne Pergamius, qui in illis locis ditissimus erat, sublato ad uillam suam sancti corpore martyrium fabricaretur.

'Hilarion would lie upon the saint's bed and as though it were still warm would affectionately kiss it. The cell was square, its sides measuring no more than the length of a sleeping man. Moreover on the lofty mountaintop, the ascent of which was by a zig-zag path very difficult, were to be seen two cells of the same dimensions, in which he stayed when he escaped from the crowds of visitors or the company of his disciples. These were cut out of the live rock and were only furnished with doors. When they came to the garden, “You see,” said Isaac, “this garden with its shrubs and green vegetables; about three years ago it was ravaged by a troop of wild asses. One of their leaders was bidden by Antony to stand still while he thrashed the animal's sides with a stick and wanted to know why they devoured what they had not sown. And ever afterwards, excepting the water which they were accustomed to come and drink, they never touched anything, not a bush or a vegetable.” The old man further asked to be shown his burial place, and they thereupon took him aside; but whether they showed him the tomb or not is unknown. It is related that the motive for secrecy was compliance with Antony's orders and to prevent Pergamius, a very wealthy man of the district, from removing the saint's body to his house and erecting a shrine to his memory.'

Text: Bastiaensen 1975. Translation: Fremantle et al. 1893.