Saint Arsenius the Great
Saint Arsenius the Great (born c. 354 AD in Rome, Roman Empire; died c. 449 AD in Troe, Egypt) was a Roman imperial tutor who abandoned a prestigious court career to become one of the greatest of the Egyptian Desert Fathers. He tutored the sons of Emperor Theodosius I, then retreated to the Egyptian desert, and spent approximately 55 years in solitary prayer. His apophthegmata (desert sayings) are among the most quoted in the monastic tradition. His feast day is May 8 in the Western Church, July 19 in the Eastern Church.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Arsenius the Great
| Saint Arsenius the Great | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | May 8 (Western Church); July 19 (Eastern Church) |
| Profession | Roman deacon; imperial tutor (tutor of Arcadius and Honorius, sons of Emperor Theodosius I); desert father; hermit; weaver (basket-making in the desert) |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Eastern Orthodox Church (great feast July 19); Coptic Orthodox Church; desert father tradition; 4th–5th century Egyptian monasticism; Scetis (Wadi Natrun) monastic tradition |
| Patronage | Those who seek silence and solitude; those who abandon worldly careers for religious life; educators and tutors who seek holiness; monks and hermits; those who practice contemplative prayer |
| Attributes | Monk's habit; rush basket (desert weaving); a bowl of tears (his weeping); cloth over the face (his practice of avoiding distraction); a desert landscape; the imperial court as background contrast; long white beard (his extreme old age); scroll or sayings (his apophthegmata) |
| Birthplace | Rome, Roman Empire |
| Death Place | Troe (near Memphis), Egypt |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; died c. 449 AD at Troe near Memphis in Egypt; he was approximately 95 years old; he had been a desert father for approximately 55 years; he died peacefully, having spent the last period of his life moving from Scetis (Wadi Natrun) to Canopus and finally to Troe when the Berber raids made his earlier locations too dangerous; his death was marked by great mourning among the monks who had revered him; he reportedly wept at the end, saying that he was not certain he had begun to repent; this characteristic saying — the greatest of the desert fathers uncertain of his salvation at his death — is among the most striking of his apophthegmata |
| Primary Shrine | No single surviving major shrine; venerated through the Apophthegmata Patrum (Sayings of the Desert Fathers); May 8 feast (Western); July 19 feast (Eastern); Wadi Natrun monasteries (Coptic) preserve his memory |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (Roman Rite); May 8; major feast in Eastern Church on July 19 |
| Historic Class | Not in universal 1962 calendar; observed locally |
Biography
Arsenius was born c. 354 AD in Rome, probably of noble family. He became a Roman deacon and a man of great learning. Emperor Theodosius I recruited him c. 383 AD to educate his sons Arcadius and Honorius at the imperial court in Constantinople.
After approximately 11 years at court (c. 383–394 AD), he prayed for guidance and received an interior call to "flee from men." He left Constantinople, took a ship to Alexandria, and went to the desert of Scetis (Wadi Natrun) in Egypt.
He spent approximately 55 years in the desert — at Scetis, then Canopus, then Troe — in silence, prayer, weeping, and manual labor. He was renowned for extraordinary silence and refused most visitors. His sayings (apophthegmata), preserved in the Sayings of the Desert Fathers, are among the most widely quoted in the monastic tradition.
He died c. 449 AD at Troe, Egypt, at approximately age 95.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Rome, Roman Empire
Death location: Troe (near Memphis), Egypt
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Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Arsenius the Great have been added to the database yet.
Media
| Media | Length | AuthorCreator |
|---|---|---|
| Story of Saint Arsenius the Great | Under 5 minutes | Joy of Heaven |
| The Silent Wisdom of Saint Arsenius the Great | Under 5 minutes | Joy of Heaven |
| The Story of St. Arsenius the Great || Feast Day : July 19 | Under 5 minutes | Joy of Heaven |
Shrines
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Feast day
May 8 (Western); July 19 (Eastern)
Veneration
Saint Arsenius the Great was a Roman imperial tutor who abandoned the court of Emperor Theodosius to become one of the greatest Egyptian Desert Fathers. His sayings on silence, solitude, and tears are foundational texts of the Christian contemplative tradition. Feast May 8 (Western), July 19 (Eastern).
Prayers
Authored
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Intercessory
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