to walk in the desert as his mind directed, because he did not know the way; and when it was noon, although the heat of the sun was fierce and burning, the blessed old man did not turn aside from the way, but he said, “I believe that God will not withdraw [His] hands from me, but will shew me His servant concerning whom He hath sent me a revelation.”
And as he was thinking thus about him he suddenly saw a man who possessed two natures, one half of him being that of a man, and the other half being that of a horse; now the poets call this being a “centaur.” Then the blessed Anthony called unto him and said, “I, a man of God, say unto thee, ‘Where dost thou dwell here?’ ” And the creature returned him an answer in a barbarous language with words of impurity, and his mouth was full of fear; so the old man went on his journey seeking out the way. And as Anthony was marvelling [at this thing] the animal passed in front of him as if [it were going] to a broad field, and [Anthony knew that] it was Satan who had taken the form of the creature in order that he might terrify the blessed man, and he wondered at the similitude of the form which he had seen in the animal. And having passed on a little way further he saw another animal, which was smaller in stature than the first one, and he was standing on a rock, and he had horns upon his head and on his forehead; and when the blessed Anthony saw him he put on the helmet of faith and [took the] shield of righteousness, and he asked him, “Who art thou whom I see here?” And the creature answered and said unto him, “I am a mortal man and one of these who are in the desert, whom the heathen call ‘satyrs,’ and whom because of their error concerning them they worship as a god”; and the beast having spoken these words the old man Anthony went on his way, and his tears were flowing and they ran down upon the ground, but he rejoiced because of the glory of Christ, and because of the destruction of Satan, and he wondered within himself how he had been able to understand the words of the animal. Then he smote the ground with his staff and said, “Woe be to Alexandria! Woe be to the city of the heathen, wherein are gathered together all the devils of all creation!”
And Anthony went on his journey thinking anxiously [how] he could attain to the end thereof, and he wished to find the servant of God; and whilst he was meditating what he should do and where he should go, he observed on the flat surface of the desert the footprints of an animal which had passed over the spot that very day. Then he meditated within himself, saying, “It is impossible for our Lord to forsake me”; and he journeyed on his way during the night with his prayers in his
