The Nicene Age · AD 313–400
Ammonas of Pispir
c. 288 – c. 356 · Disciple & successor of Anthony · Pispir, Egypt
The Nicene Age
Who Ammonas of Pispir was
A hermit of Pispir who became Anthony’s disciple and, on the master’s death, inherited his mountain and his mantle — Anthony reportedly told him he would advance in the fear of God. A collection of his letters and sayings survives, gentle and practical, counselling patience, silence, and the hiddenness of true virtue: “I have prayed God to take the war of anger from me.” The immediate link between Anthony and the next generation of the Egyptian desert.
The Apophthegmata alone among external witnesses; his own letters survive but cannot attest their author.
Common questions
When did Ammonas live?
Ammonas of Pispir is dated c. 288 – c. 356 in the archive, which places Ammonas in the Nicene Age (AD 313–400). The dating is traditional and approximate; the archive marks it as uncertain rather than fixing a year the sources do not give.
Which early sources mention Ammonas?
Ammonas of Pispir is named in 1 primary-source passage catalogued here, drawn from Monastic tradition. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Ammonas from?
The archive associates Ammonas of Pispir with Pispir, Egypt. The sources record more than one location, so the places are listed in the order the record moves through them.
Who were Ammonas’ contemporaries?
The archive links Ammonas of Pispir to 2 other figures, including Anthony the Great and Macarius the Great (of Egypt). Each connection is drawn from a source that places them together, not from inference.
Primary-source mentions (1)
Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Sayings of the Desert Fathers (Apophthegmata)
c. AD 400Abba Ammonas said, ‘I have spent fourteen years in Scetis asking God night and day to grant me the victory over anger.’Monastic tradition · source text
Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- AD 301 · Hripsime and her company, AD 301
- AD 303 · The Great Persecution begins, AD 303
- AD 303 · The search of the church at Cirta, AD 303
- AD 306 · The Council of Elvira, AD 306
- AD 311 · Galerius’ edict of Serdica, AD 311
- AD 313 · The Edict of Milan, AD 313
- AD 314 · The Council of Arles, AD 314
- AD 320 · Silvanus tried before Zenophilus, AD 320
- AD 325 · The Council of Nicaea, AD 325
- AD 339 · The persecution of Shapur II, AD 339
- AD 343 · The Council of Serdica, AD 343
Place
Places served
The 2 places the sources put Ammonas, in the order the record moves through them. This is what the sources attest, not a reconstructed route.