Our Venerable Father Anthony the Stylite of Martqopi (the Solitary), One of the Thirteen Syrian Fathers (VI)
When Saint John of Zedazeni sent his disciples out to preach, Father Anthony went to Kakheti. Here he went round many places and preached to the people. Father Anthony carried hung upon his breast a brick on which the Image of Jesus Christ Not Made by Hands was depicted. By the power of this icon he worked many miracles.
Then Saint Anthony settled in the Lonoati gorge and began his labours there. In general Father Anthony dearly loved solitude and prayer to God. For this reason he was called “Martomqopeli”, that is, “the solitary”, or for short “Martqopeli”. But by his holy life and his miracles he drew so many people that they gave him no rest anywhere. Some of them would not leave him at all and settled near him. When the number of those who wished this grew very great, Father Anthony built a monastery for them beyond the Alazani, while he himself withdrew from them, chose a remote place where Akhmeta now stands, and began his labours.
But here too they soon found him and began to come to him. So he left this place as well and chose for his dwelling Mount Akriani, which was covered with thick forest. Here, on the summit of the mountain, he himself hollowed a cave out of the rock and settled in it. Day and night he prayed fervently before his wonder-working icon. At first he lived on plants, but afterwards God’s providence appointed him other food: deer came to him, as to Father David, and fed him with their milk.
Once the headman of this village, whose name was Norio, was hunting with his attendants. That day Anthony’s deer were very late, and at last they came running. They were badly frightened, and one of them was wounded. Father Anthony was surprised; he did not know that there was a village nearby. He rose, hung his icon on his breast and followed the deer back, wishing to find out what had frightened them. Suddenly Saint Anthony came face to face with the headman. The headman was greatly astonished to see an aged monk with an icon hanging on his breast, standing among wild deer as though among tame cattle. They began to talk, but since Father Anthony did not know the Georgian language, the headman understood nothing. He took Anthony for a dangerous man, and so he signed to him that he would cut off his right hand, the hand with which Father Anthony was pointing to the mountain where he lived.
The Monastery of the Godhead
And indeed the headman ordered his attendants to take Anthony to the smithy and cut off his hand there. The smith heated the iron and meant to sever the hand with the red-hot brand, but all at once the iron fell from his hand and his hand itself went numb. The smith was frightened and lost his speech, not knowing what to do, but Saint Anthony made the sign of the Cross over him and healed him. This miracle astonished everyone. At once they told the headman of it all. He summoned Saint Anthony and said to him: “Tell me what you desire, and I will do it.” Father Anthony signed to them to give him a lump of rock salt. They brought it to him at once. Anthony returned to his cave. Soon his deer returned too, and he gave them the salt.
Saint Anthony’s name spread through the neighbouring villages, and a great multitude of people began to come to him. Here they saw still more wonderful things. Many were drawn by his way of life; some wished to imitate him and began to live near him with his blessing. When their number grew very large, Father Anthony judged it necessary to build a monastery for them. The monastery was built on a clearing of the wooded mountain, where Father Anthony’s monastery now stands. Anthony himself built for himself on the summit of the mountain a pillar, or tower, six sazhens high, shut himself up there and laboured for fifteen years. Only now and then did he come down to the monastery to instruct the brethren and to celebrate the divine services.
At last, when he felt death drawing near, he called his disciples, gave them his instructions and blessed them. At the time of his repose Father Anthony was kneeling in prayer before the icon of the Saviour.
After his repose the precious body of Father Anthony was brought down from the pillar to the monastery and buried with great reverence in the church before the icon of the Theotokos.
