Abib and Apollo were two

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

ascetics Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...

from

Akhmim Akhmim ( ar, أخميم, ; Akhmimic , ; Sahidic/Bohairic cop, ) is a city in the Sohag Governorate of Upper Egypt. Referred to by the ancient Greeks as Khemmis or Chemmis ( grc, Χέμμις) and Panopolis ( grc, Πανὸς πόλις and Π� ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

. They are mentioned in the ''Synaxarion, das ist der Heiligen-Kalendar der Koptischen Christen''. Their

feast day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...

is celebrated on November 4.

History

Apollo (also called Apollonios) was born in the City of

. His father's name was Amani (Hamai) and his mother's name was Eyse (Isa). From his early years Apollo grew and developed in saintliness, studying the subjects of Divinity. He was prepared from his youth to his life in a monastery. This decision was confirmed when he met a friend Abib and together they joined the monastery in Upper Egypt and became monks. They both tended to ascetic works and their life was full of good deeds. Abib became a deacon and later died. Apollo, distressed, moved deeper into the desert, near Mount Abluj, followed by a group of ascetics.

Macarius of Egypt Macarius of Egypt, ''Osios Makarios o Egyptios''; cop, ⲁⲃⲃⲁ ⲙⲁⲕⲁⲣⲓ. (c. 300 – 391) was a Christian monk and hermit. He is also known as Macarius the Elder or Macarius the Great. Life St. Macarius was born in Lower Egypt. ...

wrote a letter to Apollo to confirm him and the monastery in their good works. Apollo knew by the spirit that Macarius was writing them a letter and the time at which the letter was actually being drafted. He said to his followers: "Listen my brethren, behold the great Abba Macarius is writing to us a letter full of comforting and spiritual teachings." Apollo was the one who went to Ammonius and was one of the witnesses who saw the holy woman that "stood in the middle of the fire but did not burn".

"Historia Monachorum" of the archdeacon Timothy of Alexandria

The author of the ''

Historia Monachorum in Aegypto The ''Historia monachorum in Aegypto'', also called the ''Lives of the Desert Fathers'', is a combination travelogue and hagiography from the late 4th century AD. It recounts the travels of a band of seven Palestinian monks on a pilgrimage through ...

'', the archdeacon Timothy of Alexandria (around 400), whose Latin translation of Rufinus was equally published by Rosweyde as book II of the Vitae Patrum, recounts the visit he made with his companions to Apollo. According to his recollections Apollo lived in the Tebaide, in the region of

Hermopolis Hermopolis ( grc, Ἑρμούπολις ''Hermoúpolis'' "the City of Hermes", also ''Hermopolis Magna'', ''Hermoû pólis megálẽ'', egy, ḫmnw , Egyptological pronunciation: "Khemenu"; cop, Ϣⲙⲟⲩⲛ ''Shmun''; ar, الأشموني ...

(today Asmunayn), not far from the sanctuary of Dayr Al-Muharrag. From this book it appears that after forty years, at the call of an angel, Apollo approached the inhabited places while continuing his life in an isolated cave. This happened under the reign of Julian the Apostate (361-363 AD). His reputation for sanctity quickly attracted numerous disciples around him, who built an immense monastery: 500 monks were there at the time of Timothy's visit.Sauget, Joseph Marie. "Sant' Apollo di Bawit Abate", Santi e Beati, August 8, 2011
Retrieved on 19 Feb 2018

References

Sources

Holweck, F. G. Frederick George Holweck (born Friedrich Georg Holweck; 29 December 1856 – 15 February 1927) was a German-American Catholic parish priest and scholar, hagiographer and church historian. Monsignor Holweck contributed some articles to the ''Catho ...

''A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints''. St. Louis, MO: B. Herder Book Co. 1924. * {{Authority control 4th-century births 4th-century deaths Saints from Roman Egypt Saints duos Egyptian Christian monks 4th-century Christian monks