The biography of Saint Paul the Hermit was constructed from Greek sources by Saint *Jerome. To escape the persecutions of the emperor Decius, Paul retreated to the Theban desert c.250 where he lived the remainder of his (nearly hundred-year) life as a hermit. His life of contemplative solitude and asceticism was paralleled by a number of other early desert fathers whose lives similarly recount various temptations, apparitions, and miraculous events (e.g., Paul, like *Elijah, was fed by a raven who daily brought him bread). He is depicted in art as an elderly figure with white hair and a long beard, often wearing clothing of palm fronds, and frequently in company with Saint *Anthony who, inspired by a vision, visited when Paul was near death (on the occasion of Anthony’s visit, the raven brought extra bread). The visit of Paul and Anthony is to be noted on several early sculptured high crosses in the British Isles. Paul may also be accompanied by the two lions who helped dig his grave. Scenes from the lives of Paul and Anthony are found in Byzantine hagiographic manuscripts, Coptic and Romanesque frescoes and sculpture, illustrations of the * Golden Legend , and related works.
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