SAINT, was born in Egypt in 251, and inherited a large fortune, which he distributed among his neighbours and the poor, retired into solitude, founded a religious order, built many monasteries, and died A.D. 356. Many ridiculous stories are told of his conflicts with the devil, and of his miracles. There are seven epistles extant attributed to him.

St Anthony is sometimes represented with a fire by his side, signifying that he relieves persons from the inflammation called after his name; but always accompanied by a hog, on account of his having been a swine-herd, and curing all disorders in that animal. To do him the greater honour, the Romanists in several places keep at common charges a hog denominated St Anthony's hog, for which they have great veneration. Some have St Anthony's picture on the walls of their houses, hoping thereby to be preserved from the plague; and the Italians who do not know the true signification of the fire painted at the side of their saint, concluding that he preserves houses from being burnt, invoke him on such occasions. Painters and poets have made very free with this saint and his followers; the former by the many ludicrous pictures of his temptation, and the latter by various epigrams on his disciples.

or Knights of St Anthony, a military order instituted by Albert duke of Bavaria, when he designed to make war against the Turks in 1382. The knights wore a collar of gold made in form of a hermit's girdle, from which hung a stick cut like a crutch, with a little bell, as they are represented in St Anthony's pictures.

St Anthony's Fire, a name given to the erysipelas. It was so named from the saint above mentioned, who was especially invoked for its cure.