The Life And Legacy Of Marcus Eremita

Marcus Eremita (which actually means Marcus the Hermit) was a very respected person in his era. He had many writing, which we will discuss at a later time. However, to this day, very little is known about his life leading up to him becoming a monk, and it will probably continue to stay this way. Marcus Eremita lived his life according to God’s will and calling. It was a life that was declared for God and lived out in such a way. In fact, Marcus Eremita is one of the most famous and influential persons of all the Egyptian desert fathers. The only thing that we can truly be sure of with Marcus Eremita, is that he had many different names or aliases. Such names, in addition to Marcus the Hermit are Mark the Monk, Mark the Wrestler, Mark the Athenian, Mark the Anchorite and Mark the Faster. For this paper, he will continue to be called Marcus Eremita, or just Marcus.

Marcus Eremita was born in Athens sometime in the fifth century. There is not a known date for his birth, however he is commemorated on March fifth for his feast day. Various accounts argue that he lived between one-hundred and twenty to one-hundred and thirty. He was born into a wealthy family, to which he was able to receive a very good education. His parents were not Christians, but allowed Marcus to follow his desires and did not stifle them. Marcus was believed to have lived in Egypt or perhaps Antioch but was not well known in the Western Church. He was more known in the Eastern Church, and very appreciated. When Marcus was about forty years old, it is said that he was tonsured (shaving of the hair as an initiation) by his mentor, teacher and friend John Chrysostom. At this point, Marcus was a disciple of Chrysostom, and once he became a monk, he went out to the desert to live. Marcus had a heart for Scripture and is said that he had memorized the entire Bible.

While out in the desert, Marcus would have lived an ascetic life, meaning it is a very simple life. A life that involves meditation, prayer, fasting, and solitude. He had left his families wealth to live this type of life. Marcus Eremita was very merciful and had great compassion for all things from God. There is a story about him seeing a blind pup of a hyena. He wept over the fact that this little pup could not see and miraculously, the pup regained its eyesight. This may just be a narrative however, it shows the compassion and just that Marcus had. During his time in the desert, he wrote many works. However, only a few of his works have survived. He has written such works as The Spiritual Law, people and monks who think they are justified through works, about repentance, and about baptism. He has also written a few letters to St. Nicholas about lust and anger. In fact, the Byzantines has such high regard for Marcus and his writings, that they would say “Sell everything and buy Mark. ” Some of these works will be discussed further in detail a bit later on.