ABSTRACT
This chapter will examine the archaeological and literary evidence for pre-Christian and early Christian hermits and hermitages. It will consider the influence of both the Classical and Eastern world. The hermit desert fathers and mothers of the Egypt in 3rd and 4th centuries were architects in the formation of early Christian practice and pioneers in the evolution of monasticism. This chapter will consider the lives of these early hermits and the form and fabric of their hermitages before moving on to examine the spread of the eremitic ideal as Christianity advanced west.
