Life of Saint Mary of Egypt

[Andrew]

I just read the life of saint Mary of Egypt (http://www.monachos.net/monasticism/mary_of_egypt/life.shtml) and was incredibly moved. She has an amazing story. Do we know anything more about Mary's life than what is in the text by saint Sophronios?

Andrew

[M.C. Steenberg]

Andrew, as far as I am aware, the Life of Mary by St Sophronius is our only account of her life by a contemporary of Mary herself. As she was an entirely solitary hermit, she did not have the same kind of 'following' as was had, for example, by St Anthony of Egypt, who had a great number of disciples in his own lifetime. St Mary was apparently known only to an extreme few -- in fact, Zosimas is the only one we can be sure of.

There are plenty of later and modern studies on Mary, her life and her influence (as well as popular devotion to her), but these take as primary source the same Life by Sophronius.

INXC, Matthew