Monastacism In Rome
Monasticism was a religious practice in the late Roman Empire that was followed by men and women alike who were seeking closeness to God and who wanted a divine spiritual sense of being. Monasticism can be thought of as a manner of life having a spiritual goal which goes beyond the ordinary objectives of an earthly life, the attainment of which is considered the one thing necessary. Monasticism was regarded in a positive way during Ancient Roman times. It was regarded so highly due to the great lengths the followers and practitioners went in order to maintain a pure spiritual life and rid themselves of all of their earthly ties. Even those who chose not to follow monasticism regarded it with the same manner prestige as those who did follow. Practitioners of monasticism were split into two main groups: the anchorites and the monks. Anchorites were hermits living in the forests or ascetics wandering here and there begging for their food. The anchorites sometimes had wives living with them in their hermitages, but they chose to live a chaste life.