The temptation of St. Anthony has been a popular subject throughout the history of art. St. Anthony, or Anthony the Great, was born in Egypt in AD 251 to wealthy, land-owning parents. When he was about 20 years old, his parents died, and Anthony decided to give away all his worldly possessions and withdraw to the dessert to live a life of asceticism, prayer, fasting and solitude. St. Anthony would live more than 80 years as a recluse, surviving many tests posed by demons trying to break his ascetic spirit – posing as temptations such as seductive women and gold and other earthly riches. These temptations weren’t just literal events but became allegories for the inner trials of every Christian — making Anthony a model of endurance and unwavering faith. This symbolic richness is why his story became such a powerful and recurring theme in Western art. The accompanying painting is Dalí's Surrealist take on the story, with the temptations riding in on elephants with legs more reminiscent of daddy long-legs spiders than real elephants.