Paphnutius was the disciple of
Saint Macarius the Great who was an anchorite in the Egyptian desert. His feast is celebrated on
15 February and
25 September in the
Orthodox Church in America. In
Coptic Christianity, his feast is observed on 15
Meshir. He was visited by
Cassian in 395, when he was ninety. He is also the subject of the play
Paphnutius by
Hrosvit (c. 935 – c. 1001), a
Benedictine nun from
Saxony, in which he converts the courtesan Thais to Christianity. This play in turn has become the subject of study, most notably by Sandro Sticca. ==References==