Monk

Definition: The word monk comes from the Greek meaning something or someone who is alone (monos 'alone'). In the Greek world, monk came to mean an ascetic who lived alone away from the world. Frequently the monks, although living alone, would gather in the same area. It was these solitary monks whom the Egyptian Pachomius brought together into one place. The place where all the once solitary monks now lived with one another is a monastery.

• Ancient Rome Glossary