▁a ▁pro cur ator ▁or ▁tax ▁collect or ▁of ▁By z ac ena . ▁He ▁quickly ▁grew ▁tired ▁of ▁the ▁material ▁life , ▁and ▁this ▁combined ▁with ▁his ▁religious ▁studies , ▁particularly ▁a ▁ser mon ▁of ▁August ine ▁of ▁Hi ppo ▁on ▁Ps alm ▁ 3 6 , ▁which ▁de alt ▁with ▁the ▁trans itory ▁nature ▁of ▁physical ▁life , ▁convinced ▁him ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁mon k . ▁ ▁Ar ound ▁the ▁year ▁ 4 9 9 ▁he ▁set ▁out ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁herm its ▁of ▁the ▁The ba id ▁in ▁Egypt , ▁but ▁changed ▁his ▁mind ▁when ▁he ▁learned ▁from ▁E ul al ius , ▁Bishop ▁of ▁Sy rac use , ▁of ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁mon oph ys it ism ▁on ▁Egypt ian ▁mon astic ism . ▁ ▁He ▁applied ▁to ▁Fa ust us , ▁a ▁bishop ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁forced ▁from ▁his ▁dioc ese ▁by ▁the ▁V andal ▁king ▁Hun er ic ▁and ▁later ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁monaster y ▁at ▁By z ac ena . ▁Fa ust us ▁tried ▁to ▁dis su ade ▁Ful gent ius ▁because ▁his ▁physical ▁weak ness ▁made ▁him ▁a ▁poor ▁candidate ▁for ▁the ▁rig orous ▁life ▁of ▁the ▁monaster y . ▁When ▁Ful gent ius ▁pers isted , ▁Fa ust us ▁admitted ▁him ▁on ▁a ▁trial ▁basis . ▁ ▁Upon ▁learning ▁of ▁her ▁son ' s ▁decision , ▁Mar iana , ▁who ▁evidently ▁had ▁never ▁been ▁told ▁of ▁Ful gent ius ' s ▁wish , ▁was ▁very ▁ups et . ▁She ▁r ushed ▁to ▁the ▁gates