Saint Anthony of Padua was the first teacher in the Franciscan school of theology. On behalf of the founder of the order, St. Francis of Assisi, he was responsible for the preparation of the first Franciscan preachers. His writings, the Sermones, are still considered to be a valuable source for research on the teachings of the early Franciscans. The question of human nature runs through the Sermones as it corresponds to the world and the human image of previous scholasticism. St. Anthony understands man as a microcosm, an image of the macrocosm, that is of the entire universe. Very frequently he uses numerical symbolism in the description of human existence. It adds a special role to the number four (quattuor), which is intended as a symbol of the created world. He adds a special role to the number four. The constructions are particularly evident among many figures and descriptions: quattuor elementa (the four elements) and orbis quadratus (the square world). Anthony analyzes various levels of numerical symbolism with mathematical precision and then describes human life. The current article aims to highlight the vast anthropological thoughts of St. Anthony of Padua. Among the many inspirations for his preaching, the concept of the ordered world which was popularized in the Middle Ages and often called orbis quadratus, deserves particular attention. This analysis of the original texts should first show the anthropological assumptions contained in the writings of the Saint, together with his unique vision of man. The following section will discuss the symbolism of the number four found in the writings of the Evangelical Doctor, expressed primarily in the metaphorical quattuor elementa. The particular interest of the present study is the influence of these concepts on the anthropological thought of St. Anthony. This study is a contribution to the search for anthropological content in 13th century Franciscan theology. This work is completed by the following appendix: a tabular summary of the source texts of the Evangelical Doctor in which the symbolism of the number four is clearly set out for reference.
