There are many different collections of sayings of the Desert Fathers. The earliest writings were simply ordered by the initial letter of the Abba's name in the order of the Greek alphabet. So the editors started with Anthony the Great, Arsenius and Agathon and concluded with Cheremon, Psenthaisius and Or. It was those first editors who used the word "apophthegms" (meaning: saying, maxim or aphorism)—this is why this collection is now known as"[Apophthegmata Patrum Alphabetica" (The Sayings of the Desert Fathers: The Alphabetical Collection). This collection contains about a thousand items.