What Precedent Was There for the Emergence of an Ascetic

What precedent was there for the emergence of an ascetic movement with the Christian church?

A) The secular philosophies of the day also tended to be world-denying.
B) Ascetics' self-denial had been an important part of Roman culture.
C) The Christian church's founders were themselves ascetics.
D) German invaders of the west practiced a form of pagan asceticism.
E) Classical Greek philosophy and science saw the world as worthless and meaningless.