Ignatius of Antioch

Ignatius of Antioch, also called Ignatius Theophorus (meaning "God-bearer"), was an early Christian writer and the bishop of Antioch who died around 108. He is best known for a series of letters he wrote while being taken to Rome for execution. These letters later became a key part of the Apostolic Fathers collection, and Ignatius is ranked alongside Clement of Rome and Polycarp as one of its three most important figures. Though scholars have debated whether all his letters are genuine, they remain a significant example of early Christian thought, covering topics like church structure, the sacraments, and the authority of bishops.

Almost nothing is known about Ignatius’ life beyond what his letters and later traditions say. According to tradition, he converted to Christianity young and, along with his friend Polycarp, was a disciple of the apostle John. He later became bishop of Antioch; the fourth-century historian Eusebius wrote that he succeeded Evodius. Theodoret of Cyrrhus claimed that the apostle Peter himself directed that Ignatius be appointed to that position. The name Theophorus was attached to him, and one tradition holds that he was among the children Jesus blessed and held.

Ignatius’ feast day is observed on 17 October in the Catholic Church and most Western Christian traditions, though from the 12th century until 1969 the General Roman Calendar placed it on 1 February. The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates it on 20 December. The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria marks it on the 24th of the Coptic month of Koiak (which corresponds to 20 December on the Julian Calendar, or 2 January on the Gregorian in most years). The Church of England and the Episcopal Church honor him on 17 October, as do Lutheran Churches.

Ignatius was sentenced to death for his faith but, instead of being executed in Antioch, was taken to Rome by ten soldiers. Scholars find this unusual, since Christians were typically punished locally. Stevan Davies notes that no other prisoners from the Flavian period—except citizens or prisoners of war—were brought to Rome for execution. If Ignatius had been a Roman citizen, he could have appealed to the emperor and likely been beheaded rather than tortured, but his letters say he was chained during the journey, which would have been illegal for a citizen appealing to the emperor. Allen Brent suggests Ignatius was sent to Rome to be a spectacle in the Colosseum, arguing that transporting condemned criminals from the provinces for such games was normal practice. Davies counters that a single prisoner would have been a miserly gift for the games, and proposes instead that Ignatius may have been indicted by a legate of the Syrian governor while the governor was away, and sent to Rome for trial because only the governor or emperor could impose capital punishment. This might have avoided unrest among Antioch’s Christians. Christine Trevett calls Davies’ idea entirely hypothetical and concludes that no fully satisfactory explanation exists, adding that she tends to take Ignatius at his word that he was condemned, but the reason for his journey to Rome remains unknown.

On the way to Rome, Ignatius and his soldier escort made several lengthy stops in Asia Minor, deviating from the most direct land route. The likely route: from Antioch to Asia Minor (by sea or land); then to Smyrna, bypassing Magnesia, Tralles, and Ephesus but probably passing through Philadelphia; then to Troas, where he boarded a ship for Neapolis in Macedonia; then through Philippi; and finally to Rome by some land or sea route. During the journey, the soldiers allowed the chained Ignatius to meet with entire congregations, at least in Philadelphia, and many Christian visitors and messengers met with him individually. Through these messengers, he sent six letters to nearby churches and one to Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna. This freedom and the circuitous route are also unusual, since prisoners were normally taken the most direct way, and land travel was far more expensive than sea travel, especially since Antioch was a major port. Davies argues that the route makes sense only if Ignatius was not the soldiers’ main purpose and the stops were for other state business, which would also explain the relative freedom he was given.