Ignatius of Antioch
Bishop of Antioch in Syria, taken as a prisoner to Rome to die in the arena. The seven letters he wrote on the way are the main evidence for his life and an early witness to a church led by a bishop with presbyters and deacons.
Ignatius opens each letter as “Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus” and speaks of himself as “the bishop of Syria” (Ignatius, To the Romans, greeting) (Ignatius, To the Romans 2). Eusebius, two centuries later, lists him as the second bishop of Antioch after Evodius (Eusebius, Church History 3.21–22). He calls himself the last of the Christians of Syria and “one born out of due time”, using Paul’s words about himself (Ignatius, To the Romans 9) (1 Corinthians 15:8–9).
His letters all come from one journey: see Ignatius of Antioch Writes on the Road to Martyrdom. Eusebius reports as tradition that he was killed by wild beasts at Rome (Eusebius, Church History 3.36) and places him in the reign of Trajan (Eusebius, Church History 3.21–22); the date of his death shown here rests on that later tradition.
In the timeline
- about AD 110, traditional dateIgnatius of Antioch Writes on the Road to Martyrdom
Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, is taken under guard to Rome to be thrown to wild beasts. On the way he writes seven letters that urge unity around the bishop, insist that Christ truly suffered, and ask the Roman Christians not to save him.
Primary sources
Scripture
The Letters of Ignatius of Antioch
- Ignatius, To the Romans, greetingnewadvent.org
- Ignatius, To the Romans 2newadvent.org
- Ignatius, To the Romans 9newadvent.org
Church History
- Eusebius, Church History 3.21–22newadvent.org
- Eusebius, Church History 3.36newadvent.org