A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

(Ἰγνάτιος).

1. Of ANTIOCH, one of the Apostolical Fathers; called also THEOPHORUS, or DEIFER (ὁ Θεοφόρος), a title explained by Ignatius himself in his conversation with the emperor Trajan to mean " one that has Christ in his heart." Some of the Greeks, interpreting the epithet passively "borne or carried of God," supposed

that Ignatius was the little child whom our Lord took in his arms when he rebuked the ambitious contentions of his disciples (Mark, 9.36, &c.); but this story, whatever currency it may have obtained, is unsupported by any early testimony, and is in fact contradicted by Chrysostom. who incidentally states (In S. Ignat. Homilia) that Ignatius never saw Jesus Christ. Jerome indeed, in one place (De Viris Illust. 100.16) states that Ignatius had seen Christ; but he did not correctly understand the text of Eusebius, from whom the passage is translated. By the Syriac writers, the expression has been understood to mean, " wearing," or " clad with God."

Abulpharagius (Historia Dynastiarum. Dynast. vii. p. 75, ed. Pocock, Oxon. 1663) had been understood to assert that Ignatius was a native of Nura, which was conjectured to be either Nura in Sardinia or Nora in Cappadocia. But the late researches of Mr. Cureton have shown that the words used had no reference to the place of his birth.

Ignatius conversed (according to Chrysostom), with the apostles. Some accounts make him a disciple of Peter; but according to the better authority of the Martyrium Ignatii (100.3), he was, together with Polycarp, a hearer of John. This would lead to the conclusion that Ephesus or its neighbourhood was the place of his residence. He was appointed bishop of the church at Antioch, Chrysostom says, by the choice of the apostles, and was ordained by the laying on of their hands. Theodoret especially mentions Peter as the apostle who laid hands on him. (Orat. ad Manachos Euphratesiae, Opp. vol. iv. p. 1312, ed. Schulz.) But these statements are hardly consistent with the account of Eusebius (Chron. Pars II. interp. Hieron), that his ordination took place A. D. 69, when Peter and several of the apostles were already dead. He is said to have succeeded Evodius, whose ordination is placed in A. D. 44. As in the apostolic age a plurality of bishops existed in some at least of the first churches, e. g. Ephesus and Philippi (comp. Acts, 20.17, 28 ; Philip. 1.1), and as the church at Antioch was from the first a large and important church, it is not impossible that Ignatius may have been made bishop before the death of Evodius, and may therefore have been ordained by Peter or some other of the apostles.

Of the episcopate of Ignatius we know little. He appears to have been over-earnest in insisting upon the prerogatives of the clergy, especially the bishops. The Martyrium Ignatii represents him as anxious for the stedfastness of his flock during the persecution said to have taken place in Domitian's reign; and incessant in watching and prayer, and in instructing his people, fearing lest the more ignorant and timid among them should fall away. On the cessation of the persecution he rejoiced at the little injury the church at Antioch had sustained.

When the emperor Trajan, elated with his victories over the Dacians and other nations on the Danubian frontier, began to persecute the church, the anxiety of Ignatius was renewed; and, eager to avert the violence of persecution from his flock, and to obtain the crown of martyrdom for himself, he offered himself as a victim, and was brought before the emperor, then at Antioch on his way to the eastern frontier to attack the Armenians and Parthians. The conference between the emperor and the bishop is given in the Martyrium Ignatii ; it ended by the emperor passing sentence on Ignatius that he should be taken to Rome, and there thrown to wild beasts. He was led to Rome by a long and tedious route, but was allowed to have communication with his fellow-Christians at the places at which he stopped. He was thrown to the wild beasts in the Roman amphitheatre, at the feast distinguished as ἡ τρισκαιδεκάτη, " the feast of the thirteenth " (i. e. the thirteenth before the kalends of January, or 20th Dec. according to our computation), one of the days of the Opalia, which made part of the great festival of the Saturnalia. (Dict. of Antiq. s. v. Saturnalia.) Such parts of him as remained were collected by his sorrowing friends, and were taken back to Antioch, where in Jerome's time they were resting in the cemetery outside the gate toward Daphne. From thence they were removed, by the Emperor Theodosius II. to the church of St. Ignatius (previously known as the Tychaeum, or Temple of Fortune), in the city of Antioch. (Evagr. H. E. 1.16.) Their subsequent removals are uncertain. The martyrdom of St. Ignatius is commemorated by the Romish church on the 1st of Feb.; by the Greek church on the 20th December, the correct anniversary of his martyrdom.

The year of Ignatius's death has been much disputed. Many of the best writers (following the Martyrium Ignatii), place it in A. D. 107; but others contend for a later date; some as late as A. D. 116.