(NOTE: The electronic text obtained from The Electronic Bible Society was
not completely corrected. EWTN has corrected all discovered errors.)
THE MARTYRDOM OF IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH
CHAP. I.--DESIRE OF IGNATIUS FOR MARTYRDOM.
WHEN Trajan, not long since,(1) succeeded to the empire of the Romans,
Ignatius, the disciple of John the apostle, a man in all respects of an
apostolic character, governed the Church of the Antiochians with great
care, having with difficulty escaped the former storms of the many
persecutions under Domitian, inasmuch as, like a good pilot, by the helm of
prayer and fasting, by the earnestness of his teaching, and by his
[constant(2) spiritual labour, he resisted the flood that rolled against
him, fearing [only] lest he should lose: any of those who were deficient in
courage, or apt to suffer from their simplicity.(3) Wherefore he rejoiced
over the tranquil state of the Church, when the persecution ceased for a
little time, but was grieved as to himself, that he had not yet attained to
a true love to Christ, nor reached the perfect rank of a disciple. For he
inwardly reflected, that the confession which is made by martyrdom, would
bring him into a yet more intimate relation to the Lord. Wherefore,
continuing a few years longer with the Church, and, like a divine lamp,
enlightening every one's understanding by his expositions of the [Holy(4)]
Scriptures, he [at length] attained the object of his desire.
CHAP. II.--IGNATIUS IS CONDEMNED BY TRAJAN.
For Trajan, in the ninth(5) year of his reign, being lifted up [with
pride], after the victory he had gained over the Scythians and Dacians, and
many other nations, and thinking that the religious body of the Christians
were yet wanting to complete the subjugation of all things to himself, and
[thereupon] threatening them with persecution unless they should agree
to(6) worship daemons, as did all other nations, thus compelled(7) all who
were living godly lives either to sacrifice [to idols] or die. Wherefore
the noble soldier of Christ [Ignatius], being in fear for the Church of the
Antiochians, was, in accordance with his own desire, brought before Trajan,
who was at that time staying at Antioch, but was in haste [to set forth]
against Armenia and the Parthians. And when he was set before the emperor
Trajan, [that prince] said unto him, "Who art thou, eked wretch,(8) who
settest(9) thyself to transgress our commands, and persuadest others to do
the same, so that they should miserably perish?" Ignatius replied, "No one
ought to call Theophorus(10) wicked; for all evil spirits(11) have departed
from the servants of God. But if, because I am an enemy to these [spirits],
you call me wicked in respect to them, I quite agree with you; for inasmuch
as I have Christ the King of heaven [within me], I destroy all the devices
of these [evil spirits]." Trajan answered, "And who is Theophorus?"
Ignatius replied, "He who has Christ within his breast." Trajan said, "Do
we not then seem to you to have the gods in our mind, whose assistance we
enjoy in fighting against our enemies?" Ignatius answered, "Thou art in
error when thou callest the daemons of the nations gods. For there is but
one God, who made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that are in them;
and one Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, whose kingdom may I
enjoy." Trajan said, "Do you mean Him who was crucified under Pontius
Pilate?" Ignatius replied, "I mean Him who crucified my sin, with him who
was the inventor of it,(12) and who has condemned [and cast down] all the
deceit and malice of the devil under the feet of those who carry Him in
their heart." Trajan said, "Dost thou then carry within thee Him that was
crucified?" Ignatius replied, "Truly so; for it is written, 'I will dwell
in them, and walk in them.'"(1) Then Trajan pronounced sentence as follows:
"We command that Ignatius, who affirms that he carries about within him Him
that was crucified, be bound by soldiers, and carried to the great [city]
Rome, there to be devoured by the beasts, for the gratification of the
people." When the holy martyr heard this sentence, he cried out with joy,
"I thank thee, O Lord, that Thou hast vouchsafed to honour me with a
perfect love towards Thee, and hast made me to be bound with iron chains,
like(2) Thy Apostle Paul." Having spoken thus, he then, with delight,
clasped the chains about him; and when he had first prayed for the Church,
and commended it with tears to the Lord, he was hurried away by the
savage(3) cruelty of the soldiers, like a distinguished ram(4) the leader
of a goodly flock, that he might be carried to Rome, there to furnish food
to the bloodthirsty beasts.
CHAP. III.--IGNATIUS SAILS TO SMYRNA.
Wherefore, with great alacrity and joy, through his desire to suffer,
he came down from Antioch to Seleucia, from which place he set sail. And
after a great deal of suffering he came to Smyrna, where he disembarked
with great joy, and hastened to see the holy Polycarp, [formerly] his
fellow-disciple, and [now] bishop of Smyrna. For they had both, in old
times, been disciples of St. John the Apostle. Being then brought to him,
and having communicated to him some spiritual gifts, and glorying in his
bonds, he entreated of him to labour(5) along with him for the fulfilment
of his desire; earnestly indeed asking this of the whole Church (for the
cities and Churches of Asia had welcomed(6) the holy man through their
bishops, and presbyters, and deacons, all hastening to meet him, if by any
means they might receive from him some(7) spiritual gift), but above all,
the holy Polycarp, that, by means of the wild beasts, he soon disappearing
from this world, might be manifested before the face of Christ.
CHAP. IV.--IGNATIUS WRITES TO THE CHURCHES.
And these things he thus spake, and thus testified, extending his love
to Christ so far as one who was about to(8) secure heaven through his good
confession, and the earnestness of those who joined their prayers to his in
regard to his [approaching] conflict; and to give a recompense to the
Churches, who came to meet him through their rulers, sending(9) letters of
thanksgiving to them, which dropped spiritual grace, along with prayer and
exhortation. Wherefore, seeing all men so kindly affected towards him, and
fearing lest the love of the brotherhood should hinder his zeal towards the
Lord,(10) while a fair door of suffering martyrdom was opened to him, he
wrote to the Church of the Romans the Epistle which is here subjoined.
(See the Epistle as formerly given [In the EWTN file ANF1-5.TXT].)
CHAP. V.--IGNATIUS IS BROUGHT TO ROME.
Having therefore, by means of this Epistle, settled,(11) as he wished,
those of the brethren at Rome who were unwilling [for his martyrdom]; and
setting sail from Smyrna (for Christophorus was pressed by the soldiers to
hasten to the public spectacles in the mighty [city] Rome, that, being
given up to the wild beasts in the sight of the Roman people, he might
attain to the crown for which he strove), he [next] landed at Troas. Then,
going on from that place to Neapolis, he went [on foot] by Philippi through
Macedonia, and on to that part of Epirus which is near Epidamnus; and
finding a ship in one of the seaports, he sailed over the Adriatic Sea, and
entering from it on the Tyrrhene, he passed by the various islands and
cities, until, when Puteoli came in sight, he was eager there to disembark,
having a desire to tread in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul.(12) But a
violent wind arising did not suffer him to do so, the ship being driven
rapidly forwards;(13) and, simply expressing his delight(14) over the love
of the brethren in that place, he sailed by. Wherefore, continuing to enjoy
fair winds, we were reluctantly hurried on in one day and a night, mourning
[as we did] over the coming departure from us of this righteous man. But to
him this happened just as he wished, since he was in haste as soon as
possible to leave this world, that he might attain to the Lord whom he
loved. Sailing then into the Roman harbour, and the unhallowed sports being
just about to close, the soldiers began to be annoyed at our slowness, but
the bishop rejoicingly yielded to their urgency.
CHAP. VI.--IGNATIUS IS DEVOURED BY THE BEASTS AT ROME.
They pushed forth therefore from the place which is called Portus;(15)
and (the(16) fame of all relating to the holy martyr being already spread
abroad) we met the brethren full of fear and joy; rejoicing indeed because
they were thought worthy to meet with Theophorus, but struck with fear
because so eminent a man was being led to death. Now he enjoined some to
keep silence who, in their fervent zeal, were saying(1) that they would
appease the people, so that they should not demand the destruction of this
just one. He being immediately aware of this through the Spirit,(2) and
having saluted them all, and begged of them to show a true affection
towards him, and having dwelt [on this point] at greater length than in his
Epistle,(3) and having persuaded them not to envy him hastening to the
Lord, he then, after he had, with all the brethren kneeling [beside him],
entreated the Son of God in behalf of the Churches, that a stop might be
put to the persecution, and that mutual love might continue among the
brethren, was led with all haste into the amphitheatre. Then, being
immediately thrown in, according to the command of Caesar given some time
ago, the public spectacles being just about to close (for it was then a
solemn day, as they deemed it, being that which is called the thirteenth(4)
in the Roman tongue, on which the people were wont to assemble in more than
ordinary numbers(5)), he was thus cast to the wild beasts close, beside the
temple,(6) that so by them the desire of the holy martyr Ignatius should be
fulfilled, according to that which is written, "The desire of the righteous
is acceptable(7) [to God]," to the effect that he might not be troublesome
to any of the brethren by the gathering of his remains, even as he had in
his Epistle expressed a wish beforehand that so his end might be. For only
the harder portions of his holy remains were left, which were conveyed to
Antioch and wrapped(8) in linen, as an inestimable treasure left to the
holy Church by the grace which was in the martyr.
CHAP. VII.--IGNATIUS APPEARS IN A VISION AFTER HIS DEATH.
Now these things took place on the thirteenth day before the Kalends of
January, that is, on the twentieth of December,(9) Sun and Senecio being
then the consuls of the Romans for the second time. Having ourselves been
eye-witnesses of these things, and having spent the whole night in tears
within the house, and having entreated the Lord, with bended knees and much
prayer, that He would give us weak men full assurance respecting the things
which were done,(10) it came to pass, on our filling into a brief slumber,
that some of us saw the blessed Ignatius suddenly standing by us and
embracing us, while others beheld him again praying for us, and others
still saw him dropping with sweat, as if he had just come from his great
labour, and standing by the Lord. When, therefore, we had with great joy
witnessed these things, and had compared our several visions(11) together,
we sang praise to God, the giver of all good things, and expressed our
sense of the happiness of the holy [martyr]; and now we have made known to
you both the day and the time [when these things happened], that,
assembling ourselves together according to the time of his martyrdom, we
may have fellowship with the champion and noble martyr of Christ, who trode
under foot the devil, and perfected the course which, out of love to
Christ, he had desired, in Christ Jesus our Lord; by whom, and with whom,
be glory and power to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, for evermore! Amen.
Taken from "The Early Church Fathers and Other Works" originally published
by Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co. in English in Edinburgh, Scotland beginning in
1867. (ANF 1, Roberts and Donaldson.) The digital version is by The
Electronic Bible Society, P.O. Box 701356, Dallas, TX 75370, 214-407-WORD.
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