The Martyrdom of Ignatius
1 Ignatius' Desire
for Martyrdom
When Trajan, not long since, 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 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. 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
Scriptures, he at length attained the object of his desire.
2 Ignatius is
Condemned by Trajan
For Trajan, in the ninth 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 worship daemons, as did all other nations, thus compelled 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, who settest 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 wicked;
for all evil spirits 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, 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.'" 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
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 cruelty of the
soldiers, like a distinguished ram the leader of a goodly flock, that he might
be carried to Rome, there to furnish food to the bloodthirsty beasts.
3 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 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 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 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.
4 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 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 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, 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.
Link:
Ignatius' letter to the Romans
5 Ignatius is Brought to Rome
Having therefore, by means of this Epistle, settled, 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. But a
violent wind arising did not suffer him to do so, the ship being driven rapidly
forwards; and, simply expressing his delight 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.
6 Ignatius is Devoured by the Beasts at
Rome
They pushed forth therefore from the place which is
called Portus; and (the 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 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, 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, 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 in the Roman
tongue, on which the people were wont to assemble in more than ordinary
numbers), he was thus cast to the wild beasts close, beside the temple, 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 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 in linen, as an
inestimable treasure left to the holy Church by the grace which was in the
martyr.
7 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, 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, 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 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.
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