St. Ignatius of Antioch

Introduction & Top Questions
Record of his life
Journey to Rome
The letters: Warnings against false teachings
Martyrdom as union with Christ
Ignatius’s personal relationships
Preservation of the letters

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images

Depiction of the martyrdom of St. Ignatius of Antioch

At a Glance

Saint Ignatius of Antioch summary

Quizzes

Holy week. Easter. Valladolid. Procession of Nazarenos carry a cross during the Semana Santa (Holy week before Easter) in Valladolid, Spain. Good Friday

Christianity Quiz

Related Questions

During which Roman emperor’s reign was St. Ignatius of Antioch condemned to execution?
How did Polycarp preserve the letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch?
How did St. Ignatius of Antioch describe martyrdom as a path toward becoming a perfect disciple?
How did the letters of St. Paul influence St. Ignatius of Antioch?
How do St. Ignatius of Antioch’s writings reflect the eastern Hellenistic world?
How many letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch are considered genuine?
How were the letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch changed during the fourth century?
Was St. Ignatius of Antioch born in Antioch?
What does the surname Theophoros mean in Greek?
What news about Antioch did Philo and Agathopus bring to St. Ignatius of Antioch?
What route did St. Ignatius of Antioch take as a prisoner on his way to Rome?
Where did St. Ignatius of Antioch write his seven surviving letters?
Where was St. Ignatius of Antioch serving as bishop when he was arrested?
Which feast days commemorate St. Ignatius of Antioch in Western and Eastern Christianity?
Which nearby churches sent delegations to St. Ignatius of Antioch at Smyrna?
Which places and groups recognize St. Ignatius of Antioch as a patron saint?
Which two Syrian deacons joined St. Ignatius of Antioch at Troas?
Who may have produced the 13th-century Latin translation of St. Ignatius of Antioch’s genuine letters?
Who was Burrus of Ephesus?
Who welcomed St. Ignatius of Antioch during his stay in Smyrna?
Why did Eusebius of Caesarea date the arrest of St. Ignatius of Antioch to 107 or 108?
Why did Roman Catholics and Protestants debate the letters attributed to St. Ignatius of Antioch after the Reformation?
Why did St. Ignatius of Antioch ask Roman Christians not to seek a pardon for him?
Why did St. Ignatius of Antioch connect unity with a bishop to unity with Christ?
Why did St. Ignatius of Antioch fear that he might lose courage before his execution?
Why did St. Ignatius of Antioch insist that Christ had a real human body?
Why did St. Ignatius of Antioch write a letter to the Christian church in Rome?
Why did scholars consider some letters attributed to St. Ignatius of Antioch to be forgeries?
What were the main teachings of St. Ignatius of Antioch’s letters?
What was St. Ignatius of Antioch’s view on martyrdom?
Who was St. Margaret of Antioch?
What is St. Margaret of Antioch known for?
Why is St. Leo I called “Leo the Great?”
What was the miracle of St. Sylvester I?
What is the Donation of Constantine?
What were St. Damasus I’s accomplishments as pope?
What controversy did St. Polycarp discuss with Bishop Anicetus of Rome?
Who was St. Gregory of Nazianzus?

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External Websites

Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States - St. Ignatius of Antioch (The Theophorus)
Perseus Digital Library - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology - Igna'tius
University of Notre Dame - FaithND - St. Ignatius of Antioch
Learn Religions - Biography of Ignatius of Antioch: Apostolic Father, Christian Martyr

St. Ignatius of Antioch

Syrian bishop

Also known as: Ignatius Theophoros

Written by

Ludwig G.J. Bieler

Professor of Paleography and Late Latin, University College, Dublin, National University of Ireland. Author of Boethii Philosophiae Consolatio and others.

Ludwig G.J. Bieler

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

History

St. Ignatius of Antioch (died c. 110, Rome; Western feast day October 17; Eastern feast day December 20) was the third bishop of Antioch, Syria (now in Turkey), known mainly from seven highly regarded letters that he wrote during a trip to Rome as a prisoner condemned to be executed for his Christian beliefs. He was apparently eager to counteract the teachings of two groups—the Judaizers, who did not accept the authority of the New...

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