Why did St. Ignatius of Antioch fear that he might lose courage before his execution?

St. Ignatius of Antioch did not fear that he might lose his courage because of a lack of faith in his mission; rather, he recognized the inherent human frailty of facing a violent death. While he viewed martyrdom as the ultimate path to perfection and union with Christ’s Passion, he remained deeply aware of the possibility that he might recoil when confronted with the reality of his execution in the Roman arena.12

Because of this awareness, he did not rely solely on his own resolve. Instead, he humbly asked the churches to pray for his strength and constancy, ensuring he would remain steadfast in his commitment to suffer for his faith. His primary concern was that he might fail to achieve this final witness, and he actively sought to prevent his friends in Rome from intervening to secure a pardon, which would have deprived him of what he considered his way to perfection.12