IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH (Roman, died c. 108/140 CE)
Ignatius was the Patriarch of Antioch and considered (with Clement of Rome and Polycarp) one of the three most important of the "Apostolic Fathers," church leaders in the first generations after the apostles of Jesus. Ignatius may have been a disciple of the Apostle John, the brother of James. He is generally believed to be the author of seven epistles to six churches (Ephesus, Magnesia, Tralles, Rome, Philadelphia, and Smyrna) and one colleague (Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna). He wrote these letters while being transported to Rome in chains for his eventual martyrdom. They address important topics like ecclesiology, the sacraments, and the role of bishops. A number of other, spurious, letters were later published in his name; these are referred to as the work of "Pseudo-Ignatius."
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