Apocrypha
Ignatius to the Romans
Apostolic Father
10 chapters · read and listen
Reading note
An apocryphal or pseudepigraphal text — outside the canon of the Western churches, yet widely circulated among ancient Jews and Christians. Published here from a public-domain translation, edited for continuous reading.
Chapters
Dossier
The most striking of the seven: Ignatius writes to the church at Rome begging that no one try to save him. He wants to be ground by the teeth of the beasts and become the pure bread of Christ.
Where this text comes from
Greek, around AD 107-110, written before he reached Rome so that the letter would arrive ahead of him.
Why it is not in the Bible
Patristic literature, outside any canon.
What you will find
- The plea not to intercede for him is repeated in many forms, with real fear that the love of the brethren will stop him from dying.
- The image of wheat ground by the teeth of beasts is among the most quoted lines of early Christianity.
- Unlike the other six, this letter says nothing about discipline or bishops — it is entirely about the death ahead.
Frequently asked questions
- Did Ignatius really want to die?
- The text leaves no doubt about the request: he begs them not to prevent the execution. How to read that desire — faith, a culture of martyrdom, or both — is still discussed.