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of the church, of which I am not worthy to be called, being the last of those there. Farewell in the Lord Jesus Christ, being subject to the bishop, and likewise to the presbyters and the deacons; and individually love one another with an undivided heart. My spirit is a sacrifice for you, not only now, but also when I shall attain to God. For I am still in danger, but the Father of Jesus Christ is faithful to fulfill my request and yours, in whom may we be found blameless. May I have joy of you in the Lord.

TO THE ROMANS. Ignatius, who is also Theophorus, to the church which has obtained mercy in the majesty of the most high God the Father, and of Jesus Christ his only-begotten Son; to the church sanctified and enlightened by the will of God who has made all things that are, according to the faith and love of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior, which also presides in the place of the region of the Romans, worthy of God, worthy of honor, worthy of being called blessed, worthy of praise, worthy of success, worthy of purity, and presiding over the love-feast, Christ-named, Father-named, Spirit-bearing, which also I greet in the name of God Almighty and of Jesus Christ his Son; to those united in flesh and spirit to every one of his commandments, filled with all the grace of God without distinction and strained clear from every foreign color, abundant greeting in God and the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, blamelessly. Since I have obtained by prayer to God to see your worthy faces, as I was asking to receive even more; for being bound in Christ Jesus I hope to greet you, if it be the will for me to be counted worthy to reach the end. For the beginning is well-ordered, if I but obtain the grace to receive my lot at the end without hindrance. For I fear your love, lest it do me an injustice. For it is easy for you to do what you will, but it is difficult for me to attain to God, if you do not spare me under the pretext of fleshly friendship.

For I do not wish you to please men, but to please God, as you do please him; for I shall never have such an opportunity to attain to God, nor can you, if you are silent, have a better work ascribed to you. For if you are silent about me, I shall become God's; but if you love my flesh, I shall again be a runner. Grant me nothing more than to be poured out as a libation to God, while the altar is still ready, that becoming a chorus in love, you may sing to the Father in Christ Jesus, that God has counted the bishop of Syria worthy to be found in the west, having sent for him from the east as a martyr of his own sufferings. It is good to be dissolved from the world to God, that I may rise to him. You have never envied anyone; you have taught others. But I desire that those things which you enjoin in your teaching may be firm. Only ask for me power from within and without, that I may not only say, but also will, so that I may not only be called a Christian, but also be found to be one; for if I am found to be one, I can also be called one, and then be faithful when I am not visible to the world. Nothing visible is eternal; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Christianity is not a work of persuasion, but of greatness; when it is hated by the world. it is loved by God. For if, he says, you were of this world, the world would love its own; but now you are not of the world, but I have chosen you; abide with me. I write to all the churches and I enjoin all, that I am willingly dying for God, if you do not hinder me. I beseech you, do not become an unseasonable goodwill to me. Permit me to be food for the wild beasts, through whom it is possible to attain to God. I am the wheat of God, and I am ground by the teeth of wild beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of God. Rather entice the wild beasts, that they may become my tomb and leave nothing of my body, so that when I have fallen asleep I may not be burdensome to anyone

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ἐκκλησίας, ὅθεν οὐκ ἄξιός εἰμι λέγεσθαι, ὢν ἔσχατος τῶν ἐκεῖ. ἔρρωσθε ἐν κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ, ὑποτασσόμενοι τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ, ὁμοίως καὶ τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις καὶ τοῖς διακόνοις· καὶ οἱ κατὰ ἄνδρα ἀλλήλους ἀγαπᾶτε ἐν ἀμερίστῳ καρδίᾳ. ἁγνίζεται ὑμῶν τὸ ἐμὸν πνεῦμα οὐ μόνον νῦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅταν θεοῦ ἐπιτύχω. ἔτι γὰρ ἐπικίνδυνός εἰμι, ἀλλὰ πιστὸς ὁ πατὴρ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ πληρῶσαί μου τὴν αἴτησιν καὶ ὑμῶν, ἐν ᾧ εὑρεθείημεν ἄμωμοι. ὀναίμην ὑμῶν ἐν κυρίῳ.

ΠΡOΣ ΡΩMAIOΥΣ. Ἰγνάτιος, ὁ καὶ Θεοφόρος, τῇ ἠλεημένῃ ἐν μεγαλειότητι ὑψίστου θεοῦ

πατρὸς καὶ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ μονογενοῦς αὐτοῦ υἱοῦ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἡγιασμένῃ καὶ πεφωτισμένῃ ἐν θελήματι θεοῦ τοῦ ποιήσαντος τὰ πάντα, ἃ ἔστιν, κατὰ πίστιν καὶ ἀγάπην Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, ἥτις καὶ προκάθηται ἐν τόπῳ χωρίου Ῥωμαίων, ἀξιόθεος, ἀξιοπρεπής, ἀξιομακάριστος, ἀξιέπαινος, ἀξιοεπίτευκτος, ἀξίαγνος καὶ προκαθημένη τῆς ἀγάπης, χριστόνομος, πατρώνυμος, πνευματοφόρος, ἣν καὶ ἀσπάζομαι ἐν ὀνόματι θεοῦ παντοκράτορος καὶ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ· τοῖς κατὰ σάρκα καὶ πνεῦμα ἡνωμένοις πάσῃ ἐντολῇ αὐτοῦ, πεπληρωμένοις πάσης χάριτος θεοῦ ἀδιακρίτως καὶ ἀποδιϋλισμένοις ἀπὸ παντὸς ἀλλοτρίου χρώματος, πλεῖστα ἐν θεῷ καὶ πατρὶ καὶ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ ἀμώμως χαίρειν. Ἐπεὶ εὐξάμενος τῷ θεῷ ἐπέτυχον ἰδεῖν ὑμῶν τὰ ἀξιόθεα πρόσωπα, ὡς καὶ πλέον ᾐτούμην λαβεῖν· δεδεμένος γὰρ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐλπίζω ὑμᾶς ἀσπάσασθαι, ἐάνπερ θέλημα ᾖ τοῦ ἀξιωθῆναί με εἰς τέλος εἶναι. ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἀρχὴ εὐοικονόμητός ἐστιν, ἐάνπερ χάριτος ἐπιτύχω εἰς τὸ τὸν κλῆρόν μου εἰς πέρας ἀνεμποδίστως ἀπολαβεῖν. φοβοῦμαι γὰρ τὴν ἀγάπην ὑμῶν, μὴ αὐτή με ἀδικήσῃ· ὑμῖν γὰρ εὐχερές ἐστιν, ὃ θέλετε ποιῆσαι, ἐμοὶ δὲ δύσκολόν ἐστιν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπιτυχεῖν, ἐάνπερ ὑμεῖς μὴ φείσησθέ μου προφάσει φιλίας σαρκίνης.

Oὐ θέλω γὰρ ὑμᾶς ἀνθρωπαρεσκῆσαι, ἀλλὰ θεῷ ἀρέσαι, ὥσπερ καὶ ἀρέσκετε· οὔτε γὰρ ἐγὼ ἕξω ποτὲ καιρὸν τοιοῦτον, ὥστε θεοῦ ἐπιτυχεῖν, οὔτε ὑμεῖς, ἐὰν σιωπήσητε, κρείττονι ἔργῳ ἔχετε ἐπιγραφῆναι. ἐάν τε γὰρ σιωπήσητε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ἐγὼ γενήσομαι θεοῦ· ἐὰν δὲ ἐρασθῆτε τῆς σαρκός μου, πάλιν ἔσομαι τρέχων. πλεῖον δέ μοι παρέχεσθε τοῦ σπονδισθῆναι θεῷ, ὡς ἔτι θυσιαστήριον ἕτοιμόν ἐστιν, ἵνα ἐν ἀγάπῃ χορὸς γενόμενοι ᾄσητε τῷ πατρὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὅτι τὸν ἐπίσκοπον Συρίας κατηξίωσεν ὁ θεὸς εὑρεθῆναι εἰς δύσιν, ἀπὸ ἀνατολῆς μεταπεμψάμενος τῶν ἑαυτοῦ παθημάτων μάρτυρα. καλὸν τὸ διαλυθῆναι ἀπὸ κόσμου πρὸς θεόν, ἵνα εἰς αὐτὸν ἀνατείλω. Oὐδέποτε ἐβασκάνατε οὐδενί, ἄλλους ἐδιδάξατε. ἐγὼ δὲ θέλω, ἵνα κἀκεῖνα βέβαια ᾖ, ἃ μαθητεύοντες ἐντέλλεσθε. μόνον δύναμιν αἰτεῖσθέ μοι ἔσωθέν τε καὶ ἔξωθεν, ἵνα μὴ μόνον λέγω, ἀλλὰ καὶ θέλω, ὅπως μὴ μόνον λέγωμαι Χριστιανός, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὑρεθῶ· ἐὰν γὰρ εὑρεθῶ, καὶ λέγεσθαι δύναμαι καὶ τότε πιστὸς εἶναι, ὅταν κόσμῳ μὴ φαίνωμαι. οὐδὲν φαινόμενον αἰώνιον· τὰ γὰρ βλεπόμενα πρόσκαιρα, τὰ δὲ μὴ βλεπόμενα αἰώνια. οὐ πεισμονῆς τὸ ἔργον, ἀλλὰ μεγέθους ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστιανισμός· ὅταν μισῆται ὑπὸ κόσμου. φιλεῖται παρὰ θεοῦ. εἰ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου γάρ, φησί, τούτου ἦτε, ὁ κόσμος ἂν ἐφίλει τὸ ἴδιον· νυνὶ δὲ οὔκ ἐστε ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ ἐξελεξάμην ὑμᾶς· μείνατε παρ' ἐμοί. Ἐγὼ γράφω πάσαις ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις καὶ ἐντέλλομαι πᾶσιν, ὅτι ἑκὼν ὑπὲρ θεοῦ ἀποθνήσκω, ἐάνπερ ὑμεῖς μὴ κωλύσητε. παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς, μὴ εὔνοια ἄκαιρος γένησθέ μοι. ἄφετέ με θηρίων εἶναι βρῶμα, δι' ὧν ἔστιν θεοῦ ἐπιτυχεῖν. σῖτός εἰμι τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ δι' ὀδόντων θηρίων ἀλήθομαι, ἵνα καθαρὸς ἄρτος θεοῦ εὑρεθῶ. μᾶλλον κολακεύσατε τὰ θηρία, ἵνα μοι τάφος γένωνται καὶ μηθὲν καταλίπωσι τῶν τοῦ σώματός μου, ἵνα μὴ κοιμηθεὶς βαρύς τινι