Saint Ignatius of Antioch, (died c. 110, Rome; Western feast day October 17; Eastern feast day December 20), Early Christian martyr. Probably of Syrian origin, he may have been a pagan who persecuted Christians before his conversion. He succeeded St. Peter the Apostle as bishop of Antioch. During the reign of Trajan, Roman authorities arrested Ignatius and sent him to Rome, where he was tried and executed. He wrote a series of famous letters on the journey to Rome, attempting to encourage his fellow Christians during their persecution. The letters condemn two sets of heretics: the Judaizers, who insisted that Christians continue to follow Jewish law, and the Docetists, who maintained that Jesus only appeared to suffer and die on the cross.
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