The Martyrdom of Ignatius (conclusion, from Funk) (complete)
Pseudonymous: Closing chapters of the Martyrium Colbertinum (Antiochene Acts of Ignatius), supplied from Funk's edition because the PG 5 scan text of martyrium-ignatii breaks off in chapter 6. The Acts claim to be written by companions of Ignatius; they are generally judged a later composition (4th–5th century).
Greek text: Funk 1878.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 6
6.4Funk 1878 1:262
Εἶτα εὐθὺς ἐμβληθεὶς κατὰ τὸ πάλαι πρόσταγμα τοῦ καίσαρος, μελλουσῶν καταπαύειν τῶν φιλοτιμιῶν (ἦν γὰρ ἐπιφανής, ὡς ἐδόκουν, ἡ λεγομένη τῇ Ῥωμαϊκῇ φωνῇ τρισκαιδεκάτη, καθ᾽ ἣν σπουδαίως συνήεσαν), οὕτως θηρσὶν ἀγρίοις παρὰ τῶν ἀθέων παρεβάλλετο, ὡς παρ᾽ αὐτὰ τοῦ ἁγίου μάρτυρος Ἰγνατίου πληροῦσθαι τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον· Ἐπιθυμία δικαίου δεκτή, ἵνα μηδενὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐπαχθὴς διὰ τῆς συλλογῆς τοῦ λειψάνου γένηται, καθὼς φθάσας ἐν τῇ ἐπιστολῇ τὴν ἰδίαν ἐπεθύμει γενέσθαι τελείωσιν.
Eita euthys emblētheis kata to palai prostagma tou kaisaros, mellousōn katapauein tōn philotimiōn (ēn gar epiphanēs, hōs edokoun, hē legomenē tę̄ Rhōmaïkę̄ phōnę̄ triskaidekatē, kath᾽ hēn spoudaiōs synēesan), houtōs thērsin agriois para tōn atheōn pareballeto, hōs par᾽ auta tou hagiou martyros Ignatiou plērousthai tēn epithymian kata to gegrammenon; Epithymia dikaiou dektē, hina mēdeni tōn adelphōn epachthēs dia tēs syllogēs tou leipsanou genētai, kathōs phthasas en tę̄ epistolę̄ tēn idian epethymei genesthai teleiōsin.
Then he was thrown in at once, according to the emperor's command given long before, as the games were about to end (for it was a notable day, as they thought, the one called in the Roman tongue the thirteenth, on which they had gathered eagerly); and so he was cast to the wild beasts by the godless, so that the desire of the holy martyr Ignatius was at once fulfilled, according to what is written, "The desire of the righteous is acceptable," that he might not be a burden to any of the brothers by the gathering of his remains, as he had earlier desired in his letter that his end might be.
Prov 10:24 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Ignatius is thrown to the beasts on a festival day at the close of the games, and his wish, stated in his letter, not to leave remains that would burden the brothers is fulfilled.
- The text of the published Martyrdom (PG 5) breaks off in this verse; from here to the end the text is Funk's (the Colbertine Acts).
- "At once" renders ὡς παρ᾽ αὐτά; ANF 1 has "close beside the temple", following a different reading.
- "The thirteenth": a day of the games, probably the Ides; which feast is meant is uncertain.
- "In his letter": Ignatius, To the Romans 4.2.
Extrabiblical texts: Ign. Rom. 4.2 (To the Romans; allusion)
Topics: Martyrdom, Persecution
Cite (SBL): Mart. Ign. 6.4 (Funk 1878 1:262; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/martyrium-ignatii-funk/6-4/#p-6-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from Funk's Greek (Opera patrum apostolicorum, 1878–81, the Colbertine Acts), OCR slips restored as noted; compared afterwards with ANF 1.
6.5Funk 1878 1:262
Μόνα γὰρ τὰ τραχύτερα τῶν ἁγίων αὐτοῦ λειψάνων περιελείφθη, ἅτινα εἰς τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν ἀπεκομίσθη καὶ ἐν λίνῳ κατετέθη, θησαυρὸς ἀτίμητος ὑπὸ τῆς ἐν τῷ μάρτυρι χάριτος τῇ ἁγίᾳ ἐκκλησίᾳ καταλειφθέντα.
Mona gar ta trachytera tōn hagiōn autou leipsanōn perieleiphthē, hatina eis tēn Antiocheian apekomisthē kai en linǭ katetethē, thēsauros atimētos hypo tēs en tǭ martyri charitos tę̄ hagią ekklēsią kataleiphthenta.
For only the harder parts of his holy remains were left, and these were carried to Antioch and laid in linen, a priceless treasure left to the holy church by the grace that was in the martyr.
Notes and citation
Summary: Only the harder bones of Ignatius remain; they are taken to Antioch and kept as a treasure of the church.
- The ending of καταλειφθέντα is damaged in the scan and restored from Funk's apparatus (neuter plural, agreeing with the remains).
Topics: Martyrdom
Cite (SBL): Mart. Ign. 6.5 (Funk 1878 1:262; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/martyrium-ignatii-funk/6-4/#p-6-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from Funk's Greek (Opera patrum apostolicorum, 1878–81, the Colbertine Acts), OCR slips restored as noted; compared afterwards with ANF 1.
Chapter 7
7.1Funk 1878 1:262
Ἐγένετο δὲ ταῦτα τῇ πρὸ δεκατριῶν καλανδῶν Ἰανουαρίων, [τουτέστιν Δεκεμβρίῳ εἰκάδι], ὑπατευόντων παρὰ Ῥωμαίοις Σύρα καὶ Σενεκίωνος τὸ δεύτερον.
Egeneto de tauta tę̄ pro dekatriōn kalandōn Ianouariōn, [toutestin Dekembriǭ eikadi], hypateuontōn para Rhōmaiois Syra kai Senekiōnos to deuteron.
These things took place on the thirteenth day before the Kalends of January, when Sura and Senecio were consuls among the Romans for the second time.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: The martyrdom is dated to 20 December, in the consulship of Sura and Senecio.
- The thirteenth day before the Kalends of January is 20 December. Funk prints the words "that is, on the twentieth of December" in square brackets as a gloss not in the original (some manuscripts omit them); they are left out of the translation.
- The consular date is a problem: Senecio's second consulship (with Sura) was in 102 and Sura's third in 107, the year usually given for the martyrdom; the account's date is not certain.
Topics: Martyrdom
Cite (SBL): Mart. Ign. 7.1 (Funk 1878 1:262; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/martyrium-ignatii-funk/6-4/#p-7-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from Funk's Greek (Opera patrum apostolicorum, 1878–81, the Colbertine Acts), OCR slips restored as noted; compared afterwards with ANF 1.
7.2Funk 1878 1:263
Τούτων αὐτόπται γενόμενοι μετὰ δακρύων κατ᾽ οἶκόν τε παννυχίσαντες καὶ πολλὰ μετὰ γονυκλισίας καὶ δεήσεως παρακαλέσαντες τὸν κύριον πληροφορῆσαι τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τοῖς προγεγονόσιν, μικρὸν ἀφυπνώσαντες, οἱ μὲν ἐξαίφνης ἐπιστάντα καὶ περιπτυσσόμενον ἡμᾶς ἐβλέπομεν, οἱ δὲ πάλιν ἐπευχόμενον ἡμῖν ἑωρῶμεν τὸν μακάριον Ἰγνάτιον, ἄλλοι δὲ σταζόμενον ὑφ᾽ ἱδρῶτος ὡς ἐκ καμάτου πολλοῦ παραγενόμενον καὶ παρεστῶτα τῷ κυρίῳ.
Toutōn autoptai genomenoi meta dakryōn kat᾽ oikon te pannychisantes kai polla meta gonyklisias kai deēseōs parakalesantes ton kyrion plērophorēsai tous astheneis hēmas epi tois progegonosin, mikron aphypnōsantes, hoi men exaiphnēs epistanta kai periptyssomenon hēmas eblepomen, hoi de palin epeuchomenon hēmin heōrōmen ton makarion Ignation, alloi de stazomenon hyph᾽ hidrōtos hōs ek kamatou pollou paragenomenon kai parestōta tǭ kyriǭ.
We were eyewitnesses of these things. With tears we kept vigil all night in the house, and with kneeling and prayer we earnestly besought the Lord to give us weak ones full assurance about what had happened. Then we fell asleep for a little, and some of us suddenly saw the blessed Ignatius standing by and embracing us, others again saw him praying over us, and others saw him dripping with sweat as if he had come from great toil, and standing beside the Lord.
Notes and citation
Summary: The writers keep a night vigil and pray for assurance; in a short sleep they see Ignatius embracing them, praying for them, and standing beside the Lord.
- "We fell asleep for a little": the participle ἀφυπνώσαντες is damaged in the scan and restored from the sense and the Latin version.
Cite (SBL): Mart. Ign. 7.2 (Funk 1878 1:263; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/martyrium-ignatii-funk/6-4/#p-7-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from Funk's Greek (Opera patrum apostolicorum, 1878–81, the Colbertine Acts), OCR slips restored as noted; compared afterwards with ANF 1.
7.3Funk 1878 1:264
Μετὰ πολλῆς τοίνυν χαρᾶς ταῦτα ἰδόντες καὶ συμβαλόντες τὰς ὄψεις τῶν ὀνειράτων, ὑμνήσαντες τὸν θεόν, τὸν δοτῆρα τῶν ἀγαθῶν, καὶ μακαρίσαντες τὸν ἅγιον ἐφανερώσαμεν ὑμῖν καὶ τὴν ἡμέραν καὶ τὸν χρόνον, ἵνα κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ μαρτυρίου συναγόμενοι κοινωνῶμεν τῷ ἀθλητῇ καὶ γενναίῳ μάρτυρι Χριστοῦ, καταπατήσαντι τὸν διάβολον καὶ τὸν τῆς φιλοχρίστου αὐτοῦ ἐπιθυμίας τελειώσαντι δρόμον ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, δι᾽ οὗ καὶ μεθ᾽ οὗ τῷ πατρὶ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι εἰς αἰῶνας· ἀμήν.
Meta pollēs toinyn charas tauta idontes kai symbalontes tas opseis tōn oneiratōn, hymnēsantes ton theon, ton dotēra tōn agathōn, kai makarisantes ton hagion ephanerōsamen hymin kai tēn hēmeran kai ton chronon, hina kata ton kairon tou martyriou synagomenoi koinōnōmen tǭ athlētę̄ kai gennaiǭ martyri Christou, katapatēsanti ton diabolon kai ton tēs philochristou autou epithymias teleiōsanti dromon en Christǭ Iēsou tǭ kyriǭ hēmōn, di᾽ hou kai meth᾽ hou tǭ patri hē doxa kai to kratos syn tǭ hagiǭ pneumati eis aiōnas; amēn.
So with great joy we saw these things and compared the visions of our dreams; we hymned God, the giver of good things, and called the saint blessed; and we have made known to you both the day and the time, so that, gathering at the time of his martyrdom, we may have fellowship with the athlete and noble martyr of Christ, who trampled down the devil and finished the course of his Christ-loving desire in Christ Jesus our Lord, through whom and with whom be glory and might to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, for ever. Amen.
2 Tim 4:7 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The writers praise God for the visions and send the day of the martyrdom so that the churches may gather on it each year in fellowship with Ignatius.
- "Gathering at the time of his martyrdom": an early witness to keeping a martyr's anniversary (compare Martyrdom of Polycarp 18.3).
Extrabiblical texts: Mart. Pol. 18.3 (Martyrdom of Polycarp; echo)
Cite (SBL): Mart. Ign. 7.3 (Funk 1878 1:264; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/martyrium-ignatii-funk/6-4/#p-7-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from Funk's Greek (Opera patrum apostolicorum, 1878–81, the Colbertine Acts), OCR slips restored as noted; compared afterwards with ANF 1.