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| Chapter VI.—Ignatius is devoured by the beasts at Rome. PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP
Chapter VI.—Ignatius is devoured by
the beasts at Rome.
beasts at Rome" title="130" id="v.xxv.vi-p1.1"/>They pushed forth
therefore from the place which is called Portus;1425
1425 [Of which we shall learn more when we come
to Hippolytus. Trajan had just improved the work of Claudius at this
haven, near Ostia.] | and (the1426
1426 Literally, “for the.” | fame of
all relating to the holy martyr being already spread
abroad)
we met the brethren full of fear and joy; rejoicing indeed because they
were thought worthy to meet with Theophorus, but struck with fear because
so eminent a man was being led to death. Now he enjoined some to keep
silence who, in their fervent zeal, were saying1427
1427 Literally, “boiling and
saying.” | that they would appease the people, so that
they should not demand the destruction of this just one. He being
immediately aware of this through the Spirit,1428
and having saluted them all, and begged of them to show a true affection
towards him, and having dwelt [on this point] at greater length than in
his Epistle,1429 and having persuaded them not to envy
him hastening to the Lord, he then, after he had, with all the brethren
kneeling [beside him], entreated the Son of God in behalf of the
Churches, that a stop might be put to the persecution, and that mutual
love might continue among the brethren, was led with all haste into the
amphitheatre. Then, being immediately thrown in, according to the command
of Cæsar given some time ago, the public spectacles being just about to
close (for it was then a solemn day, as they deemed it, being that which
is called the thirteenth1430
1430
The Saturnalia were then celebrated. | in the Roman tongue, on
which the people were wont to assemble in more than ordinary numbers1431
1431 Literally, “they came
together zealously.” | ), he was thus cast to the wild
beasts close beside the temple,1432
1432 The amphitheatre itself was sacred to several of the
gods. [But (παρὰ τῷ ναῷ) the original
indicates the cella or shrine, in the centre of the amphitheatre
where the image of Pluto was exhibited. A plain cross, until the late
excavations, marked the very spot.] | that so by them the
desire of the holy martyr Ignatius should be fulfilled, according to that
which is written, “The desire of the righteous is acceptable1433 [to God],” to the effect that he might
not be troublesome to any of the brethren by the gathering of his
remains, even as he had in his Epistle expressed a wish beforehand that
so his end might be. For only the harder portions of his holy remains
were left, which were conveyed to Antioch and wrapped1434
in linen, as an inestimable treasure left to the holy Church by the grace
which was in the martyr.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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