The first town we know of Ignatius' passing through is Philadelphia in proconsular Asia (P/ii/at^. vii. 1). Of the itinerary he followed between Antioch and that town we know nothing.
After Philadelphia we find him in Smyrna, where Polycarp is bishop. Later he thanks the Smyr- naeans effusively for the welcome they gave him and his two companions Philo and Rlieus Agatho- pus (Smyrn. ix. 2, x. 1). In Smyrna he made a comparatively long stay — time enough to get to know the Smyrnsean families he greets at the end of his letter (xiii. 1, 2). While he was in Smyrna the neighbouring churches sent deputations to greet him and' console him in his imprisonment. Erom Smyrna itself Ignatius writes a letter of thanks to each of the churches who had sent dele- gates : the first is the Epistle to the Ephesians, the second the Letter to the Church of Magnesia on the Meander, the third the Epistle to theTrallians. From Smyrna, too, Ignatius sends his Letter to the Romans, which alone bears a date— the ninth day before the Kalends of September, i.e. 24 Aug. (Rom. X. 3).
The zeal of the neighbouring churches to greet Ignatius is very remarkable. ' For when ye heard that I was on my way from Syria, in bonds for the sake of the common Name and hope ... ye were eager to visit me,' writes Ignatius to the Ephesians (i. 2). The Ephesians sent their bishop, Oiiesimus (i. 3), their deacon, Burrhus(ii. 1), and several other Christians — Crocus, Euplus, Fronto, etc. (ib.). The Magnesians sent their bishop, Damas, the pres- byters Bassus and Apollonius, and their deacon Zotion (ii. ). At the end of his Epistle to the Magnesians, Ignatius writes : ' The Ephesians from Smyrna salute you, from whence also I write to you. They are here with me for the glory of God, as also are ye ; and they have comforted me in all things, together with I'olycarp, bishop of the Smyr- npeans. Yea, and all the other churches salute you . . .' (XV.). The Trallians sent their bishop, Polybius (i. 1). To them Ignatius writes : 'I salute you from Smyrna, togetiier with the churches of God that are present with me ; men who refreshed me in all ways both in flesh and in spirit' (xii. 1). The way in which these three Asian churches vied with each other to pay court to Ignatius leads ur. to believe that other churches probably followed suit : ' I write to all the churches, and I bid all men know, that of my own free will I die for God . . .'(Horn. iv. 1); and again: ' My spirit saluteth you, and the love of the churches which received me in the name of Jesus Christ, not as a mere wayfarer : for even those churches which did not lie on my route after the flesh went before me from city to city ' (ix. 3).
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IGN"ATIUS
IGNATIUS
The Epistle to the Romans is not a reply to a direct deputation sent to Ignatius by the Church of Rome. Ignatius has been informed of the Romans' feelings towards him and of their design to snatch him from martyrdom if possible, and he forestalls them by begging them to do nothing. He sends them the letter by the hands of Ephesians who have apparently told him of the Romans' plans (x. 1), and who have means of transporting the letter to Rome. Ignatius uses this means, although he knows that Antiochene devotees have gone straight to Rome. He says of them : ' As touching those who went before me from Syria to Rome unto the glory of God, I believe that ye have received instructions ; whom also apprise that I am near ' (x. 2).
From Smyrna, Ignatius and his guard journey to Troas, probably by sea. From there Ignatius dispatches three letters : the first to the Church of Philadelphia (' The love of the brethren which are in Troas saluteth you,' xi. 2) ; the second to the Smyrnseans ; and the third to Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna. In the last letter Ignatius apologizes for not being able to write to all the churches, the reason being that he has just been suddenly ordered to embark at once for Neapolis in Mace- donia, the port for Philippi.
Before leaving Troas, Ignatius receives comfort- ing news of his beloved Church of Antioch, He suggests that Polycarp should depute one of the Smyrnaeans to go to Antioch to show the love that the Church of Smyi-na bears to the Church of Syria (vii. 2). 'I salute him that shall be ap- pointed to go to Syria,' he writes. ' Grace shall be with him always, and with Polycarp who sendeth him ' (viii. 2). He begs Polycarp to write to the churches lying between Smyrna and Antioch, enjoining them to send messengers or letters to the Church of Antioch as a token of their love (viii. 1). He writes to the same effect to the Philadelphians. ' As a church of God ' they ought to elect a deacon and commission him to carry their congratulations to the devotees assembled together at Antioch and to glorify ' the Name ' with them. If they do this, they will be following the example of several churches, some of whom have sent a bishop, and some presbyters or deacons (X. 1-2).