Ichthys (Greek, Ix^ve, ajish), in Christian archaj- ology a symbol of Christ. The word is found on many seals, rings, lamps, and tombstones belonging to the earliest Christian times. It is formed of the initial let- ters of our Saviour's names and titles in Greek : 'JjjffoiiQ Xpiarog, Btov 'Yioc, Swr/jp, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savvmr. Tcrtullian speaks of Christians ac- customed to please themselves with the name pisciculi, "fishes," to denote that they were bom again into Christ's religion by water. He says, "Nos pisc'culi se- cundum Ix^vi', nostrum Jesum Christum, in aqua nas- cimur" (De Bapt. i, 2). See I'lsn. Baptismal fonts were often ornamented with the figure of a fish ; several such remain in French cathedrals. Optatus, bishop of Milesia, in the 4th centurj-. first pointed out the word ixQ^'Q as formed of the initials of Christ's titles as above given, and from that time forward " Oriental subtlet3' repeated to satiety" religious similitudes drawn from the sea. Julius Africanus calls Christ " the great fish taken by the fish-hook of God, and whose flesh nour- ishes the whole world." Augustine says that " ix^^vQ is the mystical name of Christ, because he descended alive into the depths of this mortal life — into the abyss of waters" {De Civit. Dei). See Didron, Christian Icono- graphy, i, 344 sq. ; IMunter, Sinnhilder d. alt Christen (Alt. 1825) ; Augusti, A rchdol. i, 121 sq. ; Pearson, On the Creed; Riddle, Christ. Antiquit. p. 184, See Icono- graphy.
Ico'nium {'Ikoviov, of unknown derivation), a town, formerly the capital of Lycaonia (according to Ptol. V, 6, 16 ; Ijut Phr>-gia according to Strabo, xii, 668 ; Xenoph. Anah. i, 2, 19; Pliny, v, 25; and even Pisidia according to Amniian. Marcel, xiv, 2), as it is now, by the name of Koniyeh, of Karamania, in Asia Minor. It is situated in N. lat. 37° 51', E. long. 32° 40', about 120 miles inland from the Mediterranean. It was on the
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great line of communication between Ephesus and the western coast of tlie peninsula on one side, and Tarsus, Antiocli, and the Euphrates on the other. We see this indicated by the narrative of Xenophon (/. c.) and the letters of Cicero (ad Fum. iii, 8 ; v, 20 ; xv, 4). When the Roman provincial system was matured, some of the most important roads intersected one another at this point, as may be seen from the map in Leake's Asia Minor. These circumstances should be borne in mind when we trace Paul's journeys through the district. Iconium was a well-chosen place for missionary opera- tions. The apostle's first visit was on his first circuit, in company with Barnabas; and on this occasion lie approached it from Antioch in Pisidia, which lay to the west. A.D. 44. From that city he had been driven by the persecution of the Jews (Acts xiii, 50, 51). There were Jews in Iconium also ; and Paul's first efforts here, according to his custom, were made in tlie synagogue (xiv, 1). The results were considerable both among the Hebrew and Gentile population of the place (ibid.). We should notice that the working of miracles in Ico- nium is emphatically mentioned (xiv, 3). The intrigues of the Jews again drove him away ; he was in danger of being stoned, and he withdrew to Lystra and Derbe, in the eastern and wilder part of Lj'caonia (xiv, 6). Thither also the enmity of the Jews of Antioch and Iconium pursued him; and at Lystra he was actually stoned and left for dead (xiv, 19). After an interval, however, he retmned over the old ground, revisiting Iconium, and encouraging the Church which he had founded there (xiv, 21, 22). A.D.47. These sufferings and difficulties are alluded to in 2 Tim. iii, 11 ; and this brings us to the consideration of his next visit to this neighborhood, which was the occasion of his first prac- tically associating himself with Timothy. Paul left the Syrian Antioch, in company with Silas (Acts xv, 40), on his second missionary circuit ; and, travelling through Cilicia (xv, 41), and up through the passes of Taurus into Lycaonia, approached Iconium from the east, by Derbe and Lystra (xvi, 1, 2). ThougVi apparently a native of Lystra, Timothy was evidently well known to the Christians of Iconium (xvi, 2) ; and it is not im- probable that his circumcision (xvi, 3) and ordination (1 Tim. i, 18 ; iv, 14 ; vi, 12 ; 2 Tim. i, 6) took place there. On leaving Iconium, Paul and his party trav- elled to the north-west ; and the place is not mentioned again in the sacred narrative, though there is little doubt that it was visited by the apostle again in the early part of his third circuit (Acts xviii, 23). From its position it could not fail to be an important centre of Christian influence in the early ages of the Church. The curious apocryphal legend of St. Thecla, of which Iconium is the scene, must not be entirely passed by. The " Acta Pauli et Theclai" are given in full by Grabe (Spicil. vol. i), and by Jones {On the Canon, ii, 353-411) ; and in brief by Conybeare and Ilowson {St. Paul, i, 197). The Church planted at this place by the apostle con- tinued to flourish (Hierocles, p. 675) until, by the per- secutions of the Saracens, and afterwards of the Selju- kians, ^vho made it one of their sultanies, it was nearh- extinguished. But some Cliristians of the Greek and Armenian churches, with a Greek metropolitan bishop, are still found Li the suburbs of the city, not being per- mitted to reside Viflthin the vv-alls.