|
St. Ignatius
of Antioch - Bishop and Martyr
Born - c.35 in Syria
Died - c.107 in Rome
Feastday
- 1 February
Statue
created - c.1669-1670
This was part of the group of 16
placed between May 1669 and August 1670.
Sculptor
- workshop of Ercole Ferrata
Height
- 3.1 m. (10ft 4in) travertine
The saint is shown in
episcopal robes, and without a miter according to classic
Eastern iconography. In his left hand is the palm of
martyrdom.
As one
of the Fathers of the Greek Church, he is placed here close to
Sts Athanasius (105) and Chrysostom (106)
Ignatius, of whom we don't know anything about his career
before his arrest, was third bishop of
Antioch. En route to Rome, where he suffered martyrdom by
being fed to wild beasts, he wrote a series of letters that
are an important source of early Christian theology. He
has been considered a disciple of St John the Evangelist, but
there is no eidence for this supposition.
|
