Places of Veneration of St. Ignatius of Antioch of Syrian Antioch

The purpose of this article is to show the places of worship of St. Ignatius of Antioch of Syrian Antioch, in the light of ancient historical accounts. First, the figure of St. Ignatius of Antioch as it emerges from ancient source accounts was shown. A detailed analysis and critical evaluation of these messages made it possible to conclude that little is actually known about his life, and the most important information about him is taken from his letters. Next, some attention was paid to the appearance of St. Ignatius’ relics in Antioch. On the other hand, in the main part of the study, the source information on two places of worship of St. Ignatius – the sub-Antiochian Koimeterion and the former Antiochian temple of Tyche – was analyzed in detail and critically evaluated. The analysis and criticism of the messages allowed important conclusions to be drawn: 1) St. Ignatius’ relics were moved three times (from Rome to the suburban cemetery at the Daphne Gate of Antioch; from the sub-Antiochian Koimeterion to the former temple of Tyche; from Antioch to Rome); 2) the most important from the point of view of state and ecclesiastical policy seems to be the second translation testifying to the significant changes that took place in the mentality and especially in the religious culture of the Antiocheans, since Theodosius II not only expressed the fact of the empire’s departure from the old religion of the Romans, but above all showed the growing power of Christianity, which began to dominate in all dimensions of social life; 3) by depositing the relics of St. Ignatius within the city, Theodosius II wanted to provide Antioch with the spiritual protection and protection of a powerful protector, and raise Antioch’s profile on ecclesiastical grounds; 4) after the Arab invasion in 637, when the relics of St. Ignatius were taken to Rome, his cult in Antioch faded

Criticism · Temple · Veneration · Worship · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Byzantine Studies and History · Historical and Religious Studies of Rome