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Just before St. John died, Rome got a new emperor, by the name of Trajan. He was a Spaniard, a general who led the armies in Spain, and numerous campaigns around the Empire in Europe. A disciplined military leader, still relatively honorable by pagan Rome standards. He is considered one of the "good" emperors.
He showed very little interest in Christians in the beginning of his reign, that changed near his end. He was more occupied in winning glory in the beginning of his rule. He, being a good general brought a huge victory to his new rule, by conquering the lands of Romania, called Dacia. Romania had wealthy gold mines, which helped the economy. This was the first expansion of the empire in a hundred years. He started doing great civic projects, building stadiums and developing infrastructure. It looked like the empire was going to correct its decline.
There were two great martyrdoms that happened under the reign of Trajan, not to say there weren't other martyrs, but two stand out: St. Simon of Jerusalem, and St. Ignatius of Antioch.
The Romans had ignored Christians for a few years since the death of Emperor Domitian. His successor Nerva and then Trajan didn't see any urgency in addressing Christians. But in the far east of the empire there were flare ups. One such case was with St. Simon of Jerusalem, during the reign of Trajan.
St. Simon of Jerusalem
St. Simon was one of the "brothers" of the Lord. He was the son of Clopas. Clopas, who was the brother of St. Joseph, the husband of the Virgin Mary. St. Simon’s brother, St. James the Just, was bishop of Jerusalem before him. St. James, meeting martyrdom a few years before the destruction of Jerusalem, needed to be replaced in his bishop's office. His brother was chosen. Most likely Simon was already a helper of his brother, St. James, well known and liked by the believers in Jerusalem. Here it would be good to quote Eusibius, the early Church historian, on the selection of the new bishop of Jerusalem:
"After the martyrdom of James and the conquest of Jerusalem which immediately followed, it is said that those of the apostles and disciples of the Lord that were still living came together from all directions with those that were related to the Lord according to the flesh (for the majority of them also were still alive) to take counsel as to who was worthy to succeed James. They all with one consent pronounced Symeon,[Simon] the son of Clopas, of whom the Gospel also makes mention; to be worthy of the episcopal throne of that parish. He was a cousin, as they say, of the Saviour. For Hegesippus records that Clopas was a brother of Joseph." ("Symeon" is just another form of the same name "Simon") [Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, Book III, ch. 11. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf201.iii.viii.xi.html]
If St. Simon was near the age of St. John the Apostle or a little younger, then he would be close to a hundred at his martyrdom. St. Simon, being the bishop of Jerusalem, seemed to have been warned of the coming destruction of Jerusalem and left beforehand. Most Christians left with him to a small town called Pella, shortly before the destruction. Christians had been gathering provisions for many years, probably in the village of Pella, anticipating the coming destruction, as prophesied by Jesus.
Once Jerusalem was destroyed, those Jews who were not killed or sold into slavery living in the outlying areas, soon became Christians. The community there grew very fast. There was a dispute that broke out between St. Simon and a group called Ebionites, who claimed to be Christians.
The Ebionites were faction converts from the Quran committees, whose followers wrote the famous Dead Sea scrolls. Ebionites were extremely strict in the Law of Moses. It seems they got into a debate with St. Simon about the Law and the Divinity of Christ. Similar to the problems St. Paul had when preaching to the Jews.
The Ebionites were so insulted by the disagreement they had with St. Simon, that they went to the Roman proconsul in Jerusalem to denounce St. Simon. Though the Ebionites claimed to be Christian, it isn't clear if they accepted the resurrection of Christ or his divinity. Soon after they called attention to St. Simon, he was arrested, and tortured, until finally crucified. The Ebionites were also killed because the Romans made no distinction in the term "Christian."
Christianity, in spite of Roman persecution, continued to silently and steadily grow. This was especially true in the region of north Turkey on the coast of the Black Sea.
Ignatius of Antioch
About the year 110 or 112 many Christians brought before the tribunal of Pliny the younger, the governor of Bithynia and Pontus (north coast of Turkey) wrote to the Emperor Trajan. Pliny put many Christians to death but they were not convicted of any clear public crime, other than refusing to worship the gods. If they refused three times, they were put to death. Pliny was seeking clarification from Trajan, if he was proceeding correctly?
Pliny chiefly told Trajan of the character of Christians, and their rapid expansion. One point that probably struck Trajan's attention is the Christians refusal to worship the emperor with just a little incense and deny Christ. This was considered a great disloyalty to the empire. How could the state trust such people to seek the well being of the government? This made them appear to reject Roman rule, thus being treasonous or enemies of the state.
Eusebius asserts that it was also fear of the gods being displeased by the Christians, and the refusal to worship them, which would cause disasters to fall on cities, and this led to persecution.
Pliny viewed the obstinacy of Christians, as much of a threat to Roman rule and order as the divergence of their beliefs from the Romans; and considered Christian gatherings as a potential starting point for sedition. There were also rumors that Christians were cannibals, because of the Eucharist, and practiced incest by their custom of calling each other brother and sister, even those who were married, because they were all brothers and sisters in Christ.
About a year after Trajan received this report from Pliny, war broke out in the contested lands of Armenia, with the Parthians (Iranians) in the eastern part of the empire.
Trajan decided that the push and pull between the Parthian Empire and the Romans must come to an end and he will control Armenia completely. Trajan decided to lead his army himself, setting up his campaign headquarters in Antioch, Syria.
The Romans made a surge overwhelming the Parthians, in Armenia, in December 115 AD. Returning to his headquarters in Antioch, a massive earthquake rocked the city. Devastating the whole city, and killing many. One of Trajan's councilors died. The pagan locals blamed the Christians for this bad luck.
There was then an order to persecute Christians and this is when they arrested St. Ignatius. We know nothing of his life before this. There are some legends that he was the child that Jesus used to point out how we should be like little children to enter heaven.(cf.Mark 10:16)
St. Ignatius was the bishop of Antioch. He was highly respected. Tradition says Ignatius, along with his friend Polycarp, were both taught and disciples of John the Apostle.[Eusebius Book III, Ch.22]
Ignatius succeeded Evodus as bishop of Antioch, making him the third bishop of Antioch, St. Peter being the first. Legend has it that Evodus was the one to coin the term "Christian." The Greeks commemorate Evodus as one of the seventy disciples and as a martyr, on 29 April.
Ignatius is an unusual case. He was sentenced to death in Rome. We have no other record of the Romans sending a man so far for execution, who was not a Roman citizen. It may have been that the coliseum in Antioch was destroyed in the earthquake, and the Emperor ordered him to die in Rome instead. Whatever the reason, it happened.
The other unusual thing is that Ignatius was not taken by a direct route to Rome. He traveled through Asia Minor (Turkey) first to Smyrna, then through Philadelphia, on to Troas, finally Philippi, before heading directly to Roma.
This unusual route has remained a mystery to historians. Some speculate that the troop of soldiers had another mission besides bringing Ignatius to Rome.The most cost effective, and efficient route should have been by sea directly to Rome. Not only this, but Ignatius seemed to enjoy a lot of freedom along the way. He spoke publicly in Philadelphia and numerous Christian visitors were allowed to meet with him on a one-on-one basis.
This allowed Ignatius to send 7 letters--six letters to nearby churches, and one to Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, whom he had been close friends with while being instructed by St. John the Apostle. [Link to the letters: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/ you need to search down to Ignatius]
These letters are significant artifacts of early Christian history. They contain various important information about early Christians beliefs:
The Divinity of Christ:
"But our Physician is the Only true God, the unbegotten and unapproachable, the Lord of all, the Father and Begetter of the only-begotten Son. We have also as a Physician the Lord our God, Jesus the Christ, the only-begotten Son and Word, before time began, but who afterwards became also man, of Mary the virgin."
— Letter to the Ephesians, ch. 7
Obedience to the Bishop:
"See that you all follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery (priests) as you would the apostles; and reverence the deacons, as being the institution of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist, which is administered either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude of the people also be; even as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church."
—Letter to the Smyrnaeans, Ch 8
The Eucharist is truly Jesus Christ.
"Take note of those who hold heterodox opinions on the grace of Jesus Christ which has come to us, and see how contrary their opinions are to the mind of God… They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the Flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, Flesh which suffered for our sins and which the Father, in his goodness, raised up again. They who deny the gift of God are perishing in their disputes." —Letter to the Smyrnaeans, Ch 6
Joy of Martyrdom
"...for I hope as a prisoner in Christ Jesus to salute you, if indeed it be the will of God that I be thought worthy of attaining unto the end. For the beginning has been well ordered, if I may obtain grace to cling to my lot without hindrance unto the end." --- Letter to the Romans
Unfortunately, these letters are all the real knowledge we have of St. Ignatius. A man who burst into Christian history like a flash of lighting in a clear sky. He continues his work for the Gospel, by his letters leading people to the Church even now.
continue to next chapter
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