Chapter XXII.—Ignatius, the Second Bishop of Antioch.

At this time Ignatius⁷³⁷⁷³⁷    On Ignatius’ life, writings, and martyrdom, see below, chap. 36. was known as the second bishop of Antioch, Evodius having been the first.⁷³⁸⁷³⁸    We cannot doubt that the earliest tradition made Evodius first bishop of Antioch, for otherwise we could not explain the insertion of his name before the great name of Ignatius. The tendency would be, of course, to connect Ignatius directly with the apostles, and to make him the first bishop. This tendency is seen in Athanasius and Chrysostom, who do not mention Evodius at all; also in the Apost. Const. VII. 46, where, however, it is said that Evodius was ordained by Peter, and Ignatius by Paul (as in the parallel case of Clement of Rome). The fact that the name of Evodius appears here shows that the tradition that he was the first bishop seemed to the author too old and too strong to be set aside. Origen (in Luc. Hom. VI.) is an indirect witness to the episcopacy of Evodius, since he makes Ignatius the second, and not the first, bishop of Antioch. As to the respective dates of the early bishops of Antioch, we know nothing certain. On their chronology, see Harnack, Die Zeit des Ignatius, and cf. Salmon’s article Evodius, in Smith and Wace’s Dict. of Christ. Biog. Symeon⁷³⁹⁷³⁹    On Symeon, see above, chap. 11, note 4. likewise was at that time the second ruler of the church of Jerusalem, the brother of our Saviour having been the first.