Ignatius Theophorus

Ignatius was the bishop of Antioch who was

condemned as a Christian and sent to Rome to face

martyrdom during the reign of Trajan (98-117). On his

journey to Rome he wrote seven letters. In each he

introduces himself as "Ignatius, also known as

Theophorus". It is widely agreed that "Theophorus" was

an additional name with religious significance.(1) The

name means "bearer of God" and is otherwise

unattested as a proper name.

The name seems to be an allusion to the practice of religious processions in which the

images of Gods were carried around to honor the deities.(2) The name therefore reflects

Ignatius's faithfulness to God.

The giving and taking of new names by Christians was not common in the second century,

and became somewhat more popular in the third century. The case of Ignatius is therefore

often seen as a rare early example of a later phenomenon. However, this understanding

overlooks the cases of renaming among first century Christians. In view of the high

frequency of double names among Christians in Antioch, it is likely that

Ignatius-Theophorus inherited the double-naming custom from his Christian predecessors

in the city. He represents our most direct evidence that the practice of renaming crossed

the ethnic boundary from the Jews to Gentiles. There is nothing surprising about the taking

of new names by Gentiles. G.H.R.Horsley writes, ‘Double names were used by Jews and

Christians no more and no less than by others in the Greco-Roman world of the period."(3)

The following two examples of religious renaming in pagan society are particularly

informative:

Plutarch describes a vision received by Aridaeus, ‘Here, he said, he recognized one soul,

that of a kinsman, though not distinctly, as he was but a child when the kinsman died; but

it drew near and aid: "Greetings, Thespesius." He was taken aback and said he was not

Thespesius but Aridaeus. "You were that before," was the reply, "but henceforth you are

Thespesius. For you must further know you are not dead, but through a divine dispensation

are present here in your intelligence, having left the rest of your soul, like an anchor,

behind in your body."’(4)

Aelius Aristides hears someone in a dream say, "Hail, Theodorus." He accepts the title

"since everything of mine was a gift of the God".(5)

The taking of the name "Theophorus" by Ignatius closely parallels the hypothesised case

of Titus-Timothy.

(1) See W.R.Schoedel, Ignatius of Antioch (Fortress Press Philadelphia) p36-7.

(2) Philip A. Harland, "Christ-bearers and Fellow-initiates: Local Cultural Life and Christian

(3) G.HR.Horsley, ‘Names, Double’ in The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol 4, Ed D.N.Freedman

(Doubleday New York).

(4) Plutarch De ser. num. vind. 24, 56c