# To the Trallians 4.2

- Author: [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/ignatius-of-antioch/)
- Work: [To the Trallians](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-trallians/) (*Ad Trallianos*)
- Date: ca. 110 (range ca. 105–135) (disputed)
- Source: Lake, LCL 24:216; Kirsopp Lake, ed. and trans., The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 1, LCL 24 (London: Heinemann; New York: Macmillan, 1912), 172–277 (Greek text: K. Lake, The Apostolic Fathers (LCL, 1912-1913), digitized by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-trallians/4/2/

Summary: Ignatius longs to suffer but needs gentleness against the devil's hidden attack.

## Greek text

ἀγαπῶ μὲν γὰρ τὸ παθεῖν, ἀλλʼ οὐκ οἶδα, εἰ ἄξιός εἰμι. τὸ γὰρ ζῆλος πολλοῖς μὲν οὐ φαίνεται, ἐμὲ δὲ πλέον πολεμεῖ. χρῄζω οὖν πραότητος, ἐν ᾗ καταλύεται ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου.

## English translation (Claude)

For I do love to suffer, but I do not know whether I am worthy. For envy is not apparent to many, but it wages war against me all the more. So I need gentleness, by which the ruler of this age is destroyed.

## Translation notes

- “Envy” (τὸ ζῆλος): probably the devil's envy; some take it as Ignatius's own eagerness for martyrdom, which could become pride.

## Citation (SBL)

Ign. Trall. 4.2 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-trallians/4/2/).