c. 110 AD
St. Ignatius of Antioch, bishop of Antioch and disciple of the Apostles, was martyred in Rome around 110 AD. On his way to Rome, he wrote seven letters to various churches, providing some of the earliest evidence of the episcopal structure of the Church and the primacy of the Bishop of Rome. He described himself as 'wheat of God' and begged to be 'ground by the teeth of wild beasts' to become 'pure bread of Christ.'
Ignatius's letters contain the earliest reference to the Church of Rome as 'presiding in love' (Magnesian 13), and he instructed the churches to 'follow the bishop as Jesus Christ follows the Father.' He was eventually fed to the lions in the Colosseum during the games. Key writings: Letters to the Ephesians, Magnesians, Trallians, Romans, Philadelphians, Smyrnaeans, and Polycarp