Saint Ignatius of Antioch (also known as Theophorus) (ca. 35-107) was the third Bishop or Patriarch of Antioch and a student of the Apostle John. En route to his martyrdom in Rome, Ignatius wrote a series of letters, including one to Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, who had also known John. These letters are an example of the theology of the earliest Christians. Important topics addressed in these letters include ecclesiology, the sacraments, and the role of bishops.