Discerning Fiction in the Letters of Ignatius of Antioch

Interpretive difficulties in the letters attributed to Ignatius of Antioch have long suggested to some readers that these letters are pseudepigrapic. This article builds upon recent work on ancient letter collections to consider whether some versions of Ignatius's letters might be read as works of fiction. Acknowledging the epistemological difficulty of recognizing ancient epistolary fiction, I present an initial reading of the Greek Long Recension that highlights the narrative arc and some literary tropes evident in the collection. In particular, I compare the correspondence between Ignatius and Mary of Cassabola with features of the imperial romances, especially a notable letter exchange in Leucippe and Clitophon.