St. Ignatius of Antioch: "Let me be given to the wild beasts"

“I look forward with joy to the wild animals held in readiness for me, and I pray that they may attack me; I will coax them to devour me, so that they may not, as happened in some cases, shrink from seizing me…. I bid all men know that of my own free will I die for God, unless ye should hinder me…. Let me be given to the wild beasts, for through them I can attain unto God. I am God’s wheat, and I am ground by the wild beasts that I may be the pure bread of Christ. Entice the wild beasts that they may become my sepulcher…; come fire and cross and grapplings with wild beasts, wrenching of bones, hacking of limbs, crushings of my whole body; only be it mine to attain unto Jesus Christ.”

~St. Ignatius of Antioch: 'Epistle to the Romans.’

Illuminated manuscript painting of St. Ignatius,
from the Menologion of Basil II, c. 1000 AD; Vatican Library.