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BOOK 12 (from: _Apostolic Fathers,_ Kirsopp Lake, 1912 (Loeb Classical Library))

                            Martyrdom of Polycarp

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CHAPTER 0
 0:1  |The Church of God which sojourns in Smyrna, to
the Church of God which sojourns in Philomelium, and
to all the sojournings of the Holy Catholic Church in
every place. "Mercy, peace and love" of God the
Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ be multiplied.

CHAPTER 1
 1:0  Introduction
 1:1  |We write to you, brethren, the story of the
martyrs and of the blessed Polycarp, who put an end to
the persecution by his martyrdom as though adding the
seal. ^1 For one might almost say that all that had
gone before happened in order that the Lord might show
to us from above a martyrdom ^2 in accordance with the
Gospel.
 1:2  For he waited to be betrayed as also the Lord
had done, that we too might become his imitators, "not
thinking of ourselves alone, but also of our
neighbours." For it is the mark of true and steadfast
love, not to wish that oneself may be saved alone, but
all the brethren also.

===== small print on =====
 ^1  He was the last to suffer and thus might be regarded as being
the seal to the `witness' or `testimony' (_martyrion_) of the
Church. It is not clear whether _martyria_ and _martyrion_ ought to
be translated `martyrdom' or `witness': there is an untranslateable
play on the words.
 ^2  Or perhaps "witness."
===== small print off =====

CHAPTER 2
 2:0  The sufferings of the Martyrs
 2:1  |Blessed then and noble are all the martyrdoms
which took place according to the will of God, for we
must be very careful to assign the power over all to
God.
 2:2  For who would not admire their nobility and
patience and love of their Master? For some were torn
by scourging until the mechanism of their flesh was
seen even to the lower veins and arteries, and they
endured so that even the bystanders pitied them and
mourned. And some even reached such a pitch of
nobility that none of them groaned or wailed, showing
to all of us that at that hour of their torture the
noble martyrs of Christ were absent from the flesh, or
rather that the Lord was standing by and talking with
them.
 2:3  And paying heed to the grace of Christ they
despised worldly tortures, by a single hour purchasing
everlasting life. And the fire of their cruel
torturers had no heat for them, for they set before
their eyes an escape from the fire which is
everlasting and is never quenched, and with the eyes
of their heart they looked up to the good things which
are preserved for those who have endured, `which
neither ear hath heard nor hath eye seen, nor hath it
entered into the heart of man,' but it was shown by the
Lord to them who were no longer men but already
angels. ^1
 2:4  |And in the same way also those who were
condemned to the beasts endured terrible torment,
being stretched on sharp shells and buffeted with
other kinds of various torments, that if it were
possible the tyrant might bring them to a denial by
continuous torture. For the devil used many wiles
against them.

===== small print on =====
 ^1  This passage, combined with Hermas _Vis._ 2/2:7 and _Sim._
9/25:2, shows that the identification of the dead with angels
existed in the second century in Christian circles.
===== small print off =====

CHAPTER 3
 3:0  Germanicus
 3:1  |But thanks be to God, for he had no power over
any. For the most noble Germanicus encouraged their
fears by the endurance which was in him, and he fought
gloriously with the wild beasts. For when the
Pro-Consul wished to persuade him and bade him have
pity on his youth, he violently dragged the beast
towards himself, wishing to be released more quickly
from their unrighteous and lawless life.
 3:2  So after this all the crowd, wondering at the
nobility of the God-loving and God-fearing people of
the Christians, cried out: "Away with the Atheists;
let Polycarp be searched for."

CHAPTER 4
 4:0  Quintus
 4:1  |But one, named Quintus, a Phrygian lately come
from Phrygia, when he saw the wild beasts played the
coward. Now it was he who had forced himself and some
others to come forward of their own accord. Him the
Pro-Consul persuaded with many entreaties to take the
oath and offer sacrifice. For this reason, therefore,
brethren, we do not commend those who give themselves
up, since the Gospel does not give this teaching.

CHAPTER 5
 5:0  Polycarp's retreat to the country
 5:1  |But the most wonderful Polycarp, when he first
heard it, was not disturbed, but wished to remain in
the city; but the majority persuaded him to go away
quietly, and he went out quietly to a farm, not far
distant from the city, and stayed with a few friends,
doing nothing but pray night and day for all, and for
the Churches throughout the world, as was his custom.
 5:2  And while he was praying he fell into a trance
three days before he was arrested, and saw the pillow
under his head burning with fire, and he turned and
said to those who were with him: "I must be burnt
alive."

CHAPTER 6
 6:0  His betrayal
 6:1  |And when the searching for him persisted he
went to another farm; and those who were searching for
him came up at once, and when they did not find him,
they arrested young slaves, ^1 and one of them
confessed under torture.
 6:2  For it was indeed impossible for him to remain
hid, since those who betrayed him were of his own
house, and the police captain who had been allotted
the very name, being called Herod, ^2 hastened to
bring him to the arena that he might fulfil his
appointed lot by becoming a partaker of Christ, while
they who betrayed him should undergo the same
punishment as Judas.

===== small print on =====
 ^1  Literally `children,' but constantly used for slaves; the South
African use of `boy' is an almost exact parallel.
 ^2  The writer desires to bring out the points of resemblance to
the Passion of Christ. The coincidences are remarkable, but none are
in themselves at all improbable.
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CHAPTER 7
 7:0  The arrival of the police -- Their reception by
Polycarp -- His prayer
 7:1  |Taking the slave then police and cavalry went
out on Friday ^1 about supper-time, with their usual
arms, as if they were advancing against a robber. ^2
And late in the evening they came up together against
him and found him lying in an upper room. And he might
have departed to another place, but would not, saying,
"the will of God be done."
 7:2  So when he heard that they had arrived he went
down and talked with them, while those who were
present wondered at his age and courage, and whether
there was so much haste for the arrest of an old man
of such a kind. Therefore he ordered food and drink to
be set before them at that hour, whatever they should
wish, and he asked them to give him an hour to pray
without hindrance.
 7:3  To this they assented, and he stood and prayed
-- thus filled with the grace of God -- so that for two
hours he could not be silent, and those who listened
were astounded, and many repented that they had come
against such a venerable old man.

===== small print on =====
 ^1  _paraskeun_ is literally Preparation (i.e. for the Sabbath) and
has always been used in the Greek Church for Friday.
 ^2  "robber" is the traditional translation: but "brigand" is nearer
the real meaning.
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CHAPTER 8
 8:0  His arrival in Smyrna -- And in the arena
 8:1  |Now when he had at last finished his prayer,
after remembering all who had ever even come his way,
both small and great, high and low, and the whole
Catholic Church throughout the world, the hour came
for departure, and they set him on an ass, and led him
into the city, on a "great Sabbath day." ^1
 8:2  And the police captain Herod and his father
Niketas met him and removed him into their carriage,
and sat by his side trying to persuade him and saying:
"But what harm is it to say, `Lord Caesar,' and to
offer sacrifice, and so forth, and to be saved?" But
he at first did not answer them, but when they
continued he said: "I am not going to do what you
counsel me."
 8:3  And they gave up the attempt to persuade him,
and began to speak fiercely to him, and turned him out
in such a hurry that in getting down from the carriage
he scraped his shin; and without turning round, as
though he had suffered nothing, he walked on promptly
and quickly, and was taken to the arena, while the
uproar in the arena was so great that no one could
even be heard.

===== small print on =====
 ^1  This may have been the Jewish feast Purim, which, according to
tradition, celebrates the triumph of the Jews in Persia over their
enemies, as is related in the book of Esther, or else the Sabbath in
the Passover week (see introduction).
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CHAPTER 9
 9:0  Polycarp's examination
 9:1  |Now when Polycarp entered into the arena there
came a voice from heaven: "Be strong, Polycarp, and
play the man." And no one saw the speaker, but our
friends who were there heard the voice. And next he
was brought forward, and there was a great uproar of
those who heard that Polycarp had been arrested.
 9:2  Therefore when he was brought forward the
Pro-Consul asked him if he were Polycarp, and when he
admitted it he tried to persuade him to deny, saying:
"Respect your age," and so forth, as they are
accustomed to say: "Swear by the genius of Caesar,
repent, say: `Away with the Atheists'"; but Polycarp,
with a stern countenance looked on all the crowd of
lawless heathen in the arena, and waving his hand at
them, he groaned and looked up to heaven and said:
"Away with the Atheists."
 9:3  But when the Pro-Consul pressed him and said:
"Take the oath and I let you go, revile Christ,"
Polycarp said: "For eighty and six years ^1 have I
been his servant, and he has done me no wrong, and how
can I blaspheme my King ^2 who saved me?"

===== small print on =====
 ^1  He was therefore probably a Christian born, unless we ascribe
to him a quite improbable age.
 ^2  _basileus_ represents `imperator' not `rex,' and though it can
hardly be translated `Emperor,' the antithesis to Caesar is clearly
implied.
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CHAPTER 10
 10:0  -- none --
 10:1  |But when he persisted again, and said: "Swear
by the genius of Caesar," he answered him: "If you
vainly suppose that I will swear by the genius of
Caesar, as you say, and pretend that you are ignorant
who I am, listen plainly: I am a Christian. And if you
wish to learn the doctrine of Christianity fix a day
and listen."
 10:2  The Pro-Consul said: "Persuade the people." And
Polycarp said: "You I should have held worthy of
discussion, for we have been taught to render honour,
as is meet, if it hurt us not, to princes and
authorities appointed by God. But as for those, I do
not count them worthy that a defence should be made to
them."

CHAPTER 11
 11:0  The Pro-consul's threats
 11:1  |And the Pro-Consul said: "I have wild beasts.
I will deliver you to them, unless you repent." And he
said: "Call for them, for repentance from better to
worse is not allowed us; but it is good to change from
evil to righteousness."
 11:2  And he said again to him: "I will cause you to
be consumed by fire, if you despise the beasts, unless
you repent." But Polycarp said: "You threaten with the
fire that burns for a time, and is quickly quenched,
for you do not know the fire which awaits the wicked
in the judgment to come and in everlasting punishment.
But why are you waiting? Come, do what you will."

CHAPTER 12
 12:0  The anger of the Jews
 12:1  |And with these and many other words he was
filled with courage and joy, and his face was full of
grace so that it not only did not fall with trouble at
the things said to him, but that the Pro-Consul, on
the other hand, was astounded and sent his herald into
the midst of the arena to announce three times:
"Polycarp has confessed that he is a Christian."
 12:2  When this had been said by the herald, all the
multitude of heathen and Jews living in Smyrna cried
out with uncontrollable wrath and a loud shout: "This
is the teacher of Asia, the father of the Christians,
the destroyer of our Gods, who teaches many neither to
offer sacrifice nor to worship." And when they said
this, they cried out and asked Philip the Asiarch to
let loose a lion on Polycarp. But he said he could not
legally do this, since he had closed the Sports. ^1
 12:3  Then they found it good to cry out with one
mind that he should burn Polycarp alive, for the
vision which had appeared to him on his pillow must be
fulfilled, when he saw it burning, while he was
praying, and he turned and said prophetically to those
of the faithful who were with him, "I must be burnt
alive."

===== small print on =====
 ^1  Literally `hunting,' the Latin `venatio.'
===== small print off =====

CHAPTER 13
 13:0  The preparations for burning him
 13:1  |These things then happened with so great speed,
quicker than it takes to tell, and the crowd came
together immediately, and prepared wood and faggots
from the work-shops and baths and the Jews were
extremely zealous, as is their custom, in assisting at
this.
 13:2  Now when the fire was ready he put off all his
clothes, and loosened his girdle and tried also to
take off his shoes, though he did not do this before,
because each of the faithful was always zealous, which
of them might the more quickly touch his flesh. For
he had been treated with all respect because of his
noble life, ^1 even before his martyrdom.
 13:3  Immediately therefore, he was fastened to the
instruments which had been prepared for the fire, but
when they were going to nail him as well he said:
"Leave me thus, for He who gives me power to endure
the fire, will grant me to remain in the flames
unmoved even without the security you will give by the
nails."

===== small print on =====
 ^1  Literally "citizenship," but it is used in a special sense of
Christian life.
===== small print off =====

CHAPTER 14
 14:0  His last prayers
 14:1  |So they did not nail him, but bound him, and he
put his hands behind him and was bound, as a noble ram
out of a great flock, for an oblation, a whole burnt
offering made ready and acceptable to God; and he
looked up to heaven and said: "O Lord God Almighty,
Father of thy beloved and blessed Child, ^1 Jesus
Christ, through Whom we have received full knowledge
of thee, the God of Angels and powers, and of all
creation, and of the whole family of the righteous,
who live before thee!
 14:2  I bless thee, that Thou hast granted me this
day and hour, that I may share, among the number of
the martyrs, in the cup of thy Christ, for the
Resurrection to everlasting life, both of soul and
body in the immortality of the Holy Spirit. And may I,
to-day, be received among them before Thee, as a rich
and acceptable sacrifice, as Thou, the God who lies
not and is truth, hast prepared beforehand, and shown
forth, and fulfilled.
 14:3  For this reason I also praise Thee for all
things, I bless Thee, I glorify Thee through the
everlasting and heavenly high Priest, Jesus Christ,
thy beloved Child, through whom be glory to Thee with
him and the Holy Spirit, both now and for the ages
that are to come, Amen."

===== small print on =====
 ^1  This use of _pais_ as applied to Jesus is only found here, in
Didache 9:2, 1 Clement 59:2 (the "Prayer") and in Acts 3:13, 26:4,
27:30. Here it is clearly "Child": in Acts it may mean "Servant"
with reference to Isaiah 53, etc.
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CHAPTER 15
 15:1  The fire is lighted
 15:1  |Now when he had uttered his Amen and finished
his prayer, the men in charge of the fire lit it, and
a great flame blazed up and we, to whom it was given
to see, saw a marvel. And we have been preserved to
report to others what befell.
 15:2  For the fire made the likeness of a room, like
the sail of a vessel filled with wind, and surrounded
the body of the martyr as with a wall, and he was
within it not as burning flesh, but as bread that is
being baked, or as gold and silver being refined in a
furnace. And we perceived such a fragrant smell as the
scent of incense or other costly spices.

CHAPTER 16
 16:0  Polycarp's death
 16:1  |At length the lawless men, seeing that his
body could not be consumed by the fire, commanded an
executioner to go up and stab him with a dagger, and
when he did this, there came out a dove, ^1 and much
blood, so that the fire was quenched and all the crowd
marvelled that there was such a difference between the
unbelievers and the elect.
 16:2  And of the elect was he indeed one, the
wonderful martyr, Polycarp, who in our days was an
apostolic and prophetic teacher, bishop of the
Catholic ^2 Church in Smyrna. For every word which he
uttered from his mouth both was fulfilled and will be
fulfilled.

===== small print on =====
 ^1  This no doubt points to the belief that the spirit appears at
death in the form of a bird. Cf. Prudentius _Peristeph. Hymn._ 3:33
(other references are also given by Lightfoot).
 ^2  If the reading "Catholic" be right, it is the earliest clear
example of this use of the word (but cf. _Ignatius to the
Smyrnaeans_ 8:2).
===== small print off =====

CHAPTER 17
 17:0  The treatment of the corpse
 17:1  |But the jealous and envious evil one who
resists the family of the righteous, when he saw the
greatness of his martyrdom, and his blameless career
from the beginning, and that he was crowned with the
crown of immortality, and had carried off the
unspeakable prize, took care that not even his poor
body should be taken away by us, though many desired
to do so, and to have fellowship with his holy flesh.
 17:2  Therefore he put forward Niketas, the father of
Herod, and the brother of Alce, to ask the Governor
not to give his body, "Lest," he said, "they leave
the crucified one and begin to worship this man." And
they said this owing to the suggestions and pressure
of the Jews, who also watched when we were going to
take it from the fire, for they do not know that we
shall not ever be able either to abandon Christ, who
suffered for the salvation of those who are being
saved in the whole world, the innocent for sinners, or
to worship any other.
 17:3  For him we worship as the Son of God, but the
martyrs we love as disciples and imitators of the
Lord; and rightly, because of their unsurpassable
affection toward their own King and Teacher. God
grant that we too may be their companions and
fellow-disciples.

CHAPTER 18
 18:0  The Christians take the ashes
 18:1  |When therefore the centurion saw the
contentiousness caused by the Jews, he put the body in
the midst, as was their custom, and burnt it.
 18:2  Thus we, at last, took up his bones, more
precious than precious stones, and finer than gold,
and put them where it was meet.
 18:3  There the Lord will permit us to come together
according to our power in gladness and joy, and
celebrate the birthday of his martyrdom, both in
memory of those who have already contested, ^1 and for
the practice and training of those whose fate it shall
be.

===== small print on =====
 ^1  This is almost a technical term for martyrdom, cf. Ignatius's
epistle to Polycarp 1:3.
===== small print off =====

CHAPTER 19
 19:0  Conclusion
 19:1  |Such was the lot of the blessed Polycarp, who
though he was, together with those from Philadelphia,
the twelfth martyr in Smyrna, is alone especially
remembered by all, so that he is spoken of in every
place, even by the heathen. He was not only a famous
teacher, but also a notable martyr, whose martyrdom
all desire to imitate, for it followed the Gospel of
Christ.
 19:2  By his endurance he overcame the unrighteous
ruler, and thus gained the crown of immortality, and
he is glorifying God and the Almighty Father,
rejoicing with the Apostles and all the righteous, and
he is blessing our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of
our souls, and Governor of our bodies, and the
Shepherd of the Catholic Church throughout the world.

CHAPTER 20
 20:0  -- none --
 20:1  |You, indeed, asked that the events should be
explained to you at length, but we have for the
present explained them in summary by our brother
Marcion ^1; therefore when you have heard these
things, send the letter to the brethren further on,
that they also may glorify the Lord, who takes his
chosen ones from his own servants.
 20:2  |And to him who is able to bring us all in his
grace and bounty, to his heavenly kingdom, by his only
begotten Child, Jesus Christ, be glory, honour, might,
and majesty for ever. Greet all the saints. Those who
are with us, and Evarestus, who wrote the letter, with
his whole house, greet you.

===== small print on =====
 ^1  Not of course to be identified with the famous heretic. If
Marcianus be the right text, it is noteworthy that Irenaeus sent his
treatise on "The Apostolic Preaching" to a certain Marcianus. But
this was probably forty years later than Polycarp's death.
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CHAPTER 21
 21:0  The date
 21:1  |Now the blessed Polycarp was martyred on the
second day of the first half of the month of
Xanthicus, the seventh day before the kalends of
March, ^1 a great sabbath, at the eighth hour. And he
was arrested by Herod, when Philip of Tralles was
High Priest, when Statius Quadratus was Pro-Consul,
but Jesus Christ was reigning ^2 for ever, to whom be
glory, honour, majesty and an eternal throne, from
generation to generation, Amen.

===== small print on =====
 ^1  _i.e._ Feb. 23.
 ^2  This phrase is pointedly inserted instead of a reference to the
reigning Emperor.
===== small print off =====

CHAPTER 22
 22:0  Notes by a later scribe
 22:1  |We bid you God-speed, brethren, who walk
according to the Gospel, in the word of Jesus Christ
(with whom be glory to God and the Father and the Holy
Spirit), for the salvation of the Holy Elect, even as
the blessed Polycarp suffered martyrdom, in whose
footsteps may it be granted us to be found in the
Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
 22:2  |Gaius copied this from the writing of
Irenaeus, a disciple of Polycarp, and he lived with
Irenaeus, and I, Socrates, wrote it out in Corinth,
from the copies of Gaius. Grace be with you all.
 22:3  And I, again, Pionius, wrote it out from the
former writings, after searching for it, because the
blessed Polycarp showed it me in a vision, as I will
explain in what follows, ^1 and I gathered it together
when it was almost worn out by age, that the Lord
Jesus Christ may also gather me together with his
elect into his heavenly kingdom, to whom be glory with
the Father and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever,
Amen.

===== small print on =====
 ^1  No explanation is given: probably because the "Pionian" text was
part of a larger "Acts of Polycarp." Either these Acts have entirely
disappeared except for this letter of the church of Smyrna, or a
fragment preserved in _Codex Parisinus_ may perhaps belong to them.
===== small print off =====

CHAPTER 23
 23:0  ANOTHER CONCLUSION FROM THE MOSCOW MANUSCRIPT.
 23:1  [same as 22:1]
 23:2  |This account Gaius copied from the writings of
Irenaeus, and he also had lived with Irenaeus, who was
a disciple of the holy Polycarp.
 23:3  For this Irenaeus, at the time of the martyrdom
of the bishop Polycarp, was in Rome, and taught many,
and many most excellent and correct writings are
extant, in which he mentions Polycarp, ^1 saying that
he had been his pupil, and he ably refuted every
heresy, and he also handed on the ecclesiastical and
catholic rule, as he had received it from the saint.
 23:4  And he also says this that once Marcion, ^2
from whom come the so-called Marcionites, met the holy
Polycarp and said: "Recognise us, Polycarp," and he
said to Marcion, "I do recognise you, I recognise the
first-born of Satan."
 23:5  And this is also recorded in the writings of
Irenaeus, that at the day and hour when Polycarp
suffered in Smyrna, Irenaeus, who was in the city of
Rome, heard a voice like a trumpet saying: "Polycarp
has suffered martyrdom."
 23:6  |From these papers of Irenaeus, then, as was
stated above, Gaius made a copy, and Isocrates used in
Corinth the copy of Gaius.
 23:7  |And again I, Pionius, wrote from the copies of
Isocrates, according to the revelation of the holy
Polycarp, after searching for them, and gathering them
together when they were almost worn out from age, that
the Lord Jesus Christ may also gather me into his
Heavenly Kingdom together with his Elect. To him be
glory, with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
for ever and ever, Amen.

===== small print on =====
 ^1  Irenaeus _Haer._ 3/3:4, _Ep. ad Florinum_ (in Eusebius _H.E._
5/20) and _Ep. ad Victorem_ (in Eusebius _H.E._ 5/24). The story of
Marcion is in _Haer._ 3/3:4.
 ^2  Marcion was the most famous heretic of the second century. He
was a native of Pontus and afterwards came to Rome. The main points
of his teaching were the rejection of the Old Testament and a
distinction between the Supreme God of goodness and an inferior God
of justice, who was the Creator, and the God of the Jews. He
regarded Christ as the messenger of the Supreme God.
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