Martyrdom Polycarp

The martyrdom of the holy bishop and martyr of Christ, Abba Polycarp, the disciple of the apostles, which was completed on the twentieth of the month of Mechir in a peace of God, amen. The church of God which is in Smyrna writes to the holy catholic church which is in Philomelium. The grace and the peace and the love of God the Father, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, may they increase for you, and we write to you, our brethren, to inform you concerning those who became martyrs, and the blessed Polycarp, he who was a disciple of the apostles, who walked with many who saw the Lord, he who was appointed bishop in Asia over the church in Smyrna. We also, for our part, saw him in our youth, for he was advanced in years and very aged, teaching at all times those who received instruction from them, from the apostles. But at the end, he completed his life in a martyrdom full of glory and shining, and he caused the persecution to cease, as if he had quenched it by his martyrdom. For many became martyrs before him, who manifested great endurance in the tortures for Christ. But those who stood by did not turn away from beholding them, marveling; at some times they were burning their flesh even to their nerves, and their entrails and their limbs were exposed; at other times they were scattered for them by wild beasts.

The children were being tortured by the governors, the children of the tormentors. But finally they were thrown to the wild beasts to be eaten. However, the noble Germanicus, who despised the weakness of the body, gave himself over to death by the grace of God. For the proconsul wished to change his mind and was persuading him because of his youth, for he was a young man. But he did not give in, but rather gave himself over with courage; he drew the fierce beasts upon himself, enraging them, and he provoked them to devour him, so that he might be delivered from this violent and lawless life. And when the crowd marveled at the strength of the martyr, the God-loving one, and the virtue of the whole race of Christians, they cried out with one voice, "Away with the atheists!" that is, the Christians, and they said, "Let them search for Polycarp!" And a great disturbance arose because of the shouts. Then one named Quintus, a Phrygian by race, who was a newcomer from Phrygia, gave himself over to the tribunal. And when he saw the wild beasts and the wildness in the arena, his soul became weak, and he was afraid at the end; he renounced his salvation. But this one was not like that; he was revealed to us through the epistle which we first mentioned, that he gave himself over to the tribunal.

in a prophetic manner and without fear of God, but likewise he gave a clear sign openly

all these things, for it is not fitting for anyone to dare to do such deeds in this manner without fear. But Polycarp, the first of the wonders, when he heard that they were seeking him, he was in a state of undisturbed calm, and he kept his heart in peace and stillness. He wished to remain in the city, but the brothers who had not sought him urged him to go out from the city. And when he had set their hearts at rest, he went out to a farm that was far from the city. He stayed there with some others, doing nothing at all, but day and night he was alone, praying to the Lord. These are the things he was concerned with, and he prayed, making petition for peace for the churches throughout the whole world. For this was his custom at all times. But before the days when he was captured, a vision appeared to him from the night while he was praying, as if he saw his pillow that was under his head burning all at once in this manner, as if it were burned by a flame, and he arose in a disturbance and said the first word out loud to those who were with him, interpreting for them what would happen to him, and telling them with certainty that he was destined to complete his life by fire for the sake of Christ. When they continued seeking him with all zeal, they took him by force also from the agreement of the brothers because of their love for him. He withdrew to the place where those who were seeking him came to him in a disturbance, and they seized two small boys there and tortured them.

calm. But when they seized them and brought them to the place where Polycarp was, at the hour of the evening, they came upon him and found him lying on a bed in an upper room. And he was able to escape from that place.

But he did not wish to go to another house, but said, "Let the will of the Lord be done." And when he knew that they had come to the door of the house, as the word informs us, he came down to them and spoke with them with a cheerful face, full of joy. And indeed, those who did not know him beforehand were amazed, along with the governor, who today marvel at the greatness of his stature and his dignified bearing and the composure of his face, saying, "What is this great zeal to seek after an old man like this?" But Apa Polycarp himself gave orders quickly that a table be set for them, and he gave them leave to partake of food. After these things, he asked them to allow him time to pray as he wished. And when they allowed him, he arose and prayed, filled with the grace of the Lord. And indeed, not only were those who were with him amazed as they heard him praying, but some of them also repented because they were about to kill such an old man. But the blessed Polycarp, when he had finished his prayer, remembered everyone, both those who had met him, small and great, rich and poor, and the whole catholic church throughout the entire world. And when the hour came for him to go out, they mounted him on a donkey and brought him into the city. And that day was a great Sabbath, and Herod the eirenarch and his father Nicetes met him.

They placed him upon a chariot to make him sit before them. They were mocking him, saying, "What harm is there in your saying, 'Lord Caesar,' and making sacrifice for your safety?" But he cried out, saying,

The thing which you are advising me to do will never happen to me." But they, not being shaken in their heart, brought forth harsh words against him, and they dragged him down from the chariot with a great disturbance. Then they scraped his thigh as they brought him down. He, however, was not at all grieved, as if he had suffered nothing. He walked with eagerness and speed as they led him into the stadium. And a great disturbance occurred in the stadium. When the blessed Polycarp entered the stadium, a voice came to him from heaven, saying, "Polycarp, be strong and be firm." The one who spoke, however, no one saw. But the voice was heard by many of those who were present. When they had brought him in, a great disturbance occurred when they heard that Polycarp had been seized. When he had turned his face, the proconsul asked him, "Are you Polycarp?" And when he said, "I am," he (the proconsul) was eager to persuade him to recant, saying to him, "Respect your age. Swear by the fortune of Caesar. Repent. Say, 'Away with the atheists.'" For the Christians are the atheists, and many other words of this sort, which are the custom of the idolaters to say. Polycarp, however, looked sternly at the whole crowd in the council, with a face full of grace, and moving his hand, he raised his eyes upward to heaven, sighed, and said, "O—

The Lord Aliouei there with the godless ones, the idolaters, while the governor continued forth.

He said, "Swear by the fortune of Caesar, and I will release you." Polycarp said, "For eighty-six years I have been a servant of my Lord Jesus Christ, and he has never done me violence. How then can I blaspheme my king who saved me? The governor, however, became enraged and said, "Swear by the fortune of Caesar." Polycarp said, "If this is your boast, that I should swear by the fortune of Caesar as you say, as if you were ignorant, who am I to listen? With boldness, I am a Christian. If you wish to know the power of the Christians, give me a day and I will teach you." The proconsul said, "Persuade the people." Polycarp answered, "You I have honored, I have answered you, because we have been taught to respect the authorities and powers and to give them honor according to what is fitting, in which we do not harm ourselves. But these, I say, are not worthy to be reasoned with at all." The proconsul again threatened, saying, "I have wild beasts here; if you do not repent, I will throw you to them." Polycarp said, "Call them. Repentance from better to worse is a change of strength. But it is better to change from worse to better." The proconsul said again, "If you despise the beasts, I will have you burned in the fire." Polycarp said, "You threaten.

...to me. A fire that burns for a short time is quickly extinguished. But after a little while, I will not know the fire.

...of the judgment that will come, and the eternal punishments that are reserved for the impious. But what is it that you are hastening to bring upon yourself? For you do not know what you wish. But these things and the other things, the blessed Polycarp spoke, filled with joy and steadfastness of heart, and his face was full of grace. However, not only was he not disturbed by what was said to him, but rather he himself caused the proconsul to become angry. Finally, the proconsul sent a herald who proclaimed in the stadium three times: "Polycarp has confessed that he is a Christian." And when the herald had said these things, the whole multitude of the Greeks and the Jews who were in Smyrna cried out together with a great voice and with unquenchable anger: "This is the teacher of all Asia, the father of the Christians, and he dissolves the gods, teaching the multitude not to sacrifice and not to worship them." While they were saying these things, they cried out together, urging Philip, the Asiarch, to let a lion loose upon Polycarp. But he said: "It is not permitted for me, since the time of the public spectacles has been completed." Then all of them together shouted approval and cried out: "Let Polycarp be burned alive!" For it was necessary that the vision which had been revealed to him be fulfilled, on the day when he saw it while praying, that his garment was burning in a flame, and he turned to the faithful who were with him and said to them prophetically: "It is necessary for me to be burned alive.

This one, however, happened through a great disturbance in the time before

The crowds rushed in with a great disturbance, with stones and many clubs from the prisons and the synagogues, but most of all the Jews, as was their custom, to serve such deeds in this manner with zeal. When they had prepared the fire, the pillar of the middle, Polycarp, took off his garments and loosened his belt. He also hastened to remove his sandals, not having done this before, because each of the faithful at all times hastens to touch his garments or his body because of his noble conduct. But while he was being bound in the instruments that are used to bind those who are to be burned, they also said that they would nail him. He said, "Leave me as I am. For he who has granted that I should die in the fire will also grant me to endure it without the strength of your nails." So they did not nail him, but bound him alone. He himself placed his hands behind his back. When he was bound like a chosen ram taken from a great flock for sacrifice, he raised his eyes to heaven, to the almighty God, and opened his mouth, saying, "Father of him who is blessed, your beloved only-begotten son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, from whom we received your knowledge through the God of the angels and the powers, the God of all creation, the God of the whole race of the living righteous before you at all times, I thank you that you have deemed me worthy of this day and this hour to receive also...

...a portion in the arena of the martyrs of Christ, that you might be cut down in their midst, and that you might be made for yourself today as a perfect sacrifice, and that you might be prepared according to the manner in which you first prepared yourself, and you first revealed yourself, and you fulfilled it.

...of the true God, whom none of the false gods can equal. I bless you, I exalt you, I give glory to you through the true high priest forever, our Lord Jesus Christ, your only beloved son, through whom glory is given to you, together with the Holy Spirit, now and at all times and forever and ever. When he had sent up the Amen and completed his prayer, then the men who were appointed to the fire kindled the fire. And a great flame arose, and we saw a miracle among those whom the Lord had prepared to see these things, and also among those who had kept themselves to witness the rest of what happened. For the fire took the shape of a vault, like a ship's sail filled with wind, and it surrounded the body of the martyr, who stood in the middle of the fire, not like flesh that is burning, but like gold and silver being refined in a fire. For we perceived a sweet fragrance, like that of incense or some other precious spice, emanating from the spices. But when the lawless ones saw that his body could not be consumed by the fire, one of them commanded a soldier to thrust his sword into him, and when he did this, a great quantity of blood came out, and the fire was extinguished. And the whole crowd marveled that such a great power exists among the faithful and the elect. And one of them was this miracle that had occurred.

...in our brothers, this one who became a scribe and apostle and prophet and bishop.

...of the whole catholic church in Smyrna. And this is the manner in which the holy bishop Abba Polycarp completed his martyrdom, in a peace of God on the twenty-third of the month Mechir. And all the words that came out of his mouth were fulfilled. The evil devil, the envious one, and the adversary, having learned of the greatness of his martyrdom and his conduct from the beginning, without deceit, and that a crown had been placed upon him with the crown of indestructibility, took the palm of victory. The devil himself brought it to prevent us from taking his body, lest a multitude who desired this should touch his holy flesh. Some sent the hunters to Father Herod to have the governor prevent us from taking his body. For he said, "Lest they abandon the one who was crucified on the cross, and instead worship this other one." But he rebuked them, while the Jews mocked him and gave him encouragement. These also guarded us to prevent us from bringing his body out of the fire. They are ignorant, the wretched ones, for neither shall we abandon Christ forever, he who died for the salvation of the whole world, nor shall we worship any other besides him. For we worship him as the living Son of God. The martyrs, however, we love according to their worth, as disciples and imitators of their Lord, because of their love directed toward their king and teacher.

...of these prayers reach us, that we may become their companions and disciples.

The centurion, for when he saw the testimony of the Jews, he placed the body of the blessed one in the middle according to their custom, and thus we also, after them, gathered his precious bones, which are more valuable than precious stones and more chosen than gold, and placed them in a suitable place according to their worth. The Lord, however, will grant us the same, when we gather there in that place according to our ability, with joy and delight, to complete the day of his martyrdom, like a birthday, as we give thanks to the Lord once, and a beginning for those who first contended, and also for those who will contend. Thus was the completion of the blessed Polycarp, the companion and apostle, this one alone, whose memory is made by everyone, and of whom the other nations speak in every place. May it be for all of us, for those who witnessed his contest and for those who will hear of it, from the time we became companions of his labors, that we may also become companions and inheritors of his rest in the kingdom of our Lord and our God and our Savior Jesus Christ, from whom all glory and all honor and all worship are fitting for the Father with him and the Holy Spirit, the life-giver and consubstantial with him, now and at all times and forever and ever. Amen.