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Written as a letter from the church in Smyrna to the church in Philomelium, this is a vivid account of the martyrdom of Polycarp at the hands of the Romans. One of the most famous calls to Christian courage in the face of great persecution is found in this account: “Be strong . . . play the man!” (v. 9:1). An alternative conclusion found in the Moscow Codex (ch. 23) was later added to address the heretical Marcionites, but is not included here.
The Assembly of God which sojourns in Smyrna, to the Assembly of God which sojourns in Philomelium, and to all the sojournings of the Holy Universal Assembly in every place. “Mercy, peace, and love” of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ be multiplied.
We write to you, brothers, 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. 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 in accordance with the good news. 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 neighbors.” For it is the mark of true and steadfast love not to wish that oneself may be saved alone, but all the brothers also.
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. 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. And paying heed to the grace of Christ they despised worldly tortures, by a single hour purchasing continuous 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 continuous 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 has heard nor eye has seen, nor has it entered into the heart of man,” but it was shown by the Lord to them who were no longer men but already messengers. 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 schemes against them.
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 proconsul wished to persuade him and commanded him to have pity on his youth, he violently dragged the beast toward himself, wishing to be released more quickly from their unrighteous and lawless life. 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.”
But one, named Quintus, a Phrygian having 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 proconsul persuaded with many entreaties to take the oath and offer sacrifice. For this reason, therefore, brothers, we do not commend those who give themselves up, since the good news does not give this teaching.
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 assemblies throughout the world, as was his custom. 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 burned alive.”
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, and one of them confessed under torture. For it was indeed impossible for him to remain hidden, since those who betrayed him were of his own house, and the police captain who had been allotted the very name, being called Herod, hastened to bring him to the arena that he might fulfill his appointed lot by becoming a partaker of Christ, while they who betrayed him should undergo the same punishment as Judas.
Taking the slave then, police and cavalry went out on Friday about dinnertime, with their usual arms, as if they were advancing against a robber. 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, “May the will of God be done.” 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 why 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. 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 regretted that they had come against such a venerable old man.
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 universal Assembly throughout the world, the hour came for departure, and they set him on a donkey, and led him into the city, on a great Sabbath day. 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.” 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 around, 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.
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. Therefore, when he was brought forward the proconsul asked him if he was Polycarp, and when he admitted it he tried to persuade him to deny [it], saying, “Respect your age,” and so forth, as they are accustomed to say: “Swear by the genius of Caesar, convert, 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.” But when the proconsul pressed him and said, “Take the oath and I let you go; revile Christ,” Polycarp said, “For eighty-six years I have been His servant, and He has done me no wrong, and how can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”
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 of who I am, listen plainly: I am a Christian. And if you wish to learn the doctrine of Christianity fix a day and listen.” The proconsul said, “Persuade the people.” And Polycarp said, “I have thought it worthy to give you an account, for we have been taught to render honor [to authorities] as is suitable, if it does not hurt us, to princes and authorities appointed by God. But as for those, I do not count them worthy that a defense should be made to them.”
And the proconsul said, “I have wild beasts. I will deliver you to them, unless you convert.” And he said, “Call for them, for conversion from better to worse is not allowed us; but it is good to change from evil to righteousness.” And again he said to him, “I will cause you to be consumed by fire, if you despise the beasts, unless you convert.” 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 continuous punishment. But why are you waiting? Come, do what you will.”
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 proconsul, 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.” 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 games. 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 burned alive.”
These things then happened with such great speed—quicker than it takes to tell—and the crowd came together immediately, and prepared wood and bundles from the workshops and baths, and the Jews were extremely zealous, as is their custom, in assisting at this. Now when the fire was ready, he took off all his clothes, and loosened his girdle, and also tried 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, even before his martyrdom. Therefore, he was immediately 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.”
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 Your beloved and blessed Child, Jesus Christ, through whom we have received full knowledge of You—the God of Messengers, and powers, and of all creation, and of the whole family of the righteous who live before You— I bless You, that You have granted me this day and hour, that I may share, among the number of the martyrs, in the cup of Your Christ, for the resurrection to continuous life, both of soul and body in the immortality of the Holy Spirit. And may I, today, be received among them before You, as a rich and acceptable sacrifice, as You—the God who does not lie and is truth—have prepared beforehand, and shown forth, and fulfilled. For this reason I also praise You for all things, I bless You, I glorify You through the continuous and heavenly Chief Priest, Jesus Christ, Your beloved Child, through whom be glory to You with Him and the Holy Spirit, both now and for the ages that are to come, Amen.”
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. 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 not within it 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.
At length the lawless men, seeing that his body could not be consumed by the fire, commanded an executioner to go up and pierce him with a dagger, and when he did this, there came out a dove, and [very] much blood, so that the fire was quenched, and all the crowd marveled that there was such a difference between the unbelievers and the chosen ones. And of the chosen ones was he indeed one, the wonderful martyr, Polycarp, who in our days was an apostolic and prophetic teacher, overseer of the universal Assembly in Smyrna. For every word which he uttered from his mouth was both fulfilled and will be fulfilled.
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. 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 will never be able either to abandon Christ, who suffered for the salvation of those who are being saved in the whole world—the innocent in place of sinners—or to worship any other. For we worship Him as the Son of God, but we love the martyrs 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.
Therefore, when the centurion saw the strife caused by the Jews, he put the body in the midst of the fire and burned it. Thus afterward we took up his bones—more precious than precious stones, and finer than gold—and put them where it was suitable. There the Lord will permit us to come together according to our power in gladness and joy, and celebrate the anniversary of his martyrdom, both in memory of those who have already contested, and for the practice and training of those whose fate it will be.
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 good news of Christ. 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 Savior of our souls, and Governor of our bodies, and the Shepherd of the universal Assembly throughout the world.
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; therefore, when you have heard these things, send the letter to the brothers further on, that they also may glorify the Lord, who takes His chosen ones from His own servants. 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, honor, might, and majesty for all time. Greet all the holy ones. Those who are with us, and Evarestus, who wrote the letter, with his whole house, greet you.
Now the blessed Polycarp was martyred on the second day of the first half of the month of Xanthicus, the seventh day before the Calends of March, a great Sabbath, at the eighth hour. And he was arrested by Herod, when Philip of Tralles was chief priest, when Statius Quadratus was proconsul, but Jesus Christ was reigning for all time, to whom be glory, honor, majesty, and a continuous throne, from generation to generation, Amen.
1 We bid you farewell, brothers, who walk according to the good news 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 chosen ones, even as the blessed Polycarp suffered martyrdom, in whose footsteps may it be granted us to be found in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. 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. 3 And I, again, Pionius, wrote it out from the former writings, after searching for it, because the blessed Polycarp showed it to me in a vision, as I will explain in what follows, 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 chosen ones into His heavenly Kingdom, to whom be glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever, Amen.