Letter on the Martyrdom of St Polycarp
(year 156)
St Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, was arrested in Rome. Refusing to worship Caesar, he was accused of offenses against the emperor and sentenced. At the age of eighty-six, he died a martyr on February 23 of the year 156.
A Christian eyewitness wrote the following account of St Polycarp’s martyrdom. The church of Smyrna endorsed it as a letter to the Christian community of Philomelion.
This account of the martyrdom reveals the great personality of the saint, his faith, his fortitude. It also bears witness to the Christian custom of rendering veneration to the martyrs, for they imitated Jesus in his sufferings and death and are friends of Christ. This veneration must be distinguished from the cult of adoration we give Jesus Christ because he is God.
The invocation that the author of the letter puts in the mouth of the dying martyr is an important example of early Christian prayer. Not only in the precise formulation of the dogma of the Blessed Trinity, but throughout, the invocation reminds us of the liturgical texts.
Address
The Church of God at Smyrna to the Church of God at Philomelion and to all the communities of the holy Catholic Church everywhere. May the mercy, peace, and love of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ descend on you abundantly.
1 Brethren, we are writing to you in connection with the persecution and martyrdom of Christians in Rome; blessed Polycarp was among them.
Polycarp waited to be betrayed, like our Lord. We, too, should imitate Christ, seeking not only our own good but also the good of all our brethren. This is the mark of true and steadfast charity, that we desire not only our own salvation but also the salvation of all our companions.
The Persecution of Decius
2 Torn by the whips till their flesh lay open, revealing their veins and arteries, the martyrs persevered. Even the bystanders pitied them and wept. They were so heroic that they uttered neither a sigh nor a groan. Even in the midst of tortures, these noble martyrs of Christ were not concerned about themselves but about the glory of God.
The Lord himself was present in their souls and spoke to them. Docile to the grace of Jesus, they despised the world’s torments, exchanging eternal happiness with a single hour of sufferings. Even the fire applied on them by the cruel torturers felt cold to them, as they considered the eternal inextinguishable fire they would escape. With the eyes of their faith, they saw the good things reserved for those who persevere, “which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered onto the heart of man” (1 Cor 2:9).
3 The devil used many tricks against them, to force them to deny their faith through continuous punishment. But thank God, he failed in every case.
The young and noble Germanicus began strengthening them in their faith by the fortitude he showed in facing the wild beasts. The proconsul tried to convince him to give up on account of his youth. But Germanicus induced the animals to rush upon himself, that he might sooner escape and jump to heaven.
The Christians were considered atheists because they did not regard the emperor as a god. They were forced to invoke the emperor’s genius –that is, the emperor’s divine nature.
At this point, the entire crowd was amazed at the courage of the pious Christians and shouted, “Down with the atheists! We want Polycarp!”
Some Avoided Martyrdom
4 There was a man in the group called Quintus, a Phrygian who had come all the way from his native land to offer himself voluntarily for martyrdom. He even compelled others to follow him. Upon facing the wild beasts, Quintus was terrified. The proconsul, after a good deal of persuasion, was successful, and he convinced the man to offer sacrifice and swear he was not a Christian.
Brethren, this is the reason why we do not approve of those who give themselves up voluntarily. This is not the message of the Gospel.
Polycarp Went into Hiding
5 Days earlier, as soon as he had heard of the persecution, the venerable Polycarp remained calm and showed no alarm. In fact, he wanted to remain in the city, but the majority prevailed on him to go away quietly. Thus, he stayed in a small farm on the outskirts of the city. There he devoted himself to prayer for all mankind, and for the Christian communities all over the world, as he always did.
Once, while praying, three days before his arrest, Polycarp had a vision. He saw his pillow ablaze. He turned to those praying with him and announced, “I am to be burned alive.”
6 The search party that had been looking for him kept on his trail, so he moved to another farmhouse. They barely missed him. Failing to find him, they took hold of two slaves, one of whom confessed under torture. It was impossible for him to hide, betrayed, as he was by people in the same household.
The chief of police, who happened to be called Herod, was very anxious to bring Polycarp to the amphitheater. Thus, Polycarp would fulfil his mission and have a share with Christ; but for those who betrayed him, may they share the same fate as Judas.
The Arrest of Polycarp
7 It was Friday, about supper time, when the police went out with the cavalry under full armor, as if they were going after a bandit, bringing the two slaves with them. Late in the same night, they caught up with Polycarp; he was in the upper room of a cottage, resting in bed. He could have tried to escape to another hideout, but he did not want to, saying, “God’s Will be done.”
When Polycarp heard that they were in, he went downstairs and spoke with them. All present marveled at his age and his courage. They wondered why there was so much concern in arresting a man of his age.
Because of the hour, he immediately ordered the men to be served food and drink. For himself, he only asked to be allowed to pray for an hour without interruption.
When they agreed to this, Polycarp stood there and made his prayer. So full of God’s grace he was that he could not stop praying for two hours, to the amazement of the bystanders. Many of them expressed regret for having had to arrest such a God-loving old man.
8 In his prayer, Polycarp remembered everyone with whom he had ever been acquainted, great or small, famous or lowly, and the entire Catholic Church, all over the world. When finally he had finished his prayer, it was time to leave, they seated him on an ass and led him into the city. And it was a great Sabbath day!
The chief of police, Herod, and his father, Niketas, met Policarp and took him in their carriage. Sitting on either side of him, they tried to convince him.
“What is wrong,” they asked, “with just saying that Caesar is the lord, burning some incense, and all the rest of it –and so saving your life?”
At first, Polycarp made no answer. And when they insisted, he told them, “I am not going to do what you are telling me.”
When they got nowhere trying to change his mind, they began to threaten him. Finally, they threw Polycarp out of the carriage so violently that he hurt his shin. Polycarp did not stop and continued walking along with them so briskly that he did not notice his wound.
Thrown to the Arena
The occasion came, and Polycarp was led to the amphitheater, where the noise was so loud that no one could be heard.
9 As Polycarp was to enter the arena, he heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Have courage, Polycarp, and act like a man.” No one noticed where the voice came from, but all around him heard it.
There was a big uproar among the crowd when they realized that Polycarp had been finally captured. As he was pushed forward, the proconsul asked him if he was Polycarp. And when he said he was, the proconsul urged him again to deny his faith.
“Think of your age,” he told him, and gave him other human reasons. “Swear by the emperor’s genius. Change your mind. Say, ‘Down with the atheists!’“
With a grave countenance, Polycarp looked at the crowds of Godless pagans in the bleachers. Then pointing at them with his hand, he looked up to heaven and said, “Down with the atheists!”
10 The proconsul kept on insisting, “Take an oath, and I will let you go. Curse Christ.”
Polycarp replied, “For eighty-six years I have served him, and he has never failed me. How can I blaspheme my King who has saved me?”
“Swear by the emperor’s genius,” the proconsul persisted.
“If you thought I was ever going to swear by the emperor’s genius, you do not know who I am. I will tell you clearly, I am a Christian. If you want to know about Christianity, set a day and hear me.”
The proconsul said, “Convince the people, not me.”
But Polycarp replied, “According to our teaching, we are supposed to pay due respect to official authority because it is established by God, provided this does not lead us to commit sin. I thought it was worthwhile to discuss this with you. As for the people, I do not think it worth to defend myself before them.”
11 The proconsul said, “I have wild animals. And I shall throw you to them unless you change your mind.”
“Bring them in,” said Polycarp, “for it is forbidden to us to change from better to worse. On the other hand, it will be good to change from violence to justice.”
“Since you despise the wild beasts,” said the proconsul again, “I shall have you burned by fire if you do not change your mind.”
But Polycarp answered, “The fire you threaten me with, burns for an hour and after a while goes out. It seems you do not know of the fire of eternal punishment, and of the Judgment to come that is stored up for the wicked.”
“Well, what are you waiting for? Bring in whatever you like!”
Burned Alive
12 Saying this and many other things, Polycarp was filled with courage. His face was radiant with joy. He did not collapse in terror; rather, it was the proconsul who was amazed.
The proconsul, then, sent his herald out into the middle of the arena to announce three times, “Polycarp has admitted that he is a Christian.”
When the herald had said this, the entire crowd, made up of pagans and Jews of Smyrna, roared back in an uncontrollable burst of anger. They began to shout all together to have Polycarp burned alive. What he had seen happening to his pillow in a vision was to be fulfilled.
13 When the pyre was ready, Polycarp loosened his girdle and took off all his clothes. He made an effort also to remove his shoes, though he had been unaccustomed to this, for the faithful always vied with each other in their haste to touch his body. Even before his martyrdom, he had already received every mark of honor in tribute to his holiness of life.
There and then Polycarp was surrounded by the firewood for the pyre and tied to the scaffold. When they tried to fasten him also with nails, he said: “Leave me just as I am. The One who gives me strength to endure the fire will also give me strength to stay quite still on the pyre, even without the precaution of your nails.”
14 So they did not fix him to the pole with nails but only fastened him instead. Bound as he was, with hands behind his back, he stood like a noble ram, chosen out for sacrifice from a great flock; a worthy victim made ready to be offered to God.
St Polycarp’s prayer describes with precision the mystery of the Blessed Trinity; it reminds us of the early liturgical formulas.
Looking up to heaven, Polycarp said:
Lord, almighty God,
Father of your beloved and blessed Son
Jesus Christ,
through whom we have come to the knowledge of you,
God of angels, of powers, of all creation,
and of saints of all races
who live in your presence!
I bless you
for judging me worthy
this day and this hour,
to share with the multitude of martyrs
in the chalice of Christ, your Anointed One,
and so I may rise again to eternal life
in soul and body,
immortal through the power of the Holy Spirit.
May I be received among the martyrs
in your presence today
as a rich and pleasing sacrifice.
God of truth, who cannot deceive,
you have prepared this beforehand;
you revealed it to me,
and now you have fulfilled your promise.
I praise you for all things,
I bless you,
I glorify you
through the eternal High Priest
Jesus Christ,
your beloved Son.
Through him be glory to you,
together with him and the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever.
Amen.
15 When he had said “Amen” and finished the prayer, the officials at the pyre lit it. A great flame burst out, and those of us privileged to see it witnessed a strange and wonderful thing. Indeed, we have been spared in order to tell the story to others.
Like a ship’s sail swelling in the wind, the flame became as it were a dome encircling the martyr’s body. Surrounded by the fire, his body was like bread that is baked, or like gold and silver white‑hot being purified in a furnace, not like flesh that has been burnt. So sweet a fragrance came to us that it was like that of burning incense or some other precious, sweet‑smelling spice.
Stabbed to Death
16 Eventually, these evil men realized that Polycarp’s body could not be consumed by fire; so they ordered an executioner to go up and stab him with a dagger.
When he had done this, there was much blood. The fire was extinguished. The crowd were amazed at the contrast between the death of unbelievers and the death of God’s chosen ones. Polycarp was one of the elect, a prophetic and apostolic teacher of our days. He was the bishop of the Catholic [i.e., universal] Church at Smyrna.
Honor Paid to Martyrs
17 Many of us wanted to remove his body and touch his holy relics. But the vicious, envious Evil One, the enemy of the children of God, saw the strong faith of Polycarp and how his life –holy from the beginning of his vocation– was now crowned with the laurels of immortality, winning an incontestable triumph. Envious, he planned that we should not be able to keep his relics.
He inspired Niketas, Herod’s father, to request the governor not to release the body. “There is a danger,” Niketas reported, “that they may abandon the Crucified and begin adoring this man.”
He did not know that we adore Christ as the Son of God; but the martyrs we love as disciples and imitators of the Lord; they deserve this veneration because of their unsurpassable love for their King and Teacher.
Veneration of the Relics
18 When the centurion realized we wanted to venerate Polycarp’s remains, he confiscated the body and right there burned it.
Then, at last we gathered his charred bones, more precious than jewels and finer than gold, and buried them in a suitable spot.
There we gather as often as possible with joy and gladness, and the Lord allows us to celebrate the day of his martyrdom as his real birthday. We pray both for those who have already fought in the contest, and for those still practicing and training for the fight to come.
19 This is the story of the blessed Polycarp. He was not only an extraordinary teacher, but also an exemplary martyr, whose death everyone wants to imitate, because it was so much in the line of the Gospel of Christ.
By his fortitude, he overcame the unjust proconsul and thus won the crown of immortality. Now he rejoices with the apostles and all the saints, glorifying God the Father Almighty and blessing our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of our souls, the Helmsman and Guide of our bodies, and the Shepherd of the Catholic Church throughout the world.
20 You requested a complete account of all that had happened. Up to the moment, we had only given brief details through our brother Marcion. When you receive this letter, circulate it among the brethren who are more distant, so that they, too, may glorify the Lord, who chooses some of his servants for heroic deeds.
21 The martyrdom took place on the second day of the month of Xanthicos –that is, the seventh day before the first of March, a great Sabbath day, at the eighth hour.
Polycarp was arrested by Herod; Statius Quadratus was proconsul. But Jesus Christ was reigning forever, to whom be glory, honor, majesty, and domination forever from generation to generation. Amen.
St Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, was arrested in Rome. Refusing to worship Caesar, he was accused of offenses against the emperor and sentenced. At the age of eighty-six, he died a martyr on February 23 of the year 156.
A Christian eyewitness wrote the following account of St Polycarp’s martyrdom. The church of Smyrna endorsed it as a letter to the Christian community of Philomelion.
This account of the martyrdom reveals the great personality of the saint, his faith, his fortitude. It also bears witness to the Christian custom of rendering veneration to the martyrs, for they imitated Jesus in his sufferings and death and are friends of Christ. This veneration must be distinguished from the cult of adoration we give Jesus Christ because he is God.
The invocation that the author of the letter puts in the mouth of the dying martyr is an important example of early Christian prayer. Not only in the precise formulation of the dogma of the Blessed Trinity, but throughout, the invocation reminds us of the liturgical texts.
Address
The Church of God at Smyrna to the Church of God at Philomelion and to all the communities of the holy Catholic Church everywhere. May the mercy, peace, and love of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ descend on you abundantly.
1 Brethren, we are writing to you in connection with the persecution and martyrdom of Christians in Rome; blessed Polycarp was among them.
Polycarp waited to be betrayed, like our Lord. We, too, should imitate Christ, seeking not only our own good but also the good of all our brethren. This is the mark of true and steadfast charity, that we desire not only our own salvation but also the salvation of all our companions.
The Persecution of Decius
2 Torn by the whips till their flesh lay open, revealing their veins and arteries, the martyrs persevered. Even the bystanders pitied them and wept. They were so heroic that they uttered neither a sigh nor a groan. Even in the midst of tortures, these noble martyrs of Christ were not concerned about themselves but about the glory of God.
The Lord himself was present in their souls and spoke to them. Docile to the grace of Jesus, they despised the world’s torments, exchanging eternal happiness with a single hour of sufferings. Even the fire applied on them by the cruel torturers felt cold to them, as they considered the eternal inextinguishable fire they would escape. With the eyes of their faith, they saw the good things reserved for those who persevere, “which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered onto the heart of man” (1 Cor 2:9).
3 The devil used many tricks against them, to force them to deny their faith through continuous punishment. But thank God, he failed in every case.
The young and noble Germanicus began strengthening them in their faith by the fortitude he showed in facing the wild beasts. The proconsul tried to convince him to give up on account of his youth. But Germanicus induced the animals to rush upon himself, that he might sooner escape and jump to heaven.
The Christians were considered atheists because they did not regard the emperor as a god. They were forced to invoke the emperor’s genius –that is, the emperor’s divine nature.
At this point, the entire crowd was amazed at the courage of the pious Christians and shouted, “Down with the atheists! We want Polycarp!”
Some Avoided Martyrdom
4 There was a man in the group called Quintus, a Phrygian who had come all the way from his native land to offer himself voluntarily for martyrdom. He even compelled others to follow him. Upon facing the wild beasts, Quintus was terrified. The proconsul, after a good deal of persuasion, was successful, and he convinced the man to offer sacrifice and swear he was not a Christian.
Brethren, this is the reason why we do not approve of those who give themselves up voluntarily. This is not the message of the Gospel.
Polycarp Went into Hiding
5 Days earlier, as soon as he had heard of the persecution, the venerable Polycarp remained calm and showed no alarm. In fact, he wanted to remain in the city, but the majority prevailed on him to go away quietly. Thus, he stayed in a small farm on the outskirts of the city. There he devoted himself to prayer for all mankind, and for the Christian communities all over the world, as he always did.
Once, while praying, three days before his arrest, Polycarp had a vision. He saw his pillow ablaze. He turned to those praying with him and announced, “I am to be burned alive.”
6 The search party that had been looking for him kept on his trail, so he moved to another farmhouse. They barely missed him. Failing to find him, they took hold of two slaves, one of whom confessed under torture. It was impossible for him to hide, betrayed, as he was by people in the same household.
The chief of police, who happened to be called Herod, was very anxious to bring Polycarp to the amphitheater. Thus, Polycarp would fulfil his mission and have a share with Christ; but for those who betrayed him, may they share the same fate as Judas.
The Arrest of Polycarp
7 It was Friday, about supper time, when the police went out with the cavalry under full armor, as if they were going after a bandit, bringing the two slaves with them. Late in the same night, they caught up with Polycarp; he was in the upper room of a cottage, resting in bed. He could have tried to escape to another hideout, but he did not want to, saying, “God’s Will be done.”
When Polycarp heard that they were in, he went downstairs and spoke with them. All present marveled at his age and his courage. They wondered why there was so much concern in arresting a man of his age.
Because of the hour, he immediately ordered the men to be served food and drink. For himself, he only asked to be allowed to pray for an hour without interruption.
When they agreed to this, Polycarp stood there and made his prayer. So full of God’s grace he was that he could not stop praying for two hours, to the amazement of the bystanders. Many of them expressed regret for having had to arrest such a God-loving old man.
8 In his prayer, Polycarp remembered everyone with whom he had ever been acquainted, great or small, famous or lowly, and the entire Catholic Church, all over the world. When finally he had finished his prayer, it was time to leave, they seated him on an ass and led him into the city. And it was a great Sabbath day!
The chief of police, Herod, and his father, Niketas, met Policarp and took him in their carriage. Sitting on either side of him, they tried to convince him.
“What is wrong,” they asked, “with just saying that Caesar is the lord, burning some incense, and all the rest of it –and so saving your life?”
At first, Polycarp made no answer. And when they insisted, he told them, “I am not going to do what you are telling me.”
When they got nowhere trying to change his mind, they began to threaten him. Finally, they threw Polycarp out of the carriage so violently that he hurt his shin. Polycarp did not stop and continued walking along with them so briskly that he did not notice his wound.
Thrown to the Arena
The occasion came, and Polycarp was led to the amphitheater, where the noise was so loud that no one could be heard.
9 As Polycarp was to enter the arena, he heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Have courage, Polycarp, and act like a man.” No one noticed where the voice came from, but all around him heard it.
There was a big uproar among the crowd when they realized that Polycarp had been finally captured. As he was pushed forward, the proconsul asked him if he was Polycarp. And when he said he was, the proconsul urged him again to deny his faith.
“Think of your age,” he told him, and gave him other human reasons. “Swear by the emperor’s genius. Change your mind. Say, ‘Down with the atheists!’“
With a grave countenance, Polycarp looked at the crowds of Godless pagans in the bleachers. Then pointing at them with his hand, he looked up to heaven and said, “Down with the atheists!”
10 The proconsul kept on insisting, “Take an oath, and I will let you go. Curse Christ.”
Polycarp replied, “For eighty-six years I have served him, and he has never failed me. How can I blaspheme my King who has saved me?”
“Swear by the emperor’s genius,” the proconsul persisted.
“If you thought I was ever going to swear by the emperor’s genius, you do not know who I am. I will tell you clearly, I am a Christian. If you want to know about Christianity, set a day and hear me.”
The proconsul said, “Convince the people, not me.”
But Polycarp replied, “According to our teaching, we are supposed to pay due respect to official authority because it is established by God, provided this does not lead us to commit sin. I thought it was worthwhile to discuss this with you. As for the people, I do not think it worth to defend myself before them.”
11 The proconsul said, “I have wild animals. And I shall throw you to them unless you change your mind.”
“Bring them in,” said Polycarp, “for it is forbidden to us to change from better to worse. On the other hand, it will be good to change from violence to justice.”
“Since you despise the wild beasts,” said the proconsul again, “I shall have you burned by fire if you do not change your mind.”
But Polycarp answered, “The fire you threaten me with, burns for an hour and after a while goes out. It seems you do not know of the fire of eternal punishment, and of the Judgment to come that is stored up for the wicked.”
“Well, what are you waiting for? Bring in whatever you like!”
Burned Alive
12 Saying this and many other things, Polycarp was filled with courage. His face was radiant with joy. He did not collapse in terror; rather, it was the proconsul who was amazed.
The proconsul, then, sent his herald out into the middle of the arena to announce three times, “Polycarp has admitted that he is a Christian.”
When the herald had said this, the entire crowd, made up of pagans and Jews of Smyrna, roared back in an uncontrollable burst of anger. They began to shout all together to have Polycarp burned alive. What he had seen happening to his pillow in a vision was to be fulfilled.
13 When the pyre was ready, Polycarp loosened his girdle and took off all his clothes. He made an effort also to remove his shoes, though he had been unaccustomed to this, for the faithful always vied with each other in their haste to touch his body. Even before his martyrdom, he had already received every mark of honor in tribute to his holiness of life.
There and then Polycarp was surrounded by the firewood for the pyre and tied to the scaffold. When they tried to fasten him also with nails, he said: “Leave me just as I am. The One who gives me strength to endure the fire will also give me strength to stay quite still on the pyre, even without the precaution of your nails.”
14 So they did not fix him to the pole with nails but only fastened him instead. Bound as he was, with hands behind his back, he stood like a noble ram, chosen out for sacrifice from a great flock; a worthy victim made ready to be offered to God.
St Polycarp’s prayer describes with precision the mystery of the Blessed Trinity; it reminds us of the early liturgical formulas.
Looking up to heaven, Polycarp said:
Lord, almighty God,
Father of your beloved and blessed Son
Jesus Christ,
through whom we have come to the knowledge of you,
God of angels, of powers, of all creation,
and of saints of all races
who live in your presence!
I bless you
for judging me worthy
this day and this hour,
to share with the multitude of martyrs
in the chalice of Christ, your Anointed One,
and so I may rise again to eternal life
in soul and body,
immortal through the power of the Holy Spirit.
May I be received among the martyrs
in your presence today
as a rich and pleasing sacrifice.
God of truth, who cannot deceive,
you have prepared this beforehand;
you revealed it to me,
and now you have fulfilled your promise.
I praise you for all things,
I bless you,
I glorify you
through the eternal High Priest
Jesus Christ,
your beloved Son.
Through him be glory to you,
together with him and the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever.
Amen.
15 When he had said “Amen” and finished the prayer, the officials at the pyre lit it. A great flame burst out, and those of us privileged to see it witnessed a strange and wonderful thing. Indeed, we have been spared in order to tell the story to others.
Like a ship’s sail swelling in the wind, the flame became as it were a dome encircling the martyr’s body. Surrounded by the fire, his body was like bread that is baked, or like gold and silver white‑hot being purified in a furnace, not like flesh that has been burnt. So sweet a fragrance came to us that it was like that of burning incense or some other precious, sweet‑smelling spice.
Stabbed to Death
16 Eventually, these evil men realized that Polycarp’s body could not be consumed by fire; so they ordered an executioner to go up and stab him with a dagger.
When he had done this, there was much blood. The fire was extinguished. The crowd were amazed at the contrast between the death of unbelievers and the death of God’s chosen ones. Polycarp was one of the elect, a prophetic and apostolic teacher of our days. He was the bishop of the Catholic [i.e., universal] Church at Smyrna.
Honor Paid to Martyrs
17 Many of us wanted to remove his body and touch his holy relics. But the vicious, envious Evil One, the enemy of the children of God, saw the strong faith of Polycarp and how his life –holy from the beginning of his vocation– was now crowned with the laurels of immortality, winning an incontestable triumph. Envious, he planned that we should not be able to keep his relics.
He inspired Niketas, Herod’s father, to request the governor not to release the body. “There is a danger,” Niketas reported, “that they may abandon the Crucified and begin adoring this man.”
He did not know that we adore Christ as the Son of God; but the martyrs we love as disciples and imitators of the Lord; they deserve this veneration because of their unsurpassable love for their King and Teacher.
Veneration of the Relics
18 When the centurion realized we wanted to venerate Polycarp’s remains, he confiscated the body and right there burned it.
Then, at last we gathered his charred bones, more precious than jewels and finer than gold, and buried them in a suitable spot.
There we gather as often as possible with joy and gladness, and the Lord allows us to celebrate the day of his martyrdom as his real birthday. We pray both for those who have already fought in the contest, and for those still practicing and training for the fight to come.
19 This is the story of the blessed Polycarp. He was not only an extraordinary teacher, but also an exemplary martyr, whose death everyone wants to imitate, because it was so much in the line of the Gospel of Christ.
By his fortitude, he overcame the unjust proconsul and thus won the crown of immortality. Now he rejoices with the apostles and all the saints, glorifying God the Father Almighty and blessing our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of our souls, the Helmsman and Guide of our bodies, and the Shepherd of the Catholic Church throughout the world.
20 You requested a complete account of all that had happened. Up to the moment, we had only given brief details through our brother Marcion. When you receive this letter, circulate it among the brethren who are more distant, so that they, too, may glorify the Lord, who chooses some of his servants for heroic deeds.
21 The martyrdom took place on the second day of the month of Xanthicos –that is, the seventh day before the first of March, a great Sabbath day, at the eighth hour.
Polycarp was arrested by Herod; Statius Quadratus was proconsul. But Jesus Christ was reigning forever, to whom be glory, honor, majesty, and domination forever from generation to generation. Amen.