He repeatedly emphasizes the very old age of Polycarp. The Martyrdom has Polycarp himself give his age on the day of his death as 86 years. Boukolos or Bucolus, February 6 , the first bishop of Smyrna, chose Polycarp as his successor before reposing in peace. Eusebius of Caesarea dates it to the reign of Marcus Aurelius , circa In The Martyrdom of Polycarp Polycarp is recorded as saying on the day of his death, "Eighty and six years I have served him.
A post-Eusebian addition to the treatise dates his death to Saturday, February 23 in the proconsulship of Statius Quadratus—which works out to be or The sole surviving work attributed to Polycarp is his letter To the Philippians and an account of The Martyrdom of Polycarp ; both of these works form part of the writings usually collected under the title The Apostolic Fathers. The latter is considered the earliest genuine post-biblical account of a Christian martyrdom, and one of the very few genuine such writings from the actual age of the persecutions.
Polycarp replied: 'I have served Him for eighty-six years, and he has done me no harm. How could I curse my King who saved me? Listen clearly: I am a Christian'". He was burned at the stake, but remained unharmed as the flames never touched him. Finally, he was killed by the sword. We read these accounts in the Martyrium Polycarpi, from which we know that Polycarp was the twelfth to suffer martyrdom in Smyrna, that he was martyred on a Saturday at the eighth hour, the seventh day before the calends of March.
This dates his martyrdom as February 23rd in the year If John the Presbyter was a separate apostle, he is credited with writing the book of Revelations. Eusebius is the earliest source separating out John the Presbyter from John the Divine.
Irenaeus' Letter to the Smyrneans is one of the sources recounting Polycarp's martyrdom. The Martyrdom of Polycarp or Martyrium Polycarpi in Greek and abbreviated MPol in the literature, is one of the earliest examples of the martyrdom genre, documents which recount the history and legends surrounding a particular Christian saint's arrest and execution. The date of the original story is unknown; the earliest extant version was composed in the early 3rd century. Polycarp was 86 years old when he died, an old man by any standard, and he was the bishop of Smyrna.
He was considered a criminal by the Roman state because he was a Christian. He was arrested at a farmhouse and taken to the Roman amphitheater in Smyrna where he was burned and then stabbed to death.
Supernatural events described in MPol include a dream Polycarp had that he would die in flames rather than being torn apart by lions , a dream that MPol says was fulfilled. A disembodied voice emanating from the arena as he entered entreated Polycarp to "be strong and show yourself a man. When the fire was lit, the flames did not touch his body, and the executioner had to stab him; Polycarp's blood gushed out and put out the flames.
Finally, when his body was found in the ashes, it was said to have not been roasted but rather baked "as bread;" and a sweet aroma of frankincense was said to have arisen from the pyre.
Some early translations say a dove rose out of the pyre, but there is some debate about the accuracy of the translation. With the MPol and other examples of the genre, martyrdom was being shaped into a highly public sacrificial liturgy: in Christian theology, the Christians were God's choice for martyrdom who were trained for the sacrifice.
In the Roman empire, criminal trials and executions were highly structured spectacles that dramatized the power of the state. As you read it, look for parallels between this story and the Easter story in the gospels. We are writing to you, brothers, with an account of the martyrs, especially the blessed Polycarp, whose death brought to the persecution to a close.
Almost all the events that led up to it reveal it to be another martyrdom in the divine pattern that we see in the Gospel. For he waited for his betrayal, just like the Lord did, so that we might follow him, in looking out for the needs of others as well as ourselves.
All the martyrdoms which God allowed to happen remember that the devout will ascribe all things to his sovereignty were blessed and noble. Who could not admire their honor, their patience, their love for the Lord? They were whipped to shreds till their veins and arteries were exposed, and still endured patiently, while even those that stood by cried for them. They had such courage that none of them let out a sigh or a groan, proving when they suffered such torments they were absent from their bodies — or rather that the Lord then stood by them and talked with them.
By the grace of Christ they despised all the cruelties of this world, redeeming themselves from eternal punishment by the suffering of a single hour. They were no longer men, but had already become angels. In the same way, those who were condemned to the wild beasts endured dreadful torture. Some were stretched out on beds of spikes. In all that the Devil attempted he failed, thanks be to God. The heroic Germanicus encouraged the weak by his own endurance, and fought bravely with the wild animals: when the Proconsul tried to persuade him to cooperate for the sake of his own youth, he drew the wild beast towards himself and provoked it, in order to escape more quickly from this wicked world.
By the way, when Quintus the Phrygian handed himself over for martyrdom with some others, the Proconsul persuaded them to take the oath and sacrifice. This is why we do not approve of voluntary martyrdom, something the Gospel does not teach us to do.
When he heard about this, the redoubtable Polycarp was not in the least upset, and was happy to stay in the city, but eventually he was persuaded to leave.
He went to friends in the nearby country, where as usual he spent the whole time, day and night, in prayer for all people and for the churches throughout the world. Three days before he was arrested, while he was praying, he had a vision of the pillow under his head in flames.
Those who were looking for him were coming near, so he left for another house. They immediately followed him, and when they could not find him, they seized two young men from his own household and tortured them into confession.
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