The Martyrdom of Polycarp · §10 · Church of Smyrna

Polycarp's Confession and Refusal to Persuade the Crowd

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Polycarp is being interrogated by the proconsul in the stadium, who has just demanded that he swear by Caesar's fortune and revile Christ.

The proconsul kept pressing him. "Swear by Caesar's fortune," he said.

Polycarp answered, "If you imagine in your vanity that I will swear by Caesar's fortune, as you put it, and if you pretend not to know who I am, then listen plainly: I am a Christian. And if you want to learn the teaching of Christianity, give me a day and listen."

The proconsul said, "Persuade the people."

Polycarp replied, "You I would have considered worthy of an answer, for we have been taught to give to rulers and authorities appointed by God the honor that is fitting, as long as it does us no harm. But those people I do not consider worthy of making a defense to them."

Greek

Ἐπιμένοντος δὲ πάλιν αὐτοῦ καὶ λέγοντος: Ὄμοσον τὴν Καίσαρος τύχην, ἀπεκρίνατο: Εἰ κενοδοξεῖς, ἵνα ὀμόσω τὴν καίσαρος τύχην, ὡς σὺ λέγεις, προσποιεῖ δὲ ἀγνοεῖν με, τίς εἰμι, μετὰ παρρησίας ἄκουε: Χριστιανός εἰμι. εἰ δὲ θέλεις τὸν τοῦ Χριστιανισμοῦ μαθεῖν λόγον, δὸς ἡμέραν καὶ ἄκουσον.

ἔφη ὁ ἀνθύπατος: Πεῖσον τὸν δῆμον. ὁ δὲ Πολύκαρπος εἶπεν: Σὲ μὲν κἂν λόγου ἠξίωσα: δεδιδάγμεθα γὰρ ἀρχαῖς καὶ ἐξουσίαις ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ τεταγμέναις τιμὴν κατὰ τὸ προσῆκον, τὴν μὴ βλάπτουσαν ἡμᾶς, ἀπονέμειν: ἐκείνους δὲ οὐχ ἡγοῦμαι ἀξίους τοῦ ἀπολογεῖσθαι αὐτοῖς.

About this text

The church of Smyrna tells how its bishop Polycarp and other martyrs died, and holds up his death as a martyrdom that follows the gospel.

The church of Smyrna (fl. c. 156) wrote this letter to the church of God that sojourns at Philomelium and to all communities of the holy and catholic church. It was written to report the martyrdom of Polycarp and other martyrs, and to present Polycarp's death as a model of martyrdom according to the gospel.

The letter reports that recent martyrs endured tortures with remarkable courage. Polycarp, after a vision foretelling his death by fire, was arrested and brought before the proconsul. He refused to swear by Caesar's fortune or revile Christ, confessing himself a Christian and rejecting the proconsul's threats.

The letter quotes Polycarp, the proconsul, the crowd, Herod and Nicetes, a heavenly voice, and a herald. The church collected his bones and resolved to commemorate his martyrdom annually.

New English from the Greek base text; no published English used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from Kirsopp Lake The Apostolic Fathers London William Heinemann Ltd. New York G.P. Putnam's Sons 1917 (Greek)

This work has passed this project's source check. This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.