Copyist chain and Irenaeus's testimony
The epilogue traces the manuscript's transmission from Irenaeus through Gaius, Socrates, Isocrates, and Pionius, and now adds Irenaeus's own testimony about Polycarp and Marcion.
Gaius transcribed these things from the writings of Irenaeus. Gaius had lived with Irenaeus, who was a disciple of the holy Polycarp. Irenaeus himself was in Rome at the time of Bishop Polycarp's martyrdom, and he taught many people there. Many of his writings are in circulation, and they are most beautiful and most correct. In them he mentions Polycarp and says that he learned from him. Irenaeus thoroughly refuted every heresy and handed down the rule of faith and the catholic tradition just as he had received it from the holy Polycarp.
Irenaeus also says this: once Marcion, the heretic from whom the so-called Marcionites come, met the holy Polycarp and said, "Recognize us, Polycarp." Polycarp himself answered Marcion, "I recognize you. I recognize the firstborn of Satan."
And this too is found in the writings of Irenaeus: on the very day and hour when Polycarp was martyred in Smyrna, Irenaeus was in the city of Rome and heard a voice like a trumpet saying, "Polycarp has been martyred."
From these writings of Irenaeus, then, as has been said, Gaius transcribed. From the copies of Gaius, Isocrates transcribed in Corinth. And I, Pionius, in turn wrote from the copies of Isocrates. I searched them out according to a revelation of the holy Polycarp, and I gathered them together when they were already nearly worn out by time, so that the Lord Jesus Christ may also gather me with his elect into his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
Greek
Ταῦτα μετεγράψατο μὲν Γάϊος ἐκ τῶν Εἰρηναίου συγγραμμάτων, ὃς καὶ συνεπολιτεύσατο τῷ Εἰρηναίῳ, μαθητῇ γεγονότι τοῦ ἁγίου Πολυκάρπου.
οὗτος γὰρ ὁ Εἰρηναῖος, κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ μαρτυρίου τοῦ ἐπισκόπου Πολυκάρπου γενόμενος ἐν Ῥώμῃ, πολλοὺς ἐδίδαξεν: οὗ καὶ πολλὰ συγγράμματα κάλλιστα καὶ ὀρθότατα φέρεται, ἐν οἷς μέμνηται Πολυκάρπου, ὅτι παῤ αὐτοῦ ἔμαθεν, ἱκανῶς τε πᾶσαν αἵρεσιν ἤλεγξεν καὶ τὸν ἐκκλησιαστικὸν κανόνα καὶ καθολικόν, ὡς παρέλαβεν παρὰ τοῦ ἁγίου, καὶ παρέδωκεν.
λέγει δὲ καὶ τοῦτο: ὅτι συναντήσαντός ποτε τῷ ἁγίῳ Πολυκάρπῳ Μαρκίωνος, ἀφ̓ οὗ οἱ λεγόμενοι Μαρκιωνισταί, καὶ εἰπόντος: Ἐπιγίνωσκε ἡμᾶς, Πολύκαρπε, εἶπεν αὐτὸς τῷ Μαρκίωνι: Ἐπιγινώσκω, ἐπιγινώσκω τὸν πρωτότοκον τοῦ σατανᾶ.
καὶ τοῦτο δὲ φέρεται ἐν τοῖς τοῦ Εἰρηναίου συγγράμμασιν, ὅτι ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ὥρᾳ ἐν Σμύρνῃ ἐμαρτύρησεν ὁ Πολύκαρπος, ἤκουσεν φωνὴν ἐν τῇ Ῥωμαίων πόλει ὑπάρχων ὁ Εἰρηναῖος ὡς σάλπιγγος λεγούσης: Πολύκαρπος ἐμαρτύρησεν.
Ἐκ τούτων οὖν, ὡς προλέλεκται, τῶν τοῦ Εἰρηναίου συγγραμμάτων Γάϊος μετεγράψατο, ἐκ δὲ τῶν Γαΐου ἀντιγράφων Ἰσοκράτης ἐν Κορίνθῳ. ἐγὼ δὲ πάλιν Πιόνιος ἐκ τῶν Ἰσοκράτους ἀντιγράφων ἔγραψα κατὰ ἀποκάλυψιν τοῦ ἁγίου Πολυκάρπου ζητήσας αὐτά, συναγαγὼν αὐτὰ ἤδη σχεδὸν ἐκ τοῦ χρόνου κεκμηκότα, ἵνα κἀμὲ συναγάγῃ ὁ κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς μετὰ τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν ἐπουράνιον αὐτοῦ βασιλείαν: ᾧ ἡ δόξα σὺν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ τῷ υἱῷ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ἀμήν.