Letter to Victor of Rome on the Date of Pascha · §1 · Polycrates of Ephesus

The Asian great figures kept the fourteenth day

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Polycrates, bishop of Ephesus, is writing to Victor of Rome to defend the Asian churches' observance of Pascha on the fourteenth day.

We keep the day without tampering, neither adding nor subtracting anything. For great figures have fallen asleep in Asia as well, and they will rise on the day of the coming of the Lord, when he comes with glory from heaven and raises all the saints: Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who has fallen asleep in Hierapolis, along with two of his daughters who grew old as virgins, and his other daughter who lived her life in the Holy Spirit and rests in Ephesus. Then there is also John, who reclined on the Lord's breast, who became a priest having worn the priestly plate, and a martyr and teacher; he has fallen asleep in Ephesus. And Polycarp in Smyrna, both bishop and martyr; and Thraseas, both bishop and martyr from Eumeneia, who has fallen asleep in Smyrna. Why should I even mention Sagaris, bishop and martyr, who has fallen asleep in Laodicea? And Papirius the blessed, and Melito the eunuch, who conducted himself in all things in the Holy Spirit; he lies in Sardis awaiting the visitation from heaven, in which he will rise from the dead. All these kept the day of the fourteenth of the Pascha according to the gospel, deviating in nothing but following the rule of faith. And I also, Polycrates, the least of you all, follow the tradition of my relatives, some of whom I followed closely. Seven of my relatives were bishops, and I am the eighth; and my relatives always kept the day when the people removed the leaven. So I, brothers, having lived sixty-five years in the Lord, and having conferred with the brothers from the whole world, and having gone through all holy scripture, am not frightened by those who threaten. For those greater than I have said: one must obey God rather than men.

I could have mentioned the bishops who were present, whom you asked to be summoned by me, and I did summon them; if I were to write their names, they would be a great multitude. But those who saw my small person approved the letter together, knowing that I have not borne grey hair in vain, but have always conducted my life in the Lord Jesus.

Greek

Ἡμεῖς οὖν ἀραδιούργητον ἄγομεν τὴν ἡμέραν· μήτε προστιθέντες, μήτε ἀφαιρούμενοι. καὶ γὰρ καὶ κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν μεγάλα στοιχεῖα κεκοίμηται· ἅ τινα ἀναστήσεται τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ Κυρίου, ἐν ᾗ ἔρχεται μετὰ δόξης ἐξ οὐρανῶν, καὶ ἀναστήσει πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους· Φίλιππον τὸν τῶν δώδεκα ἀποστόλων, ὃς κεκοίμηται ἐν Ἱεραπόλει, καὶ δύο θυ γατέρες αὐτοῦ γεγηρακυῖαι παρθένοι· καὶ ἡ ἑτέρα αὐ τοῦ θυγάτηρ ἐν ἁγίῳ πνεύ ματι πολιτευσαμένη, ὴ ἐν Ἐφέσῳ ἀναπαύεται· ἔτι δὲ καὶ Ἰωάννης ὁ ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος τοῦ Κυρίου ἀναπεσών· ὃς ἐγενήθη ἱερεὺς τὸ πέταλον πεφορεκὼς, καὶ μάρτυς καὶ διδάσκαλος· οὗτος ἐν Ἐφέσῳ κεκοίμηται. ἔτι δὲ καὶ Πολύκαρπος ἐν Σμύρνῃ καὶ ἐπίσκοπος καὶ μάρ τυς· καὶ Θρασέας καὶ ἐπίσκοπος καὶ μάρτυς ἀπὸ Εὐμενείας, ὃς ἐν Σμύρνῃ κεκοίμηται. τί δὲ δεῖ λέγειν Σάγαριν ἐπίσκοπον καὶ μάρτυρα, ὃς ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ κεκοίμηται; ἔτι δὲ καὶ Παπείριον τὸν μακάριον, καὶ Μελίτωνα τὸν εὐνοῦχον, τὸν ἐν ἁγίῳ πνεύματι πάντα πολιτευσάμενον· ὃς κεῖται ἐν Σάρδεσι περιμένων τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐπισκοπὴν, ἐν ᾗ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστήσεται. οὗτοι πάντες ἐτήρησαν τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτης τοῦ πάσχα κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον· μηδὲν παρεκβαίνοντες, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸν κανόνα τῆς πίστεως ἀκολουθοῦντες· ἔτι δὲ κᾀγὼ ὁ μικρότερος πάντων ὑμῶν Πολυκράτης, κατὰ παράδοσιν τῶν συγγενῶν μου, οἷς καὶ παρηκολούθησα τισὶν αὐτῶν. ἑπτὰ μὲν ἦσαν συγγενεῖς μου ἐπίσκοποι, ἐγὼ δὲ ὄγδοος· καὶ πάντοτε τὴν ἡμέραν ἤγαγον οἱ συγγενεῖς μου, ὅταν ὁ λαὸς ἤρνυε τὴν ζύμην. ἐγὼ οὖν, ἀδελφοὶ, ἑξήκοντα πέντε ἔτη ἔχων ἐν Κυρίῳ· καὶ συμβεβληκὼς τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀδελφοῖς· καὶ πᾶσαν ἁγίαν γραφὴν διεληλυθὼς, οὐ πτύρομαι ἐπὶ τοῖς καταπλησσομένοις. οἱ γὰρ ἐμοῦ μείζονες εἰρήκάσι, πειθαρχεῖν δεῖ Θεῷ μᾶλλον ἢ ἀνθρώποις.

Ἐδυνάμην δὲ τῶν ἐπισκόπων τῶν συμπαρόντων μνημονεῦσαι, οὓς ὑμεῖς ἠξιώσατε μετακληθῆναι ὑπ’ ἐμοῦ, καὶ μετεκαλεσάμην· ὧν τὰ ὀνόματα ἐὰν γράφω, πολλὰ πλήθη εἰσίν. οἱ δὲ ἰδόντες τὸν μικρόν μου ἄνθρωπον, συνηυδόκησαν τῇ ἐπιστολῇ· εἰδότες ὅτι εἰκῆ πολιὰς οὐκ ἤνεγκα, ἀλλὰ ἐν Κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ πάντοτε πεπολίτευμαι. Attulit haec

About this text

Polycrates of Ephesus defends to Victor of Rome the Asian custom of keeping Pascha on the fourteenth day of the month.

Polycrates, bishop of Ephesus, wrote this letter to Victor, bishop of Rome, and the Roman church. He wrote on behalf of the bishops of Asia Minor to defend their practice of observing Pascha on the fourteenth day of the month. Victor had demanded that the Asian churches abandon this custom and conform to the Roman way of celebrating.

Polycrates argues that the Asian churches keep the day without tampering, following the gospel and the rule of faith. He appeals to the great figures buried in Asia who all kept the fourteenth day: Philip the apostle, John the disciple, Polycarp, Thraseas, Sagaris, Papirius, and Melito. He adds his own authority as the eighth bishop in his family and as one who has studied all holy scripture. He declares that he is not frightened by threats, since one must obey God rather than men.

A reader should know that the fourteenth day refers to the date of the Jewish Passover, when leaven was removed from the house. The priestly plate was the golden plate worn by the Jewish high priest, and Polycrates says John wore it, marking him as a priestly figure. The rule of faith means the standard teaching handed down in the churches. Eumeneia was a city in Asia Minor. Melito is called a eunuch, but the letter does not explain whether this means he was celibate or something else. Awaiting the visitation from heaven means awaiting the coming of the Lord in glory to raise the saints.

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

Printed text used

Translated from Polycrates Ephesius Reliquiae Sacrae Martin Joseph Routh Oxford Oxford University Press 1846 (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.