Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp & others · a new plain-English translation from the original language
The congregation of God residing as strangers in Smyrna sends its greeting to the congregation of God residing as strangers in Philomelium, together with all the communities of the holy, universal church in every locality: may mercy be yours in ever fuller measure, with peace and with love, from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are writing to you, brothers, about what happened to those who bore witness, and especially to blessed Polycarp, who, as if setting a seal on it all through his own martyrdom, brought the persecution to a halt. For nearly everything that came before happened so that the Lord might show us once again from above a martyrdom in keeping with the gospel. He waited to be handed over, just as the Lord did, so that we too might become imitators of him — not looking only to our own interest, but to that of our neighbors as well. For it belongs to true and steadfast love to wish salvation not only for oneself, but for all the brothers too.
Blessed and noble indeed are all the martyrdoms accomplished in keeping with God's will. For we ought, out of reverence, to leave to God the authority over all things. Who would not marvel at their nobility, their endurance, their devotion to their Master? Some were shredded by whips until the very structure of their flesh lay open down to the inner veins and arteries, and yet they held firm, so that even the onlookers wept and grieved. Others reached such a pitch of nobility that not a single one among them so much as murmured or groaned, showing us all that in that hour of torment the noblest martyrs of Christ had already left the flesh behind — or rather, that the Lord himself stood at their side and spoke with them. With eyes fixed on Christ's grace, they made light of this world's torments, purchasing eternal life for themselves in the space of a single hour. The fire of their merciless tormentors felt cold to them, for they kept before their eyes their escape from the fire that is everlasting and never goes out, and with the eyes of the heart they gazed upward at the good things reserved for those who endure — things no ear has heard, no eye has seen, and no human heart has conceived, but which the Lord revealed to them, since they were no longer mere men but already like angels. In the same manner, those condemned to face the beasts bore terrible torments, forced to lie on sharp shells and afflicted with other varied forms of punishment, so that the tyrant, if he could manage it, might drive them through relentless punishment into denial. For the devil schemed against them in many ways.
But thanks be to God — he did not win out over all of them. Germanicus, most noble among them, gave strength to the fainthearted through his own steadfast endurance, and he fought the beasts in a manner that drew every eye. When the proconsul tried to win him over, urging him to have pity on his own youth, he instead pulled the beast toward himself by force, wanting to be freed all the sooner from their unjust and lawless existence. At this the whole crowd, marveling at the courage of this God-devoted and God-fearing Christian race, raised a shout: "Down with the atheists! Track down Polycarp!"
But one man, named Quintus, a Phrygian who had recently arrived from Phrygia, lost his nerve when he saw the beasts. He was the one who had forced himself and some others forward to come voluntarily. This man the proconsul, after much pleading, persuaded to swear the oath and offer sacrifice. For this reason, then, brothers, we do not praise those who hand themselves over, since this is not what the gospel teaches.
Polycarp, most admirable of all, showed no alarm upon first hearing the news, and wanted to stay in the city. Most of those around him, however, urged him to withdraw, and he did withdraw to a small farm not far outside the city, staying there with a few companions, occupied night and day with nothing but prayer for everyone and for the churches throughout the whole world — as was always his habit. And while at prayer, three days before his arrest, he had a vision: he saw his pillow being consumed by fire, and turning to those with him he said, "I am destined to be burned alive."
And when those hunting for him kept at it, he moved on to another small farm, and his pursuers arrived there almost at once. Not finding him, they seized two young slaves, and one of them, under torture, gave him away. It was in truth impossible for him to stay hidden, since even those who betrayed him belonged to his own household, and the police-captain — whose lot had given him that same name, Herod — was in a hurry to march him into the arena, so that this Herod could complete his own appointed portion by becoming Christ's partner, while those who had betrayed Polycarp would suffer the very penalty of Judas.
So, bringing the boy along, the officers and horsemen set out on the Preparation Day around suppertime, armed as usual, running as though after a bandit. Arriving late that evening, they found him lying down in an upper room; even then he could have moved to another spot, but he refused, saying, "Let God's will be done." So when he learned they had arrived, he came down and talked with them, and those present were struck by his age and his calm bearing, wondering why there should be such urgency to seize so old a man. He at once ordered that food and drink be set before them, as much as they wanted, at that very hour, asking only that they allow him time to pray undisturbed. When they agreed, he stood and prayed, filled with such divine grace that he could not bring himself to stop for two whole hours, leaving his hearers astonished, and many regretted having come after so godly an old man.
When at last he brought his prayer to a close, having called to mind everyone he had ever met, small and great, famous and unknown, along with the whole universal church throughout the world, the hour had come for him to depart, so they placed him on a donkey and led him toward the city, since it was the day of the great Sabbath. The police-captain Herod and his father Nicetes came out to meet him, and, drawing him up into their wagon, sat beside him and worked to win him over, urging, "Why not simply pronounce, 'Caesar is Lord,' burn the incense, and finish what goes with it, so you can stay safe?" At first he gave them no reply; but as they kept pressing, he answered, "Your counsel is something I will not follow." Having failed to persuade him, they flung abusive words his way and thrust him out with force, and as he climbed down from the wagon his shin was scraped raw. But without so much as turning around, as though nothing had happened to him, he pressed on eagerly and in haste, led toward the stadium, where the roar was so loud that no one could even be heard.
As Polycarp entered the stadium, a voice came from heaven: "Be strong, Polycarp, and act like a man." No one saw who spoke, though our people standing nearby caught the sound of it. And when he was finally brought forward, a great commotion arose among those who heard that Polycarp had been arrested. When he was brought before him, the proconsul asked whether he was indeed Polycarp. When he admitted it, the proconsul tried to talk him into denying it, saying, "Have regard for your age," and other such things they were accustomed to say, such as: "Swear by the fortune of Caesar, repent, say, 'Down with the atheists.'" But Polycarp, fixing a stern gaze on the whole crowd of lawless pagans gathered in the stadium, gestured toward them with his hand, then, sighing as he raised his eyes toward the sky, declared, "Down with the atheists." But when the proconsul pressed him further, saying, "Swear the oath, and I will release you — curse Christ," Polycarp said, "For eighty-six years I have served him, and he has done me no wrong. How could I curse my King who saved me?"
But when the proconsul kept insisting, saying, "Swear by the fortune of Caesar," he answered, "If you are under the vain impression that I would swear by the fortune of Caesar, as you say, and pretend not to know who I am, then hear this without disguise: I am a follower of Christ. Should you want to be instructed in what Christianity teaches, set a day and I will explain." The proconsul said, "Persuade the people." Polycarp replied, "You I would have thought worthy of an explanation, for we have been taught to render honor, as is fitting, to rulers and authorities appointed by God, so long as it does no harm to us; but as for that crowd, I do not consider them worthy that I should make my defense to them."
The proconsul said, "I have wild beasts; I will throw you to them, unless you change your mind." He answered, "Call for them. For it is unthinkable for us to change from the better to the worse; but it is a good thing to change from cruelty to justice." The proconsul said to him again, "I will have you consumed by fire, since you make light of the beasts, unless you change your mind." Polycarp said, "You threaten with a fire that burns for an hour and is soon put out; but you know nothing of the fire reserved for the judgment to come and the everlasting punishment awaiting the godless. Why do you delay? Bring on whatever you wish."
As he said this and much more besides, he was filled with courage and joy, and his face was filled with grace, so that he not only did not collapse in distress at what was said to him, but on the contrary it was the proconsul who was astonished, and he dispatched his herald to announce three separate times, there in the center of the arena, that Polycarp himself admitted to being a Christian. When the herald had said this, the whole crowd of pagans and Jews living in Smyrna raised an uncontainable roar together: "Here stands Asia's instructor, father to the Christian people, the man who tears down our gods, the one who teaches so many not to sacrifice and not to worship!" Saying this, they shouted and asked the Asiarch Philip to release a lion against Polycarp. He said it was not permitted to him, since he had already closed the beast-hunts. Then it seemed good to them to shout out together that Polycarp should be burned alive. For the vision that had been shown to him concerning his pillow had to be fulfilled, when, seeing it burning while he prayed, he had turned and said prophetically to the believers with him, "I am destined to be burned alive."
All this happened with such speed — faster than it can be told — the crowds at once gathering wood and kindling from the workshops and the baths, the Jews especially, as is their custom, eagerly assisting in this. When the pyre was ready, he took off all his own clothing and undid his belt, and tried also to remove his own sandals, though he was not accustomed to doing this himself, since each of the believers was always eager to be the first to touch his skin; for even before his martyrdom he had been adorned with every honor because of his good manner of life. At once the instruments prepared for the fire were placed around him. When they were about to nail him as well, he told them, "There is no need to fasten me down further — the one who gives me strength to withstand the flames will likewise keep me steady within them, with no nails required for my security."
So they did not nail him, but only bound him. And he, with his hands behind him, bound like a distinguished ram taken from a great flock for sacrifice, a burnt offering made ready and acceptable to God, looked up to heaven and said, "Lord God Almighty, Father of your beloved and blessed servant Jesus Christ, through whom we have come to know you, God over the angels, the powers, the whole created order, and every generation of the righteous who dwell before your face: I praise you for judging me deserving of this hour and this day, to be numbered among your martyrs and share in your Christ's cup, rising to unending life in both soul and body, kept incorruptible through the Holy Spirit. Among them may I be welcomed before you today, as a rich and acceptable sacrifice, just as you prepared and revealed and fulfilled beforehand, O God who is faithful and true. For this, and for everything, I praise you, I bless you, I glorify you, through that everlasting priest of heaven, Jesus Christ, your beloved servant, through whom be glory to you, together with him and the Holy Spirit, both now and for the ages to come. Amen."
When he had sent up his Amen and finished his prayer, the men in charge of the fire lit it. And as a great flame blazed up, we who were given the privilege to see it witnessed a wonder — and we have been kept alive to report to the rest what happened. For the fire took the shape of a vault, like a ship's sail filled by the wind, and enclosed the martyr's body like a wall on every side; at its center it looked not like burning flesh but like bread baking, or like gold and silver being refined in a furnace. And indeed we caught so sweet a fragrance, as of frankincense breathing out, or some other precious spice.
Finally, once the lawless crowd realized the fire was failing to burn through his body, they had a confector approach and stab him with a blade. At that, out came a dove, along with so much blood that the flames were extinguished, leaving the entire crowd astonished at how vast a gulf separated the unbelieving from God's chosen — among whom was this man, the most admirable martyr Polycarp, who in our own times proved to be an apostolic and prophetic teacher, bishop of the universal church in Smyrna. For every word that left his mouth came to be fulfilled, and will yet be fulfilled.
But the jealous, envious, and evil one, who opposes the race of the righteous, observing how magnificent his martyrdom had been and how spotless his conduct from the start, and that he had been crowned with the crown of incorruptibility and had carried off a prize beyond dispute, schemed so that even his remains would not fall into our hands, even though many desired to do this and to have a share in his holy flesh. So he prompted Nicetes — Herod's father and Alce's brother — to petition the magistrate against releasing the body, warning, "Otherwise they will desert the crucified one and take up worship of this man instead." They said this at the urging and instigation of the Jews, who also kept watch when we were about to take him from the fire, not knowing that we could never forsake Christ, who bore suffering so that the entire world of the redeemed might be saved, faultless one standing in for sinners, nor could we ever worship anyone else. Since he is God's own Son, it is him we worship; the martyrs, however, we cherish as disciples and imitators of the Lord, and rightly so, on account of their unsurpassed devotion shown toward their King and Teacher. May we too be granted a place as their companions and fellow disciples.
So the centurion, seeing the contentiousness stirred up by the Jews, set the body in the middle, as was their custom, and burned it. And so we later gathered up his bones, more valuable to us than precious stones and finer than gold, and laid them to rest in a fitting place. There, as far as we are able, the Lord will grant us to gather together in joy and gladness to mark the anniversary of his witness — recalling those who already ran the race, and readying and training those yet to run it.
Such is the story concerning blessed Polycarp, who, though he was the twelfth to be martyred in Smyrna along with those from Philadelphia, is remembered by everyone above all others, so that even the pagans speak of him in every place — not only because he was a distinguished teacher, but also an outstanding martyr, whose martyrdom all desire to imitate, since it came about in accordance with the gospel of Christ. Through his endurance he overcame the unjust ruler and so received the crown of incorruptibility, and now, rejoicing together with the apostles and all the righteous, he glorifies God the Father Almighty, and gives blessing to Jesus Christ, our Lord — savior of every soul, helmsman guiding our bodies, shepherd over the universal church across the world.
You asked to be informed at greater length about what happened, but for now we have reported it in summary through our brother Marcion. When you have learned these things, send this letter on also to the brothers further away, so that they too may glorify the Lord, who makes his choices from among his own servants. Now may glory, honor, might, and greatness forever belong to the One who can lead every one of us, by grace and gift, into his kingdom in heaven, through Jesus Christ his only Son. Greet all the saints. Those who are with us greet you, and so does Evarestus, who wrote this letter, together with his whole household.
Blessed Polycarp gave his witness at the eighth hour, during a great Sabbath, seven days before the Kalends of March — that is, the second of Xanthicus. He was arrested by Herod, in the time of the high priest Philip of Tralles, while Statius Quadratus was proconsul, but with Jesus Christ reigning forever, to whom be glory, honor, majesty, and an eternal throne, from generation to generation. Amen.
We wish you good health, brothers, as you walk in step with the word of Jesus Christ that is in accordance with the gospel, through whom glory belongs to God, both Father and Holy Spirit, for the salvation granted to the holy chosen ones, just as blessed Polycarp bore witness — may it be granted to us also to be found in his footsteps in the kingdom of Jesus Christ. This account was copied out by Gaius from the writings of Irenaeus, a disciple of Polycarp, who also lived alongside Irenaeus. And I, Socrates, wrote it out in Corinth from the copies of Gaius. Grace be with all. And I again, Pionius, wrote it out from the copy mentioned above, having sought it out, according to a revelation made known to me by blessed Polycarp himself, as I will explain in what follows, gathering it together now when it was already nearly worn away by time, so that Christ the Lord will gather me as well, alongside those he has chosen, into his kingdom above, glory being his together with the Father and Spirit, for age after age. Amen.
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