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"For Valentinus came to Rome under Hyginus, flourished under
Plus, and remained until Anicetus. Cerdon also, Marby his
martyrdom." After these words, before giving the account of
Polycarp, they record the events which befell the rest of the
martyrs, and describe the great firmness which they exhibited in the
midst of their pains. For they say that the bystanders were struck
with amazement when they saw them lacerated with scourges even to the
innermost veins and arteries, so that the hidden inward parts of the
body, both their bowels and their members, were exposed to view; and
then laid upon sea-shells and certain pointed spits, and subjected to
every species of punishment and of torture, and finally thrown as food
to wild beasts. And they record that the most noble Germanicus
especially distinguished himself, overcoming by the grace of God the
fear of bodily death implanted by nature. When indeed the proconsul
wished to persuade him, and urged his youth, and besought him, as he
was very young and vigorous, to take compassion on himself, he did not
hesitate, but eagerly lured the beast toward himself, all but
compelling and irritating him, in order that he might the sooner be
freed from their unrighteous and lawless life. After his glorious
death the whole multitude marveling at the bravery of the God-beloved
martyr and at the fortitude of the whole race of Christians, began to
cry out suddenly, "Away with the atheists; let Polycarp be
sought." And when a very great tumult arose in consequence of the
cries, a certain Phrygian, Quintus by name, who was newly come from
Phrygia, seeing the beasts and the additional tortures, was smitten
with cowardice and gave up the attainment of salvation. But the
above-mentioned epistle shows that he, too hastily and without proper
discretion, had rushed forward with others to the tribunal, but when
seized had furnished a clear proof to all, that it is not right for
such persons rashly and recklessly to expose themselves to danger.
Thus did matters turn out in connection with them.
But the most admirable Polycarp, when he first heard of these
things, continued: undisturbed, preserved a quiet and unshaken mind,
and determined to remain in the city. But being persuaded by his
friends who en-treated and exhorted him to retire secretly, he went
out to a farm not far distant from the city and abode there with a few
companions, night and day doing nothing but wrestle with the Lord in
prayer, beseeching and imploring, and asking peace for the churches
throughout the whole world. For this was always his custom. And
three days before his arrest, while he was praying, he saw in a vision
at night the pillow under his head suddenly seized by fire and consumed
; and upon this awakening he immediately interpreted the vision to
those that were present, almost foretelling that which was about to
happen, and declaring plainly to those that were with him that it would
be necessary for him for Christ's sake to die by fire. Then, as
those who were seeking him pushed the search with vigor, they say that
he was again constrained by the solicitude and love of the brethren to
go to another farm. Thither his pursuers came after no long time, and
seized two of the servants there, and tortured one of them for the
purpose of learning from him Polycarp's hiding-place. And coming
late in the evening, they found him lying in an upper room, whence he
might have gone to another house, but he would not, saying, "The
will of God be done." And when he learned that they were present,
as the account says, he went down and spoke to them with a very
cheerful and gentle countenance, so that those who did not already know
the man thought that they beheld a miracle when they observed his
advanced age and the gravity and firmness of his bearing, and they
marveled that so much effort should be made to capture a man like him.
But he did not hesitate, but immediately gave orders that a table
should be spread for them. Then he invited them to partake of a
bounteous meal, and asked of them one hour that he might pray
undisturbed. And when they had given permission, he stood up and
prayed, being full of the grace of the Lord, so that those who were
present and heard him praying were amazed, and many of them now
repented that such a venerable and godly old man was about to be put to
death. In addition to these things the narrative concerning him
contains the following account: "But when at length he had brought
his prayer to an end, after remembering all that had ever come into
contact with him, small and great, famous and obscure, and the whole
catholic Church throughout the world, the hour of departure being
come, they put him upon an ass and brought him to the city, it being a
great Sabbath. And he was met by Herod, the captain of police, and
by his father Nicetes, who took him into their carriage, and sitting
beside him endeavored to persuade him, saying, ' For what harm is
there in saying, Lord Caesar, and sacrificing and saving your, life
?' He at first did not answer; but when they persisted, he said,
' I am not going to do what you advise me.' And when they failed to
persuade him, they uttered dreadful words, and thrust him down with
violence, so that as he descended from the carriage he lacerated his
shin. But without turning round, he went on his way promptly and
rapidly, as if nothing had happened to him, and was taken to the
stadium. But there was such a tumult in the stadium that not many
heard a voice from heaven, which came to Polycarp as he was entering
the place: ' Be strong, Polycarp, and play the man.' And no one
saw the speaker, but many of our people heard the voice. And when he
was led forward, there was a great tumult, as they heard that
Polycarp was taken. Finally, when he came up, the proconsul asked
if he were Polycarp. And when he confessed that he was, he
endeavored to persuade him to deny, saying, ' Have regard for thine
age,' and other like things, which it is their custom to say: '
Swear by the genius of Caesar; repent and say, Away with the
Atheists.' But Polycarp, looking with dignified countenance upon
the whole crowd that was gathered in the stadium, waved his hand to
them, and groaned, and raising his eyes toward heaven, said, '
Away with the Atheists.' But when the magistrate pressed him, and
said, Swear, and I will release thee; revile Christ,' Polycarp
said,' Fourscore and six years have I been serving him, and he hath
done me no wrong; how then can I blaspheme my king who saved me ?
"But when he again persisted, and said, 'Swear by the genius of
Caesar,' Polycarp replied, ' If thou vainly supposest that I
will swear by the genius of Caesar, as thou sayest, feigning to be
ignorant who I am, hear plainly: I am a Christian. But if thou
desirest to learn the doctrine of Christianity, assign a day and
hear.' The proconsul said, ' Persuade the people.' But
Polycarp said, 'As for thee, I thought thee worthy of an
explanation; for we have been taught to render to princes and
authorities ordained by God the honor that is due, so long as it does
not injure us; but as for these, I do not esteem them the proper
persons to whom to make my defense.' But the proconsul said, ' I
have wild beasts; I will throw thee to them unless thou repent.'
But he said, ' Call them; for repentance from better to worse is a
change we cannot make. But it is a noble thing to turn from wickedness
to righteousness.' But he again said to him, ' If thou despisest
the wild beasts, I will cause thee to be consumed by fire, unless
thou repent.' But Polycarp said, ' Thou threatenest a fire which
burneth for an hour, and after a little is quenched; for thou knowest
not the fire of the future judgment and of the eternal punishment which
is reserved for the impious. But why dost thou delay? Do what thou
wilt.' Saying these and other words besides, he was filled with
courage and joy, and his face was suffused with grace, so that not
only was he not terrified and dismayed by the words that were spoken to
him, but, on the contrary, the proconsul was amazed, and sent his
herald to proclaim three times in the midst of the stadium: '
Polycarp hath confessed that he is a Christian.' And when this was
proclaimed by the herald, the whole multitude, both of Gentiles and
of Jews, who dwelt in Smyrna, cried out with ungovernable wrath and
with a great shout, 'This is the teacher of Asia, the father of the
Christians, the over-thrower of our gods, who teacheth many not to
sacrifice nor to worship.' When they had said this, they cried out
and asked the Asiarch Philip to let a lion loose upon Polycarp. But
he said that it was not lawful for him,since he had closed the games.
Then they thought fit to cry out with one accord that Polycarp should
be burned alive. For it was necessary that the vision should be
fulfilled which had been shown him concerning his pillow, when he saw
it burning while he was praying, and turned and said prophetically to
the faithful that were with him, ' I must needs be burned alive.'
These things were done with great speed, more quickly than they were
said, the crowds immediately collecting from the workshops and baths
timber and fagots, the Jews being especially zealous in the work, as
is their wont. But when the pile was ready, taking off all his upper
garments, and loosing his girdle, he attempted also to remove his
shoes, although he had never before done this, because of the effort
which each of the faithful always made to touch his skin first; for he
had been treated with all honor on account of his virtuous life even
before his gray hairs came. Forthwith then the materials prepared for
the pile were placed about him; and as they were also about to nail him
to the stake, he said, ' Leave me thus; for he who hath given me
strength to endure the fire, will also grant me strength to remain in
the fire unmoved without being secured by you with nails.' So they
did not nail him, but bound him. And he, with his hands behind him,
and bound like a noble ram taken from a great flock, an acceptable
burnt-offering unto God omnipotent, said, ' Father of thy beloved
and blessed Son Jesus Christ, through whom we have received the
knowledge of thee, the God of angels and of powers and of the whole
creation and of the entire race of the righteous who live in thy
presence, I bless thee that thou hast deemed me worthy of this day and
hour that I might receive a portion in the number of the martyrs, in
the cup of Christ, unto resurrection of eternal life, both of soul
and of body, in the immortality of the Holy Spirit. 34Among these
may I be received before thee this day, in a rich and acceptable
saccrifice, as thou, the faithful and true God, bast beforehand
prepared and revealed, and hast fulfilled. Wherefore I praise thee
also for everything; I bless thee, I glorify thee, through the
eternal high priest, Jesus Christ, thy beloved Son, through whom,
with him, in the Holy Spirit, be glory unto thee, both now and for
the ages to come, Amen.' When he had offered up his Amen and had
finished his prayer, the firemen lighted the fire and as a great flame
blazed out, we, to whom it was given to see, saw a wonder, and we
were preserved that we might relate what happened to the others. For
the fire presented the appearance of a vault, like the sail of a vessel
filled by the wind, and made a wall about the body of the martyr, and
it was in the midst not like flesh burning, but like gold and silver
refined in a furnace. For we perceived such a fragrant odor, as of
the fumes of frankincense or of some other precious spices. So at
length the lawless men, when they saw that the body could not be
consumed by the fire, commanded an executioner to approach and pierce
him with the sword. And when he had done this there came forth a
quantity of blood so that it extinguished the fire; and the whole crowd
marveled that there should be such a difference between the unbelievers
and the elect, of whom this man also was one, the most wonderful
teacher in our times, apostolic and prophetic, who was bishop of the
catholic Church in Smyrna. For every word which came from his mouth
was accomplished and will be accomplished. But the jealous and envious
Evil One, the adversary of the race of the righteous, when he saw
the greatness of his martyrdom, and his blameless life from the
beginning, and when he saw him crowned with the crown of immortality
and bearing off an incontestable prize, took care that not even his
body should be taken away by us, although many desired to do it and to
have communion with his holy flesh. Accordingly certain ones secretly
suggested to Nicetes, the father of Herod and brother of Alce, that
he should plead with the magistrate not to give up his body, 'lest,'
it was said, 'they should abandon the crucified One and begin to
worship this man.' They said these things at the suggestion and
impulse of the Jews, who also watched as we were about to take it from
the fire, not knowing that we shall never be able either to forsake
Christ, who suffered for the salvation of the whole world of those
that are saved, or to worship any other. For we worship him who is
the Son of God, but the martyrs, as disciples and imitators of the
Lord, we love as they deserve on account of their matchless affection
for their own king and teacher. May we also be made partakers and
fellow-disciples with them. The centurion, therefore, when he saw
the contentiousness exhibited by the Jews, placed him in the midst and
burned him, as was their custom. And so we afterwards gathered up his
bones. which were more valuable than precious stones and more to be
esteemed than gold, and laid them in a suitable place. There the
Lord will permit us to come together as we are able, in gladness and
joy to celebrate the birthday of his martyrdom, for the commemoration
of those who have already fought and for the training and preparation of
those who shall hereafter do the same. Such are the events that befell
the blessed Polycarp, who suffered martyrdom in Smyrna with the
eleven from Philadelphia. This one man is remembered more than the
others by all, so that even by the heathen he is talked about in every
place." Of such an end was the admirable and apostolic Polycarp
deemed worthy, as recorded by the brethren of the church of Smyrna in
their epistle which we have mentioned. In the same volume concerning
him are subjoined also other martyrdoms which took place in the same
city, Smyrna, about the same period of time with Polycarp's
martyrdom. Among them also Metrodorus, who appears to have been a
proselyte of the Marcionitic sect, suffered death by fire. A
celebrated martyr of those times was a certain man named Pionius.
Those who desire to know his several confessions, and the boldness of
his speech, and his apologies in behalf of the faith before the people
and the rulers, and his instructive addresses and moreover, his
greetings to those who had yielded to temptation in the persecution,
and the words of encouragement which he addressed to the brethren who
came to visit him in prison, and the tortures which he endured in
addition, and besides these the sufferings and the nailings, and his
firmness on the pile, and his death after all the extraordinary
trials, those we refer to that epistle which has been given in the
Martyrdoms of the Ancients, collected by us, and which contains a
very full account of him. And there are also records extant of others
that suffered martyrdom in Pergamus, a city of Asia, of Carpus and
Papylus, and a woman named Agathonice, who, after many and
illustrious testimonies, gloriously ended their lives.
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