A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

POLYCARPUS. POLY CARPUS. 451
supposed difficulty of reconciling them with the more rently, in former days, when they were both hearers
trustworthy statements of Irenaeus, who, in his of the apostle John. (Afartyr. qgnatii, c. 3.) The
boyhood, had known, perhaps lived with Polycarp sentiment of esteem was reciprocated by Polycarp,
(Iren. Epistola ad Florinurn, apud Euseb. II. E. who collected several of the epistles of Ignatius,
v. 20), and of other writers. According to Irenaeus and sent them to the church at Philippi, accom(Epist. ad Victoremn Papam, apud Euseb. H. E. panied by an epistle of his own. (Polyc. Epistol.
v. 24), Polycarp had intercourse with " John and ad Philipp. c. 13.) Polycarp himself visited Rome
others of the Apostles:" or still more expressly while Anicetus was bishop of that city, whose
(Adv. Haeres. iii. 3, et apud Euseb. II. E. iv. 14), episcopate extended, according to Tillemont's calhe was instructed (perhaps converted, araOvrevOels) culation, from A. D. 157 to 168. Irenaeus has reby theApostles,and conversed familiarly with many corded (lEpistol. ad Victor. apud Elseb. H; E. v.
who had seen Christ; was by the Apostles appointed 14) the difference of opinion of these two holy men
(KaTaaoe-asls) bishop of the church at Smyrna; on the time of observing Easter, and the steadfastand always taught what he had learned from the ness of Polycarp in adhering to the custom of the
Apostles. Tertullian (De Praescriptionibus Hae- Asiatic churches, derived, as they affirmed, from
retic, c. 32), and Jerome (De Viris Illustribus, the Apostles; as well as their mutual kindness and
c. 17), distinctly mention John as the Apostle by forbearance, notwithstanding this difference. Inwhom -Polycarp was ordained. But we question deed, the character of Polycarp appears to have
if the expressions of Irenaeus, when critically exa- attracted general regard: Irenaeus retained for
mined and stripped of the rhetorical exaggeration him a'feeling of deepest reverence (Epistola ad
with which his natural reverence for Polycarp has Florin. apud Euseb. H. E. v. 21); Jerome speaks
invested them, will prove more than that Polycarp of him (De Firis I/clusts. c. 17) as " totius Asiae
had enjoyed opportunities of hearing some of the princeps," the most eminent man in all proconsular
Apostles; and was, with their sanction, appointed Asia. An anecdote given elsewhere [MARCION]
bishop of the church at Smyrna. That John was shows that even reputed heretics, notwithstanding
one of the Apostles referred to by Irenaeus, there his decided opposition to them, desired to possess
is not the slightest reason to doubt; and we are his esteem; and it is not improbable that the
disposed, with Tillemont, to regard Philip, whom reverence excited by his character conduced to his
Polycrates of Ephesus (apud Euseb. H. E. v. 24) success in restoring them to the communion of the
states to have ended his days in the Phrygian church. It has been conjectured that bhe was the
Hierapolis, as another of those with whom Poly- angel of the church of Smyrna to whom Jesus Christ
carp had intercourse. We believe that intercourse directed the letter in the Apocalypse (ii. 8-11);
with these apostles, and perhaps with some other and also that he was the bishop to whom the apostle
old disciples who had seen Jesus Christ, is sufficient John, according to a beautiful anecdote recorded by
to bear out the statements of Irenaeus, and is not Clement of Alexandria (Liber "Quis Dives salveinconsistent with the general truth of the ancient tur? " c. 42), committed the care of a young man,
narrative given by Bollandus. His statement of who, forsaking his patron, became a chief of a
the ordination of Polycarp by the Apostles, may band of robbers, and was re-converted by the apostle:
perhaps be reduced to the fact that John, of whom but these are mere conjectures, and of little proalone Tertullian (1. c.) makes mention, was among bability.
"the bishops of the neighbouring churches," who. The martyrdom of Polycarp occurred, according
calne, according to the narrative, to the consecration to Eusebius (H. E. iv. 15), in the persecution under
of Polycarp. This circumstance enables us to fix the emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus;
that consecration in or before A. D. 104, the latest and is recorded in a letter of the Church at Smyrna
date assigned to the death of the venerable Apostle, to the Churches of Philomelitlm and other places,
and which is not inconsistent with the narrative. which is still extant, and of which Eusebius
It must be borne in mind,too, that the whole subject (ibid.) has given the chief part. The perseof the ordination of these early bishops is perplexed cution began: one Germanicus, an ancient man,
by ecclesiastical writers utterly neglecting the cir- was thrown to the wild beasts, and several
cumstance, that in some of the larger churches others, including some vwho were brought from Phithere was in the Apostolic age a plurality of ladelphia, were put to death at Smyrna. Polycarp
bishops (comp. Philippians, i. 1), not to speak of had at first intended to remlain i the city and brave
the grave and much disputed question of the iden- the danger of martyrdom; but the intreaties of his
tity of bishops and presbyters. The Apostolic flock led him to withdraw to a retreat iln the adjaordination mentioned by Irenaeus and Tertullian cent country, where he passed his time in prayer,
may, therefore, have taken place during the life- Here, three days before his apprehension, he had a
time of Bucolus, and have been antecedent to the remarkable dream, which his anticipation of his
precedency which, on his death, Polycarp obtained. fate led him to interpret as an intimation that he
-We are the more disposed to admit the early origin should be burnt alive, a foreboding but too exactly
ald the truth of the leading statements embodied in verified by the event. Messengers having been
the narration, as the natural tendency of a forger sent to apprehend him, lie withdrew to another
of a later age would have been to exaggerate the hiding place; but his place of retreat was discovered
opportunities of Apostolic intercourse, and the by the confession of a child, who ha.d been forced
sanctions of Apostolic authority, which Polycarp by torture to make known where he was. Polycarp
certainly possessed. nmight still have escaped by leaving the place on the
Polycarp was bishop of Smyrna at the time approach of those sent to apprehend him; but he
when Ignatius of Antioch passed through that refused, saying, "The will of God be done."' His
city on his way to suffer death at Rome, some time venerable figure and calm and courteous deportbetween A. D; 107 and 116. [IGNATtUS, No. 1.] ment commanded the respect of his captors; and
Ignatius seems to have enjoyed much this inter- a prayer offered by him affected some of them witl
course with Polycarp, whom he had known, appa- remorse for their share in his apprehension. The
o 2