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

452 POLYCA RPUS. POLYCARP US.
officer into whose custody he was delivered, with the which reasons are examined by Tillemont in one
usual laxityof paganism, would have persuaded him, of his careful and elaborate notes. Polycarp is reapparently through pity, to offer divine honours verenced as a saint both by the- Greek and Romisla
and sacrifice to the emperor; but his steady refusal Churches; by the former on the 23d of February,
changed their pity into anger, and they violently by the latter on the 26thl of January, or (at Paris)
threw him down from the carriage in which they on the 27th of April. The Greeks of Smyrna, onl
were conveying him. On entering the amphi- his festival, used formerly to visit devoutly what
theatre where the proconsul, Stratius Quadratus, is shown as his tomb, near the ruins of an ancient
was, a voice which the excited feelings of the old church or chapel, on a hill side to the S. E. of the
man and his companions led them to regard as from city. Mr. Arundel (Discoveries in Asia Minor,
heaven, exclaimed, "Be strong, O Polycarp! and vol. ii. p. 397) is disposed to think that the traquit you like a man." The proconsul was, like dition as to his place of interment is correct.
others, moved by his appearance, and exhorted The chief authorities for the history of Polycarp
him to consider his advanced age, and comply with have been cited. The account of Eusebius (H. E.
the requirements of government: "Swear by the iv. 14, 15, and v. 20) is chiefly taken from Irenaeus
fortune of Caesar, recant, and cry' Away with the (ll. cc.), and from the letter of the Church at Smyrna,
godless (dros dcsdovs)."' Looking first round giving an account of Iis martyrdom, which will be
upon the heathen multitude, and then up to heaven, noticed below. Halloix (Illustr. LEccles. Orientalis
the old man sighed and said, "Away with the Scriptorum Vitae), Cave (Apostolici, or the Lives,
godless." The proconsul again urged him, "Swear Gc., of the Primnitive Fathers), and Tillemont (Miby Caesar's fortune, and I will release thee. Re- moires, vol. ii.), have collected the chief notices of
vile Christ." " Eighty and six years have I served the ancients, and embodied them in their narrative.
him," was the reply, " and he never did me wrong: See also Ceillier, Auteurs Sacres, vol. i. p. 672, &c.
how then can I revile my King and my Saviour?" The English reader may consult (beside Cave's
Threats of being thrown to wild beasts, and of being work just mentioned) Lardner (Credibility, &c. part
committed to the flames, failed to move himn; and ii. ch. 6, 7), Neander (Church Hist. trans. by Rose,
his bold avowal that he was a Christian provoked vol. i. p. 106, &c.), Milnlan (Hist. of Christianity,
the wrath of the assembled multitude. " This bk. ii. ch. 7), and other ecclesiastical historians.
mliall," they shouted, " is the teacher of impiety, We have remaining only one short piece of this
the father of the Christians, the man that does father: his rtpos 4IX7r7rrafovs Z7ritro.'o, -Ad Phiaway with our gods (o6 rsr 7jpAef'P0Wv saOWV KaOai- lippeases Epistola. That he wrote such an epistle,
pes71s); who teaches many not to sacrifice to nor and that it was extant in their time, is attested by
to worship the gods." They demanded that he Irenaeus (Adv. Haeres. iii. 3, and Epistol. ad Floshould be thrown to wild beasts, and when the rinum, apud Euseb. H.E. iv. 14, and v. 20),
Asiarch, Philip of Tralles, who presided over the Eusebius (H. E. iii. 36, iv. 14), Jerome (De Viris
games which were going on, evaded the demand, Illustr. c. 17), and later writers whom it is needonl the plea that the combats with wild beasts were less to enumerate; and, notwithstanding the obended, they demanded that he should be burned jections of the Magdeburg Centuriators (Cent. ii.
alive. The demand was complied with; and the c. 10); of Daille (De Scriptis Ignatianis, c. 32),
populace, in their rage, soon collected from the who however only denied the genuineness of a
barths and workshops logs and filggots for the part; of Matthieu de la Roche; and, at a later
pile. The old man ungirded himself, laid aside period, of Semier, our present copies have been rehis garments, and took his place in the midst of the ceived by the great majority of critics as substanfuel; and when they would have secured him with tially genuine. Some have suspected the text to be
nails to the stake, said, " Let me remain as I am; interpolated; and the suspicion is perhaps somewhat
for he that has enabled me to brave the fire will so strengthened by the evidence afforded by the
strengthen me that, without your fastening me Syriac version of the Epistles of Ignatius, lately
with nails, I shall, unmoved, endure its fierceness." published by Mr. Cureton LIGNATIUS, No. 1], of
After he had offered a short but beautiful prayer, the extensive interpolation of those contemporary
the fire was kindled, but a high wind drove the and kindred productions.
flames on one side, so that he was roasted rather The Epistola ad Philippenses is extant in the
than burned; and the executioner was ordered to Greek original, and in an ancient Latin version;
despatch him with a sword. On his striking him the latter of which contains, toward the conclusion,
with it so great a quantity of blood flowed from several chapters, of which only some fragments
the wound as to quench the flames, which were, preserved by Eusebius are found in the Greek.
however, resuscitated, in order to consumle his life- The letter partakes of the simplicity which characless body. His ashes were collected by the pious terizes the writings of the apostolic fathers, being
care of the Christians of his flock, and deposited hortatory rather than argumentative; and is valuin a suitable place of interment. The day and able for the numerous passages from the New Tesyear of Polycarp's martyrdom are involved in con- tament, especially from the first Epistle of Peter
siderable doubt. Samuel Petit places it in A. D. and the Epistles of Paul, which are incorporated
175; Usher, Pagi, and Bollandus, in A. n. 169; in it, and for the testimony which it consequently
Eusebius (Clhronicon) places it earlier, in the affords to the early existence and wide circulation
seventh year of Marcus Aurelius, who acceded to of the Sacred Writings. It was first published in
the throne, 7th March, A. D. 161; Scaliger, Le black letter in the Latin version, by Jac. Faber
Moyne, and Cave, place it in A. D. 167; Tillemont Stapulensis, with the works of the pseudo-Dionyin 166; the Cihronicon Paschale in the consulship sius Areopagita and of Ignatius [DIONYSIUS;
of Aelianus and Pastor, A. D. 163; and Pearson, IGNATIUS, NO. 1], fol. Paris, 1498, under the
who differs widely from all other critics, in A. D. title of Theologia Vi/ificans; and was reprinted at
147, in the reign of Titus Antoninus Pius. Pearson Strasbourg, A. D. 1502; at Paris, 1515; at Basel,
brings various reasons in support of his opinion, 1520; at Cologne, 1536; at Ingolstadt, with the