On Illustrious Men

17. Polycarp the bishop

XVII. POLYCARP THE BISHOP olycarp, a disciple of John the apostle,1 and ordained by him as bishop of Smyrna, was the leader of all of Asia,2 in that he had seen and had as teachers some of the apostles and of those who had seen the Lord.3 2. In the reign of the emperor Antoninus Pius, on account of some questions concerning the day of the Pasch, he came to Rome, where Anicetus was bishop,4 and he brought back to the faith very many of those believers who had been deceived by the persuasiveness of Marcion5 and Valentinus. 3. When Marcion happened to meet him and said, “Recognize us,” he replied, “I recognize the first-born of the devil.”6 4. Later on, in the reign of Marcus Antoninus and Lucius Aurelius Commodus, during the fourth persecution after Nero,7 at Smyrna, before the proconsul seated in judgment and the whole people in the amphitheater howling against him, he was burned alive.8 5. He wrote a very useful letter, To the Philippians,9 which, down to this day, is read in the assembly of Asia.10 notes 1. Eus., h.e. 3.36. 2. Cf. h.e. 4.14.1–2. 3. h.e. 4.14, quoting Iren., Adv. haer. 3.3.4. 4. N. Brox, “Der Konflikt zwischen Aniket und Polykarp,” Concilium 8 (1972): 14–18, 35–42. 5. Marcion: cf. G. May, “Marcione nel suo tempo,” CristStor 14 (1993): 205–20; A. Orbe, “Hacia la doctrina marcionítica de la redencíon,” Gregorianum 74 (1993): 45–74. 6. h.e. 4.14 (= Iren., Adv. haer. 3.3.4); cf. h.e. 3.28. 7. Dates of this imperial reign: 138–161. Cf. h.e. 4.14–15. 8. Jerome does not mention the Martyrium Polycarpi (CPG 1045); on this, cf. B. Dehandschutter, “The Martyrium Polycarpi: a Century of Research ,” ANRW II, 27, 1 (Berlin, 1993), 485–522; V. Saxer, “L’authenticité du Martyre de Polycarpe. Bilan de 25 ans de critique,” MAH 94 (1982): 979–1001; H. Musurillo, Acts (Tübingen, 1992), 258–85; M. L. Gullaumin, “En marge du Martyre de Polycarpe. Le discernement des allusions scripON ILLUSTRIOUS MEN 35 ...