Eusebius Book 3, Section 36

3.36.1

XXXVI. Διέπρεπέν γε μὴν κατὰ τούτους ἐπὶ τῆς Ἀσίας τῶν ἀποστόλων ὁμιλητὴς Πολύκαρπος, τῆς κατὰ Σμύρναν ἐκκλησίας πρὸς τῶν αὐτοπτῶν καὶ ὑπηρετῶν τοῦ κυρίου τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν ἐγκεχειρισμένος· καθ’ ὃν ἐγνωρίζετο Παπίας, τῆς ἐν Ἱεραπόλει παροικίας καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπίσκοπος, ὅ τε παρὰ πλείστοις εἰς ἔτι νῦν διαβόητος Ἰγνάτιος, τῆς κατὰ Ἀντιόχειαν Πέτρου διαδοχῆς δεύτερος τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν κεκληρωμένος. λόγος δ’ ἔχει τοῦτον ἀπὸ Συρίας ἐπὶ τὴν ‘Ρωμαίων πόλιν ἀναπεμφθέντα, θηρίων γενέσθαι βορὰν τῆς εἰς χριστὸν μαρτυρίας ἕνεκεν· καὶ δὴ τὴν δι’ Ἀσίας ἀνακομιδὴν μετ’ ἐπιμελεστάτης φρουρῶν φυλακῆς ποιούμενος, τὰς κατὰ πόλιν αἷς ἐπεδήμει, παροικίας ταῖς διὰ λόγων ὁμιλίαις τε καὶ προτροπαῖς ἐπιρ- ρωννύς, ἐν πρώτοις μάλιστα προφυλάττεσθαι τὰς αἱρέσεις ἄρτι τότε πρῶτον ἐπιπολαζούσας παρῄνει προύτρεπέν τε ἀπρὶξ ἔχεσθαι τῆς τῶν ἀποστόλων παραδόσεως, ἢν ὑπὲρ ἀσφαλείας καὶ ἐγγράφως ἤδη μαρτυρόμενος διατυποῦσθαι ἀναγκαῖον ἡγεῖτο. Ιgn. Eph. 21 οὕτω δῆτα ἐν Σμύρνη γενόμενος, ἔνθα ὁ Πολύκαρπος ἢν, μίαν μὲν τῇ κάτα τὴν Ἔφεσον ἐπιστολὴν Magn. ἐκκλησίᾳ γράφει, ποιμένος αὐτῆς μνημονεύων Ὀνησίμου, ἑτέραν δὲ τῆ ἐν Μαγνησίᾳ τῆ πρὸς Μαιάνδρῳ , ἔνθα πάλιν ἐπισκόπου Δαμᾶ μνήμην πεποίηται, καὶ τῆ ἐν Τράλλεσι δὲ ἄλλην, ἦς ἄρχοντα τότε ὄντα Πολύβιον ἱστορεῖ. πρὸς ταύταις καὶ τῆ Ῥωμαίων ἐκκλησίᾳ γράφει, ἧ καὶ παράκλησιν προτείνει ὡς μὴ παραιτησάμενοι τοῦ μαρτυρίου τῆς ποθουμένης αὐτὸν ἀποστερήσαιεν ἐλπίδος· ἐξ ὧν καὶ βραχύτατα εἰς ἐπίδειξιν τῶν εἰρημένων παραθέσθαι ἄξιον. γράφει δὴ οὖν κατὰ λέξιν· “ ἀπὸ Συρίας μέχρι Ρώμης θηριομαχῶ μαχῶ διὰ γῆς καὶ θαλάσσης , νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας, ἐν. δεδεμένος δέκα λεοπάρδοις, ὅ ἐστιν στρατιωτικὸν τάγμα, οἳ καὶ εὐεργετούμενοι χείρονες γίνονται, ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἀδικήμασιν αὐτῶν μᾶλλον μαθητεύομαι· ἀλλ’ οὐ παρὰ τοῦτο δεδικαίωμαι. ὀναίμην τῶν θηρίων τῶν ἐμοὶ ἑτοίμων, ἃ καὶ εὔχομαι σύντομά μοι εὑρεθῆναι· ἃ καὶ κολακεύσω συντόμως με καταφαγεῖν, οὐχ ὥσπερ τινῶν δειλαινόμενα οὐχ ἥψαντο, κἄν αὐτὰ δὲ ἄκοντα μὴ θέλῃ, ἐγὼ συγγνώμην μοι ἔχετε· τί μοι συμφέρει, ἐγὼ γινώσκω, νῦν ἄρχομαι μαθητὴς εἶναι. μηδέν με ζηλώσαι τῶν ὁρατῶν καὶ ἀοράτων, ἵνα Ἰησοῦ χριστοῦ ἐπιτύχω· πῦρ καὶ σταυρὸς θηρίων τε συστάσεις, σκορπισμοὶ ὀστέων, συγκοπαὶ μελῶν, ἀλεσμοὶ ὅλου τοῦ σώματος, κολάσεις τοῦ διαβόλου εἰς ἐμὲ ἐρχέσθωσαν, μόνον ἵνα Ἰησοῦ χριστοῦ ἐπιτύχω.”

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XXXVI. At this time there flourished in Asia Polycarp, the companion of the Apostles, who had been appointed to the bishopric of the church in Smyrna by the eyewitnesses and ministers of the Lord. Distinguished men at the same time were Papias, who was himself bishop of the diocese of Hierapolis, and Ignatius, still a name of note to most men, the second after Peter to succeed to the bishopric of Antioch. The story goes that he was sent from Syria to Rome to be eaten by beasts in testimony to Christ. He was taken through Asia under most careful guard, and strengthened by his speech and exhortation the diocese of each city in which he stayed. He particularly warned them to be on their guard against the heresies which then for the first time were beginning to obtain, and exhorted them to hold fast to the tradition of the Apostles, which he thought necessary, for safety's sake, to give the form of written testimony. Thus while he was in Smyrna, where Polycarp was, he wrote one letter to the church at Ephesus, mentioning their pastor Onesimus, and another to the church in Magnesia on the Meander (and here, too, he mentioned the bishop Damas), and another to the church in Tralles, of which he relates that Polybius was then the ruler. In addition to these he also wrote to the church at Rome, and to it he extended the request that they should not deprive him of the hope for which he longed by begging him off from his martyrdom. It is worth while appending a short extract from this in support of what has been said. He writes as follows: “From Syria to Rome I am fighting with wild beasts, by land and sea, by night and day, bound to ten ‘leopards’ (that is, a company of soldiers), and they become worse for kind treatment. Now I become the more a disciple for their ill deeds, ‘but not by this am I justified.’ I long for the beasts that are prepared for me; and I pray that they may be found prompt for me; I will even entice them to devour me promptly; not as has happened to some whom they have not touched from fear; even if they be unwilling of themselves, I will force them to it. Grant me this favour. I know what is expedient for me; now I am beginning to be a disciple. May I envy nothing of things seen or unseen, that I may attain to Jesus Christ. Let there come on me fire, and cross, and struggles with wild beasts, cutting, and tearing asunder, rackings of bones, mangling of limbs, crushing of my whole body, cruel tortures of the devil; may I but attain to Jesus Christ.”

3.36.2

Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς δηλωθείσης πόλεως ταῖς καταλεχθείσαις ἐκκλησίαις διετυπώσατο· ἤδη δ’ ἐπέκεινα τῆς Σμύρνης γενόμενος , ἀπὸ Τρωάδος τοῖς τε ἐν Φιλαδελφίᾳ αὖθις διὰ γραφῆς ὁμιλεῖ καὶ τῆ Σμυρναίων ἐκκλησίᾳ ἰδίως τε τῷ ταύτης προηγουμένῳ Πολυκάρπῳ· ὃν οἷα δὴ ἀποστολικὸν ἄνδρα εὗ μάλα γνωρίζων, τὴν κατ’ Ἀντιόχειαν αὐτῷ ποίμνην οἷα γνήσιος καὶ ἀγαθὸς ποιμὴν παρατίθεται, τὴν περὶ αὐτῆς φροντίδα διὰ σπουδῆς ἔχειν αὐτὸν ἀξιῶν. ὁ δ’ αὐτὸς Σμυρναίοις ] γράφων, οὐκ ἶδ’ ὁπόθεν ῥητοῖς συγκέχρηται, τοιαῦτά τινα περὶ τοῦ ριστοῦ διεξιών· “ ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἐν σαρκὶ αὐτὸν οἶδα καὶ πιστεύω ὄντα. καὶ ὅτε πρὸς τοὺς περὶ Πέτρον ἐλήλυθεν, ἔφη αὐτοῖς· ‘λάβετε, ψηλαψήσατέ με καὶ ἴδετε ὅτι οὐκ εἰμὶ δαιμόνιον ἀσώματον·’ καὶ εὐθὺς αὐτοῦ ἥψαντο καὶ ἐπίστευσαν.”

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This he put into words from the city mentioned to the churches named. When he had already passed beyond Smyrna he also again conversed in writing from Troas with those in Philadelphia and with the church of the Smyrnaeans, and especially with Polycarp, who was then the head of this church. He knew well that Polycarp was an apostolic man and, like a true and good shepherd, commits the flock at Antioch to him, asking him to be zealous in his care for it. He also wrote to the Smyrnaeans, quoting words from I know not what source and discoursing thus about Christ: “For I know and believe that he was in the flesh even after the Resurrection. And when he came to those with Peter he said to them: ‘Take, handle me and see that I am not a phantom without a body.’ And they immediately touched him and believed.”

3.36.3

Οἶδεν δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸ μαρτύριον καὶ ὁ Εἰρηναῖος, καὶ τῶν ἐπιστολῶν αὐτοῦ μνημονεύει, λέγων οὕτως· “ὡς εἶπέν τις τῶν ἡμετέρων, διὰ τὴν πρὸς θεὸν μαρτυρίαν κατακριθεὶς πρὸς θηρία, ὅτι ‘σῖτός εἰμι θεοῦ καὶ δι᾿ ὀδόντων θηρίων ἀλήθομαι, ἵνα καθαρὸς ἄρτος εὑρεθῶ.’”

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Irenaeus also knew of his martyrdom and quotes his letters, saying thus: “As one of our people said when he was condemned to the beasts for his testimony to God, ‘I am the wheat of God, and I am ground by the teeth of beasts that I may be found pure bread.’”

3.36.4

Καὶ ὁ Πολύκαρπος δὲ τούτων αὐτῶν μέμνηται ἐν τῇ φερομένῃ αὐτοῦ πρὸς Φιλιππησίους ἐπιστολῇ φάσκων αὐτοῖς ῥήμασιν· “παρακλῶ οὖν πάντας ὑμᾶς πειθαρχεῖν καὶ ἀσκεῖν πᾶσαν ὑπομονήν, ἣν εἴδετε κατ᾿ ὀφθαλμοὺς οὐ μόνον ἐν τοῖς μακαρίοις Ἰγνατίῳ καὶ Ῥούφῳ καὶ Ζωσίμῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν ἄλλοις τοῖς ἐξ ὑμῶν καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ Παύλῳ καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἀποστόλοις, πεπεισμένους ὅτι οὗτοι πάντες οὐκ εἰς κενὸν ἔδραμον, ἀλλ᾿ ἐν πίστει καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ, καὶ ὄτι εἰς τὸν ὀφειλόμενον αὐτοῖς τόπον εἰσὶν παρὰ κυρίῳ, ᾧ καὶ συνέπαθον. οὐ γὰρ τὸν νῦν ἠγάπησαν αἰῶνα, ἀλλὰ τὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀποθανόντα καὶ δι᾿ ἡμᾶς ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀναστάντα.” καὶ ἑξῆς ἐπιφέρει· “ἐγράψατέ μοι καὶ ὑμεῖς καὶ Ἰγνάτιος, ἵν᾿ ἐάν τις ἀπέρχηται εἰς Συρίαν, καὶ τὰ παρ᾿ ὑμῶν ἀποκομίσῃ γράμματα· ὅπερ ποιήσω, ἐὰν λάβω καιρὸν εὔθετον, εἴτε ἐγὼ εἴτε ὃν πέμπω πρεσβεύσοντα καὶ περὶ ὑμῶν. τὰς ἐπιστολὰς Ἰγνατίου τὰς πεμφθείσας ἡμῖν ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἄλλας ὅσας εἴχομεν παρ᾿ ἡμῖν, ἐπέμψαμεν ὑμῖν, καθὼς ἐνετείλασθε· αἴτινες ὑπο- τεταγμέναι εἰσὶν τῇ ἐπιστολῇ ταύτῃ· ἐξ μεγάλα ὠφεληθῆναι δυνήσεσθε. περιέχουσι γὰρ πίστιν καὶ ὑπομονὴν καὶ πᾶσαν οἰκοδομὴν τὴν εἰς τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν ἀνήκουσαν. ” καὶ τὰ μὲν περὶ τὸν Ἰγνάτιον τοιαῦτα· διαδέχεται δὲ μετ’ αὐτὸν τὴν Ἀντιοχείας ἐπισκοπὴν Ἥρως.

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Polycarp, too, mentions these same things in the letter to the Philippians bearing his name and says: “Now I beseech you all to obey the word of righteousness, and to practise all the endurance which you also saw before your eyes, not only in the blessed Ignatius, and Zosimus, and Rufus, but also in others among yourselves, and in Paul himself, and in the other Apostles; being persuaded that all of these ran not in vain, but in faith and righteousness, and that they are with the Lord in the place which is their due, with whom they also suffered. For they did not love this present world but him who died on our behalf, and was raised by God for our sake.” And he continues later, “Both you and Ignatius wrote to me that if anyone was going to Syria he should also take your letters. I will do this if I have a convenient opportunity, either myself or the man whom I am sending as a representative for you and me. We send you, as you asked, the letters of Ignatius, which were sent to us by him, and others which we had by us. These are subjoined to this letter, and you will be able to benefit greatly from them. For they contain faith, patience, and all the edification which pertains to our Lord.” Such is the story concerning Ignatius, and Heros succeeded to the bishopric of Antioch after him.