WEBVTT

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CHURCH HISTORY by EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA
translated by ARTHUR CUSHMAN MCGUIRE.

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Book Four, Part Two, Chapters Fourteen
through Sixteen.

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Chapter Fourteen.

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The Circumstances Related of Polycarp,
a Friend of the Apostles.

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At this time, when Anicetus was at the
head of the Church of Rome, Irenaeus

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relates that Polycarp, who was still
alive, was at Rome, and that he had a

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conference with Anicetus on a question
concerning the day of the Paschal Feast.

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And the same writer gives another account
of Polycarp which I feel constrained to

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add to that which has been already related
in regard to him.

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The account is taken from the third book
of Irenaeus' work, Against Heresies,

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and is as follows.

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But Polycarp, also, was not only
instructed by the apostles, and acquainted

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with many that had seen Christ,
but was also appointed by apostles in

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Asia, bishop of the Church of Smyrna.

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We too saw him in our early youth,
for he lived a long time, and died,

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when a very old man, a glorious and most
illustrious martyr's death, having always

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taught the things which he had learned
from the apostles, which the Church also

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hands down, and which alone are true.

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To these things all the Asiatic churches
testify, as do also those who,

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down to the present time, have succeeded
Polycarp, who was a much more trustworthy

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and certain witness of the truth than
Valentinus and Marcian, and the rest of

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the heretics.

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He also was in Rome in the time of
Anicetus, and caused many to turn away

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from the above-mentioned heretics to the
Church of God, proclaiming that he had

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received from the apostles this one and
only system of truth, which has been

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transmitted by the Church.

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And there are those that heard from him
that John, the disciple of the Lord,

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going to bathe in Ephesus and seeing
Serentis within, ran out of the bathhouse

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without bathing, crying, Let us flee,
lest even the bath fall, because Serentis,

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the enemy of the truth, is within.

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And Polycarp himself, when Marcian once
met him, and said, Knowest thou us?

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replied, I know the firstborn of Satan.

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Such caution did the apostles and their
disciples exercise, that they might not

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even converse with any of those who
perverted the truth.

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As Paul also said, A man that is a
heretic, after the first and second

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admonition, reject, knowing he that is
such is subverted, and sinneth,

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being condemned of himself.

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There is also a very powerful epistle of
Polycarp written to the Philippians,

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from which those that wish to do so,
and that are concerned for their own

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salvation, may learn the character of his
faith and the preaching of the truth.

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Such is the account of Irenaeus.

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But Polycarp, in his above-mentioned
epistle to the Philippians, which is still

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extant, has made use of certain
testimonies drawn from the first epistle

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of Peter.

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And when Antoninus, called Pius,
had completed the twenty-second year of

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his reign, Marcus Aurelius Verus,
his son, who was also called Antoninus,

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succeeded him, together with his brother
Lucius.

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Chapter 15.

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Under Verus, Polycarp with others suffered
martyrdom at Smyrna.

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At this time, when the greatest
persecutions were exciting Asia,

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Polycarp ended his life by martyrdom.

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But I consider it most important that his
death, a written account of which is still

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extant, should be recorded in this
history.

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There is a letter, written in the name of
the church over which he himself presided,

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to the parishes in Pontus, which relates
the events that befell him, in the

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following words.

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The church of God which dwelleth in
Philomelium, and to all the parishes of

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the holy catholic church in every place,
mercy and peace and love from God the

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Father be multiplied.

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We write unto you, brethren, an account of
what happened to those that suffered

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martyrdom and to the blessed Polycarp,
who put an end to the persecution,

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having, as it were, sealed it by his
martyrdom.

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After these words, before giving the
account of Polycarp, they record the

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events which befell the rest of the
martyrs, and describe the great firmness

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which they exhibited in the midst of their
pains.

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For they say that the bystanders were
struck with amazement when they saw them

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lacerated with scourges even to the
innermost veins and arteries, so that the

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hidden inward parts of the body,
both their bowels and their members,

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were exposed to view, and then laid upon
seashells and certain pointed spits,

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and subjected to every species of
punishment and of torture, and finally

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thrown as food to wild beasts.

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And they record that the most noble
Germanicus especially distinguished

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himself, overcoming by the grace of God
the fear of bodily death implanted by

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nature, when indeed the proconsul wished
to persuade him, and urged his youth,

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and besought him, as he was very young and
vigorous, to take compassion on himself,

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he did not hesitate, but eagerly lured the
beast toward himself, all but compelling

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and irritating him, in order that he might
the sooner be freed from their unrighteous

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and lawless life.

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After his glorious death the whole
multitude, marveling at the bravery of the

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God-beloved martyr and at the fortitude of
the whole race of Christians, began to cry

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out suddenly, Away with the atheists,
let Polycarp be sought.

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And when a very great tumult arose in
consequence of the cries, a certain

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Phrygian, Quintus by name, who was newly
come from Phrygia, seeing the beasts and

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the additional tortures, was smitten with
cowardice, and gave up the attainment of

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salvation.

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But the above-mentioned epistle shows that
he, too hastily and without proper

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discretion, had rushed forward with others
to the tribunal, but when seized had

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furnished a clear proof to all that it is
not right for such persons rashly and

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recklessly to expose themselves to danger.

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Thus did matters turn out in connection
with them.

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But the most admirable Polycarp,
when he first heard of these things,

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continued undisturbed, preserved a quiet
and unshaken mind, and determined to

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remain in the city.

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But being persuaded by his friends who
entreated and exhorted him to retire

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secretly, he went out to a farm not far
distant from the city, and abode there

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with a few companions, night and day doing
nothing but wrestle with the Lord in

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prayer, beseeching and imploring,
and asking peace for the churches

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throughout the whole world, for this was
always his custom.

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And three days before his arrest,
while he was praying, he saw in a vision

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at night the pillow under his head
suddenly seized by fire and consumed,

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and upon this awakening he immediately
interpreted the vision to those that were

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present, almost foretelling that which was
about to happen, and declaring plainly to

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those that were with him that it would be
necessary for him, for Christ's sake,

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to die by fire.

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Then, as those who were seeking him pushed
the search with vigor, they say that he

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was again constrained by the solicitude
and love of the brethren to go to another

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farm.

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Thither his pursuers came after no long
time, and seized two of the servants

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there, and tortured one of them for the
purpose of learning from him Polycarp's

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hiding place.

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And coming late in the evening,
they found him lying in an upper room,

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whence he might have gone to another
house, but he would not, saying,

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The will of God be done.

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And when he learned that they were
present, as the account says, he went down

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and spoke to them with a very cheerful and
gentle countenance, so that those who did

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not already know the man thought that they
beheld a miracle when they observed his

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advanced age and the gravity and firmness
of his bearing, and they marveled that so

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much effort should be made to capture a
man like him.

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But he did not hesitate, but immediately
gave orders that a table should be spread

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for them.

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Then he invited them to partake of a
bounteous meal, and asked of them one hour

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that he might pray undisturbed.

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And when they had given permission,
he stood up and prayed, being full of the

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grace of the Lord, so that those who were
present and heard him praying were amazed,

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and many of them now repented that such a
venerable and godly old man was about to

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be put to death.

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In addition to these things, the narrative
concerning him contains the following

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account.

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But when at length he had brought his
prayer to an end, after remembering all

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that had ever come into contact with him,
small and great, famous and obscure,

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and the whole Catholic Church throughout
the world, the hour of departure being

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come, they put him upon an ass and brought
him to the city, it being a great Sabbath.

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And he was met by Herod, the captain of
police, and by his father Nicetes,

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who took him into their carriage,
and sitting beside him endeavored to

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persuade him, saying, For what harm is
there in saying, Lord Caesar, and

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sacrificing and saving your life?

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He at first did not answer.

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But when they persisted, he said,
I am not going to do what you advise me.

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And when they failed to persuade him,
they uttered dreadful words, and thrust

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him down with violence, so that as he
descended from the carriage he lacerated

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his shin.

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But without turning round, he went on his
way promptly and rapidly, as if nothing

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had happened to him, and was taken to the
stadium.

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But there was such a tumult in the stadium
that not many heard a voice from heaven

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which came to Polycarp as he was entering
the place.

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Be strong, Polycarp, and play the man.

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And no one saw the speaker, but many of
our people heard the voice.

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And when he was led forward, there was a
great tumult, as they heard that Polycarp

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was taken.

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Finally, when he came up, the proconsul
asked if he were Polycarp.

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And when he confessed that he was,
he endeavored to persuade him to deny,

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saying, Have regard for thine age,
and other like things which it is their

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custom to say.

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Swear by the genius of Caesar.

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Repent, and say, Away with the atheists.

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But Polycarp, looking with dignified
countenance upon the whole crowd that was

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gathered in the stadium, waved his hand to
them, and groaned, and raising his eyes

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toward heaven, said, Away with the
atheists.

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But when the magistrate pressed him,
and said, Swear, and I will release thee,

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revile Christ, Polycarp said, Forescore
and six years have I been serving him,

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and he hath done me no wrong.

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How then can I blaspheme my king who saved
me?

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But when he again persisted, and said,
Swear by the genius of Caesar,

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Polycarp replied, If thou vainly supposest
that I will swear by the genius of Caesar

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as thou sayest, feigning to be ignorant
who I am, hear plainly, I am a Christian.

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But if thou desirest to learn the doctrine
of Christianity, assign a day,

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and hear.

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The proconsul said, Persuade the people.

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But Polycarp said, As for thee,
I thought thee worthy of an explanation,

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for we have been taught to render to
princes and authorities ordained by God

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the honor that is due, so long as it does
not injure us.

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But as for these, I do not esteem them the
proper persons to whom to make my defense.

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But the proconsul said, I have wild
beasts, I will throw thee to them unless

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thou repent.

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But he said, Call them, for repentance
from better to worse is a change we cannot

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make.

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But it is a noble thing to turn from
wickedness to righteousness.

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But he again said to him, If thou
despisest the wild beasts, I will cause

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thee to be consumed by fire unless thou
repent.

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But Polycarp said, Thou threatenest a fire
which burneth for an hour, and after a

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little is quenched, for thou knowest not
the fire of the future judgment and of the

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eternal punishment which is reserved for
the impious.

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But why dost thou delay?

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Do what thou wilt.

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Saying these and other words besides,
he was filled with courage and joy,

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and his face was suffused with grace,
so that not only was he not terrified and

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dismayed by the words that were spoken to
him, but, on the contrary, the proconsul

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was amazed, and sent his herald to
proclaim three times in the midst of the

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stadium, Polycarp hath confessed that he
is a Christian.

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And when this was proclaimed by the
herald, the whole multitude, both of

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Gentiles and of Jews, who dwelt in Smyrna,
cried out with ungovernable wrath,

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and with a great shout, This is the
teacher of Asia, the father of the

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Christians, the overthrower of our gods,
who teacheth many not to sacrifice nor to

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worship.

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When they had said this, they cried out
and asked the Asiarch Philip to let a lion

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loose upon Polycarp, but he said that it
was not lawful for him, since he had

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closed the games.

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Then they thought fit to cry out with one
accord that Polycarp should be burned

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alive.

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For it was necessary that the vision
should be fulfilled which had been shown

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him concerning his pillow, when he saw it
burning while he was praying, and turned

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and said prophetically to the faithful
that were with him, I must needs be burned

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alive.

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These things were done with great speed,
more quickly than they were said,

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the crowds immediately collecting from the
workshops and baths, timber and faggots,

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the Jews being especially zealous in the
work as is their want.

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But when the pile was ready, taking off
all his upper garments and loosing his

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girdle, he attempted also to remove his
shoes, although he had never before done

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this, because of the effort which each of
the faithful always made to touch his skin

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first, for he had been treated with all
honour on account of his virtuous life

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even before his grey hairs came.

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Forthwith, then, the materials prepared
for the pile were placed about him,

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and as they were also about to nail him to
the stake, he said, Leave me thus,

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for he who hath given me strength to
endure the fire will also grant me

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strength to remain in the fire unmoved
without being secured by you with nails.

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So they did not nail him, but bound him.

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And he, with his hands behind him,
and bound like a noble ram taken from a

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great flock, an acceptable burnt offering
unto God omnipotent, said, Father of thy

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beloved and blessed son Jesus Christ,
through whom we have received the

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knowledge of thee, the God of angels and
of powers and of the whole creation and of

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the entire race of the righteous who live
in thy presence, I bless thee that thou

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hast deemed me worthy of this day and
hour, that I might receive a portion in

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the number of the martyrs, in the cup of
Christ, unto resurrection of eternal life,

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both of soul and of body, in the
immortality of the Holy Spirit.

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Among these may I be received before thee
this day in a rich and acceptable

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sacrifice, as thou, the faithful and true
God, hast beforehand prepared and revealed

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and hast fulfilled.

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Wherefore I praise thee also for
everything.

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I bless thee, I glorify thee through the
eternal high priest Jesus Christ,

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thy beloved son, through whom with him in
the Holy Spirit be glory unto thee,

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both now and for the ages to come.

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Amen.

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When he had offered up his Amen and had
finished his prayer, the firemen lighted

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the fire and as a great flame blazed out,
we, to whom it was given to see,

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saw a wonder and we were preserved that we
might relate what happened to the others.

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For the fire presented the appearance of a
vault, like the sail of a vessel filled by

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the wind, and made a wall about the body
of the martyr, and it was in the midst not

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like flesh burning, but like gold and
silver refined in a furnace, for we

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perceived such a fragrant odor as of the
fumes of frankincense or of some other

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precious spices.

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So at length the lawless men, when they
saw that the body could not be consumed by

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the fire, commanded an executioner to
approach and pierce him with the sword.

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And when he had done this, there came
forth a quantity of blood, so that it

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extinguished the fire.

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And the whole crowd marveled that there
should be such a difference between the

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unbelievers and the elect, of whom this
man also was one, the most wonderful

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teacher in our times, apostolic and
prophetic, who was bishop of the Catholic

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Church in Smyrna.

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For every word which came from his mouth
was accomplished and will be accomplished.

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But the jealous and envious evil one,
the adversary of the race of the

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righteous, when he saw the greatness of
his martyrdom and his blameless life from

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the beginning, and when he saw him crowned
with the crown of immortality and bearing

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off an incontestable prize, took care that
not even his body should be taken away by

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us, although many desire to do it and to
have communion with his holy flesh.

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Accordingly certain ones secretly
suggested to Nicetes, the father of Herod

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and brother of Alci, that he should plead
with the magistrate not to give up his

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body, lest, it was said, they should
abandon the crucified one and begin to

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worship this man.

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They said these things at the suggestion
and impulse of the Jews, who also watched

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as we were about to take it from the fire,
not knowing that we shall never be able

18:01.520 --> 18:05.940
either to forsake Christ, who suffered for
the salvation of the whole world of those

18:05.940 --> 18:08.520
that are saved, or to worship any other.

18:10.220 --> 18:15.580
For we worship him who is the Son of God,
but the martyrs as disciples and imitators

18:15.580 --> 18:20.140
of the Lord we love as they deserve on
account of their matchless affection for

18:20.140 --> 18:21.420
their own king and teacher.

18:22.260 --> 18:25.900
May we also be made partakers and fellow
disciples with them.

18:27.440 --> 18:32.240
The centurion, therefore, when he saw the
contentiousness exhibited by the Jews,

18:32.620 --> 18:35.760
placed him in the midst and burned him,
as was their custom.

18:36.480 --> 18:40.880
And so we afterwards gathered up his
bones, which were more valuable than

18:40.880 --> 18:45.440
precious stones and more to be esteemed
than gold, and laid them in a suitable

18:45.440 --> 18:46.000
place.

18:47.400 --> 18:51.840
There the Lord will permit us to come
together as we are able, in gladness and

18:51.840 --> 18:56.200
joy to celebrate the birthday of his
martyrdom, for the commemoration of those

18:56.200 --> 18:59.580
who have already fought and for the
training and preparation of those who

18:59.580 --> 19:01.260
shall hereafter do the same.

19:03.100 --> 19:07.520
Such are the events that befell the
blessed Polycarp, who suffered martyrdom

19:07.520 --> 19:10.020
in Smyrna with the eleven from
Philadelphia.

19:10.920 --> 19:16.000
This one man is remembered more than the
others by all, so that even by the heathen

19:16.000 --> 19:18.040
he is talked about in every place.

19:19.380 --> 19:24.200
Of such an end was the admirable and
apostolic Polycarp deemed worthy,

19:24.680 --> 19:28.620
as recorded by the brethren of the Church
of Smyrna in their epistle which we have

19:28.620 --> 19:28.980
mentioned.

19:29.720 --> 19:34.420
In the same volume concerning him are
subjoined also other martyrdoms which took

19:34.420 --> 19:38.900
place in the same city, Smyrna,
about the same period of time with

19:38.900 --> 19:40.060
Polycarp's martyrdom.

19:41.240 --> 19:46.140
Among them also Metrodorus, who appears to
have been a proselyte of the Marcionitic

19:46.140 --> 19:48.420
sect, suffered death by fire.

19:49.880 --> 19:55.320
A celebrated martyr of those times was a
certain man named Pionius, those who

19:55.320 --> 19:59.060
desire to know his several confessions,
and the boldness of his speech,

19:59.400 --> 20:03.200
and his apologies in behalf of the faith
before the people and the rulers,

20:03.680 --> 20:07.560
and his instructive addresses,
and, moreover, his greetings to those who

20:07.560 --> 20:11.200
had yielded to temptation in the
persecution, and the words of

20:11.200 --> 20:14.780
encouragement which he addressed to the
brethren who came to visit him in prison,

20:15.420 --> 20:19.420
and the tortures which he endured in
addition, and besides these, the

20:19.420 --> 20:23.900
sufferings and the nailings, and his
firmness on the pile, and his death after

20:23.900 --> 20:28.440
all the extraordinary trials, those we
refer to that epistle which has been given

20:28.440 --> 20:33.020
in the martyrdoms of the ancients,
collected by us, and which contains a very

20:33.020 --> 20:34.240
full account of him.

20:35.820 --> 20:40.200
And there are also records extant of
others that suffered martyrdom in

20:40.200 --> 20:46.040
Pergamos, a city of Asia, of Carpus and
Papulus, and a woman named Agatha Nyssa,

20:46.240 --> 20:51.140
who, after many and illustrious
testimonies, gloriously ended their lives.

20:53.120 --> 20:54.340
Chapter 16.

20:54.980 --> 21:00.480
Justin the Philosopher Preaches the Word
of Christ in Rome and Suffers Martyrdom.

21:00.900 --> 21:06.320
About this time, Justin, who was mentioned
by us just above, after he had addressed a

21:06.320 --> 21:11.040
second work in behalf of our doctrines to
the rulers already named, was crowned with

21:11.040 --> 21:16.100
divine martyrdom in consequence of a plot
laid against him by Crescens, a

21:16.100 --> 21:20.500
philosopher who emulated the life and
manners of the Cynics, whose name he bore.

21:21.260 --> 21:25.980
After Justin had frequently refuted him in
public discussions, he won by his

21:25.980 --> 21:30.240
martyrdom the prize of victory,
dying in behalf of the truth which he

21:30.240 --> 21:30.660
preached.

21:32.520 --> 21:38.140
And he himself, a man most learned in the
truth, in his apology already referred to,

21:38.300 --> 21:42.700
clearly predicts how this was about to
happen to him, although it had not yet

21:42.700 --> 21:43.140
occurred.

21:44.560 --> 21:46.280
His words are as follows.

21:46.800 --> 21:51.640
I too, therefore, expect to be plotted
against and put in the stocks by some one

21:51.640 --> 21:56.640
of those whom I have named, or perhaps by
Crescens, that unphilosophical and

21:56.640 --> 21:57.860
vainglorious man.

21:58.420 --> 22:02.840
For the man is not worthy to be called a
philosopher who publicly bears witness

22:02.840 --> 22:06.960
against those concerning whom he knows
nothing, declaring, for the sake of

22:06.960 --> 22:11.380
captivating and pleasing the multitude,
that the Christians are atheistical and

22:11.380 --> 22:11.980
impious.

22:13.520 --> 22:15.620
Doing this, he errs greatly.

22:16.020 --> 22:20.500
For if he assails us without having read
the teachings of Christ, he is thoroughly

22:20.500 --> 22:24.680
depraved, and is much worse than the
illiterate, who often guard against

22:24.680 --> 22:28.660
discussing and bearing false witness about
matters which they do not understand.

22:29.400 --> 22:33.180
And if he has read them and does not
understand the majesty that is in them,

22:33.460 --> 22:37.680
or, understanding it, does these things,
in order that he may not be suspected of

22:37.680 --> 22:43.420
being an adherent, he is far more base and
totally depraved, being enslaved to vulgar

22:43.420 --> 22:45.220
applause and irrational fear.

22:47.120 --> 22:51.460
For I would have you know that when I
proposed certain questions of the sort and

22:51.460 --> 22:55.840
asked him in regard to them, I learned and
proved that he indeed knows nothing.

22:56.400 --> 23:00.860
And to show that I speak the truth,
I am ready, if these disputations have not

23:00.860 --> 23:04.800
been reported to you, to discuss the
questions again in your presence.

23:05.440 --> 23:08.300
And this indeed would be an act worthy of
an emperor.

23:09.820 --> 23:14.860
But if my questions and his answers have
been made known to you, it is obvious to

23:14.860 --> 23:19.520
you that he knows nothing about our
affairs, or if he knows, he does not dare

23:19.520 --> 23:23.860
to speak because of those who hear him,
he shows himself to be, as I have already

23:23.860 --> 23:28.680
said, not a philosopher, but a
vainglorious man, who indeed does not even

23:28.680 --> 23:31.220
regard that most admirable saying of
Socrates.

23:31.920 --> 23:33.780
These are the words of Justin.

23:35.680 --> 23:40.360
And that he met his death as he had
predicted that he would, in consequence of

23:40.360 --> 23:46.140
the machinations of Crescens, is stated by
Tatian, a man who early in life lectured

23:46.140 --> 23:51.120
upon the sciences of the Greeks and won no
little fame in them, and who has left a

23:51.120 --> 23:53.500
great many monuments of himself in his
writings.

23:54.300 --> 23:58.780
He records this fact in his work against
the Greeks, where he writes as follows.

24:00.120 --> 24:04.700
And that most admirable Justin declared
with truth that the aforesaid persons were

24:04.700 --> 24:05.580
like robbers.

24:07.060 --> 24:12.340
Then, after making some remarks about the
philosophers, he continues as follows.

24:12.920 --> 24:18.240
Crescens, indeed, who made his nest in the
great city, surpassed all in his unnatural

24:18.240 --> 24:21.460
lust, and was wholly devoted to the love
of money.

24:23.500 --> 24:28.580
And he who taught that death should be
despised was himself so greatly in fear of

24:28.580 --> 24:33.260
it that he endeavored to inflict death,
as if it were a great evil, upon Justin,

24:33.700 --> 24:37.840
because the latter, when preaching the
truth, had proved that the philosophers

24:37.840 --> 24:39.820
were gluttons and impostors.

24:40.280 --> 24:42.980
And such was the cause of Justin's
martyrdom.

24:44.660 --> 24:46.860
End of Book 4, Part 2