Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, disciple of John and martyr

Synthèse :

Polycarp of Smyrna died a martyr at the very beginning of the second half of the second century. The month of his martyrdom, February, is well attested, but the exact year is a matter of debate, as the sources give differing indications. Some historians date it to the years 155-156, while others date it to the following decade, during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180).

At the time of his martyrdom, Polycarp himself said that he had been a disciple of Christ "for eighty-six years". This means that he was born in the 70s or 80s, depending on the date of his martyrdom, probably into a Christian family. His parents were therefore Christians of the very first generation, and he himself benefitted from the witness of disciples of the apostolic generation.

The knowledge of Polycarp's martyrdom is based on several testimonies. It is briefly mentioned by one of his disciples, Irenaeus, who became Bishop of Lyons, but we have a detailed account in a letter from the Christians of Smyrna to the Christians of the Church of Philomelium. This letter was probably written a few months, or even a few weeks, after the events it describes.

The Churches of Asia Minor had been hit by a great persecution, orchestrated by the political authorities, and the Christians had been severely tortured. Despite this, they had not denied their faith. Far from weakening the Church, this violence had, on the contrary, been a powerful witness for other Christians, but also for people outside the Church. Having killed the ordinary faithful, the opponents hoped to halt the spread of Christianity by striking its leaders. The most important, known even to non-Christians, was Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna for several decades (at least forty years).

When his arrest warrant was issued, he did not give himself up voluntarily, but instead tried to save his life. At the request of the brothers, he fled and went into hiding. This attitude is important, because voluntarily surrendering oneself to martyrdom can be seen as a sign of spiritual pride, and several Christians who did so ended up apostasising.

Polycarp was eventually arrested after being denounced. At first, the politicians spoke to him respectfully and offered to spare his life if he agreed to proclaim that "Caesar is Lord" and sacrifice to the pagan gods. But Polycarp refused to compromise. This firm attitude shows that the term "Lord" denoted a "divine being" and that the lordship of Jesus could not be put on the same level as another man. Seeing that they were unable to convince Polycarp with gentleness, they began to insult and abuse him as they led him to his place of execution.

After entering the arena, the proconsul made one last attempt to change Polycarp's mind, invoking his old age. Even abandoning the request for a sacrifice, he simply asked him to swear by Caesar's fortune, to curse Christ and the atheists, who were, for the Romans, the Christians. But Polycarp only agreed to denounce the atheists, making it clear that, for him, the real atheists were not the Christians, but those who worshipped false gods. The proconsul then threatened Polycarp and promised him a painful end. But Polycarp remained adamant, proclaiming loud and clear that he was a Christian and could not renounce his faith. When the hour of the wild beasts had passed, the crowd demanded that he be put to death by fire. This did not surprise Polycarp, who had been warned of the death he was about to suffer in a dream a short time earlier.

The pyre was set up, with the active participation of the crowd, and Polycarp was tied to it. Far from being frightened, he began to pray, thanking God for having judged him worthy of martyrdom and expressing his faith in the resurrection. He thus ended his earthly life praising God in the midst of his ordeal. His death sealed the testimony of a whole life lived for Christ.

Aller plus loin :

Letters to the Churches by St Ignatius of Antioch, Beloved Publishing LLC (September 3, 2015) 

En savoir plus :

• Polycarp's Letter to the Philippians & His Martyrdom: The Early Christians by St. Polycarp (Author), The Church at Smyrna (Author), CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (December 10, 2016)