Troparion - Tone 4

By sharing in the ways of the Apostles,
you became a successor to their throne.
Through the practice of virtue, you found the way to divine contemplation, O inspired one of God;
by teaching the word of truth without error, you defended the Faith, even to the shedding of your blood.
Hieromartyr Polycarp, entreat Christ God to save our souls.

Kontakion - Tone 1

Through virtues, you offered spiritual fruit to the Lord,
therefore, you were glorified as a worthy hierarch, wise Polycarp.
Today, we who have been enlightened by your words
extol in song your praise-worthy memory,
there-by giving glory to the Lord.

Eighty and Six Years

Now, as Polycarp was entering into the stadium, there came to him a voice from heaven, saying, “Be strong, and show thyself a man, O Polycarp !” No one saw who it was that spoke to him; but those of our brethren who were present heard the voice. And as he was brought forward, the tumult became great when they heard that Polycarp was taken. And when he came near, the proconsul asked him whether he was Polycarp. On his confessing that he was, the proconsul sought to persuade him to deny Christ, saying, “Have respect to thy old age,” and other similar things, according to their custom, such as,” Swear by the fortune of Caesar; repent, and say, Away with the Atheists.” But Polycarp, gazing with a stern countenance on all the multitude of the wicked heathen then in the stadium, and waving his hand towards them, while with groans he looked up to heaven, said, “Away with the Atheists.” Then, the proconsul urging him, and saying, “Swear, and I will set thee at liberty, reproach Christ;” Polycarp declared, “Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour?”

~ from the Martyrdom of Polycarp

Read the full text of Polycarp’s Martyrdom.

Where was Bishop Polycarp’s Church?

Read more about Smyrna.

Apostolic Genealogy

According to the Life of St. Polycarp, the saint was close to St. John the Evangelist (who was at Ephesus at that time) and to St. Ignatius of Antioch, who wrote St. Polycarp a Letter on the way to his own martyrdom.

An important disciple of St. Polycarp was St. Irenaeus, who later became bishop in the west in Lyons (modern day France). St. Irenaeus was one of the most important early Fathers of the Church, especially in the fight against Gnosticism. Here is what St. Irenaeus remembers about Polycarp:

“I was still very young when I saw you in Asia Minor at Polycarp’s, but I would still be able to point out the place where Blessed Polycarp sat and conversed, and be able to depict his walk, his mannerisms in life, his outward appearance, his speaking to people, his companionable wandering with John, and how he himself related, together with other eyewitnesses of the Lord, those things that he remembered from the words of others. He also told what he heard from them about the Lord, His teachings and miracles…. Through the mercy of God to me, I then already listened attentively to Polycarp and wrote down his words, not on tablets, but in the depths of my heart.” (from Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, V, 20)

St. Polycarp wrote a Letter to the Philippians, the same Church that St. Paul himself had founded. Compare St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians.

Where were all these towns in relation to each other?

Read more about Philippi.