Saint Polycarp (AD 70-156) was Bishop of Smyrna in Asia Minor. He was a disciple of Saint John.
After 86 years of serving Christ the Lord, he laid down his life for Him in a heroic martyrdom by the Romans. His Letter to the Philippians [1] gives a good indication of what Catholic Christianity was like at the time. He knew Ignatius of Antioch who was also martyred.
"Our chief sources of information concerning St. Polycarp are: (1) the Epistles of St. Ignatius; (2) St. Polycarp's own Epistle to the Philippians; (3) sundry passages in St. Irenæus; (4) the Letter of the Smyrnaeans recounting the martyrdom of St. Polycarp."[2]
See also
External links
- Who Was Polycarp?, Christianity.com
- Polycarp, Christianity Today
- St. Polycarp of Smyrna, Early Christian Writings website
- Polycarp’s Martyrdom, Christian History Institute