Polycarp
Polycarp (/ˈpɒlikɑːrp/; Greek: Πολύκαρπος, Polýkarpos; Latin: Polycarpus; AD 69 – 155) was a Christian bishop of Smyrna. According to the Martyrdom of Polycarp, he died a martyr, bound and burned at the stake, then stabbed when the fire failed to consume his body. Polycarp is regarded as a saint and Church Father in the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran churches.
Polycarp of Smyrna | |
|---|---|
Fresco of Saint Polycarp inside the monastery of Hosios Loukas. | |
| Martyr, Church Father and Bishop of Smyrna | |
| Born | AD 69 |
| Died | AD 155 (aged 85-86) Smyrna, Roman Empire |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church, Church of the East, Oriental Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Church Anglican Communion, Lutheran Church |
| Feast | 23 February (formerly 26 January) |
| Attributes | Wearing the pallium, holding a book representing his Epistle to the Philippians |
| Patronage | Earache Sufferers |
| Influences | Clement of Rome, John the Apostle |
| Influenced | Irenaeus |
| Major works | Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians |
Both Irenaeus and Tertullian say that Polycarp had been a disciple of John the Apostle, one of Jesus' disciples. In On Illustrious Men, Jerome writes that Polycarp was a disciple of John the Apostle and that John had ordained him as a bishop of Smyrna. Polycarp is regarded as one of three chief Apostolic Fathers, along with Clement of Rome and Ignatius of Antioch.