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Portrait associated with Polycarp of Smyrna

Portrait image associated with Polycarp of Smyrna from Wikimedia media records.

https://wellcomeimages.org/indexplus/obf_images/d6/48/0f9a2361362eb48b25fc0afcf70d.jpg Gallery: https://wellcomeimages.org/indexplus/image/V0032929.html Wellcome Collection gallery (2018-04-02): https://wellcomecollection.org/works/uq9v8zru CC-BY-4.0 · CC BY 4.0

Polycarp of Smyrna · Author Profile

Polycarp (; 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. In this library, Polycarp of Smyrna is linked to 1 document, including Epistle to the Philippians.

Activity
AD 69 - February 23, AD 155
Documents in this library
1
Corpus date window
AD 115

History and Context

Polycarp (; 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 Eastern Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church, Oriental Orthodox Churches, Lutheranism, and Anglicanism. Both Irenaeus and Tertullian say that Polycarp had been a disciple of John the Apostle, one of Jesus's disciples. In On Illustrious Men, Jerome similarly writes that Polycarp was a disciple of John the Apostle, who 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. Polycarp of Smyrna is described in reference records as presbyter, theologian, writer, and Christian minister. Recorded offices include bishop. Place associations in major reference datasets include İzmir. The documents preserved here span AD 115 and include Epistle to the Philippians (1 total).

What We Know

  • Activity window in reference data: AD 69 - February 23, AD 155.
  • Approximate lifespan from biographical records: AD 69-AD 155.
  • Roles in major reference data: presbyter, theologian, writer, and Christian minister.
  • Ecclesial or civic offices recorded: bishop.
  • Associated places: İzmir.
  • Tradition or confessional marker: Jewish Christian.
  • Languages linked to writing or transmission: Ancient Greek and Slovene.
  • No additional notable-work list is consistently preserved in reference metadata.
  • Documents in this corpus: 1 (Epistle to the Philippians).
  • Corpus date range for attributed texts: AD 115.

Works in This Library

Legacy

Polycarp (; 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 of Smyrna's reception in theology and church history is closely tied to ongoing study of Epistle to the Philippians.

Source Notes