# Martyrdom of Polycarp 17.1

- Author: Anonymous
- Work: [Martyrdom of Polycarp](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/) (*Martyrium Polycarpi*)
- Date: ca. 156–160 (approximate)
- Source: Lake, LCL 25:334; Kirsopp Lake, ed. and trans., The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 2, LCL 25 (London: Heinemann; New York: Macmillan, 1913), 312–345 (Greek text: K. Lake, The Apostolic Fathers (LCL, 1912-1913), digitized by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Also in: PG 5:1041b (found by text match)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/17/1/

Summary: The devil, envious of Polycarp's victory, tried to keep the Christians from recovering his body.

## Greek text

Ὁ δὲ ἀντίζηλος καὶ βάσκανος καὶ πονηρός, ὁ ἀντικείμενος τῷ γένει τῶν δικαίων, ἰδὼν τό τε μέγεθος αὐτοῦ τῆς μαρτυρίας καὶ τὴν ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς ἀνεπίληπτον πολιτείαν, ἐστεφανωμένον τε τὸν τῆς ἀφθαρσίας στέφανον καὶ βραβεῖον ἀναντίρρητον ἀπενηνεγμένον, ἐπετήδευσεν, ὡς μηδὲ τὸ σωμάτιον αὐτοῦ ὑφʼ ἡμῶν ληφθῆναι, καίπερ πολλῶν ἐπιθυμούντων τοῦτο ποιῆσαι καὶ κοινωνῆσαι τῷ ἁγίῳ αὐτοῦ σαρκίῳ.

## English translation (Claude)

But the jealous and envious evil one, the adversary of the race of the righteous, seeing the greatness of his martyrdom and his blameless way of life from the beginning, and that he had been crowned with the crown of incorruptibility and had carried off a prize no one could dispute, saw to it that not even his poor body should be taken away by us, although many desired to do this and to have a share in his holy flesh.

## Scripture references

- 1 Cor 9:25: echo, low confidence
- 2 Tim 4:8: echo, low confidence

## Translation notes

- “Poor body” (σωμάτιον): a diminutive, suggesting tenderness toward his remains.
- “To have a share” (κοινωνῆσαι): to be in fellowship with him through his remains.

## Citation (SBL)

Mart. Pol. 17.1 (PG 5:1041b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/17/1/).