# Martyrdom of Polycarp 17.2

- Author: Anonymous
- Work: [Martyrdom of Polycarp](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/) (*Martyrium Polycarpi*)
- Date: ca. 156–160 (approximate)
- Source: Lake, LCL 25:334–336; 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–1041c (found by text match)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/17/2/

Summary: Opponents claimed Christians would worship Polycarp instead of Christ, but Christians worship Christ alone.

## Greek text

ὑπέβαλεν γοῦν Νικήτην τὸν τοῦ Ἡρώδου πατέρα, ἀδελφὸν δὲ Ἄλκης, ἐντυχεῖν τῷ ἄρχοντι, ὥστε μὴ δοῦναι αὐτοῦ τὸ σῶμα· μή, φησίν, ἀφέντες τὸν ἐσταυρωμένον τοῦτον ἄρξωνται σέβεσθαι. καὶ ταῦτα εἶπον ὑποβαλλόντων καὶ ἐνισχυόντων τῶν Ἰουδαίων, οἳ καὶ ἐτήρησαν, μελλόντων ἡμῶν ἐκ τοῦ πυρὸς αὐτὸν λαμβάνειν· ἀγνοοῦντες, ὅτι οὔτε τὸν Χριστόν ποτε καταλιπεῖν δυνησόμεθα, τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ παντὸς κόσμου τῶν σωζομένων σωτηρίας παθόντα ἄμωμον ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτωλῶν, οὔτε ἕτερόν τινα σέβεσθαι.

## English translation (Claude)

So he prompted Nicetes, the father of Herod and brother of Alce, to petition the governor not to give up his body, “lest,” he said, “they abandon the crucified one and begin to worship this man.” And they said this at the prompting and urging of the Jews, who also kept watch when we were about to take him from the fire. They did not know that we will never be able either to abandon Christ, who suffered for the salvation of the whole world of those who are being saved, the blameless one for sinners, or to worship any other.

## Scripture references

- 1 Pet 3:18: echo, medium confidence

## Translation notes

- Alce may be the woman of Smyrna greeted by Ignatius (Ign. Smyrn. 13.2; Ign. Pol. 8.3).
- “The governor” (τῷ ἄρχοντι): the proconsul.

## Citation (SBL)

Mart. Pol. 17.2 (PG 5:1041b–1041c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/17/2/).