# Martyrdom of Polycarp 7.1

- Author: Anonymous
- Work: [Martyrdom of Polycarp](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/) (*Martyrium Polycarpi*)
- Date: ca. 156–160 (approximate)
- Source: Lake, LCL 25:320; 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 5:1033b–1033c (found by text match)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/7/1/

Summary: Police came for Polycarp at night; he could have fled but accepted God's will.

## Greek text

Ἔχοντες οὖν τὸ παιδάριον, τῇ παρασκευῇ περὶ δείπνου ὥραν ἐξῆλθον διωγμῖται καὶ ἱππεῖς μετὰ τῶν συνήθων αὐτοῖς ὅπλων ὡς ἐπὶ λῃστὴν τρέχοντες. καὶ ὀψὲ τῆς ὥρας συνεπελθόντες ἐκεῖνον μὲν εὗρον ἐν ὑπερῴῳ κατακείμενον· κἀκεῖθεν δὲ ἠδύνατο εἰς ἕτερον χωρίον ἀπελθεῖν, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἠβουλήθη εἰπών· Τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ γενέσθω.

## English translation (Claude)

So, taking the young slave with them, on the day of Preparation, at about the dinner hour, police and horsemen went out with their usual weapons, as though running out against a bandit. And coming upon him late in the evening, they found him lying down in an upstairs room. Even from there he could have gone away to another place, but he would not, saying, “The will of God be done.”

## Scripture references

- Matt 26:55: allusion, high confidence
- Acts 21:14: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 6:10: echo, medium confidence

## Translation notes

- “The day of Preparation” (παρασκευή): Friday, the day before the Sabbath. The details here (Friday, “as against a bandit,” the upstairs room) echo the Gospel Passion narratives.

## Citation (SBL)

Mart. Pol. 7.1 (PG 5:1033b–1033c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/7/1/).