# Martyrdom of Polycarp 8.2

- Author: Anonymous
- Work: [Martyrdom of Polycarp](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/) (*Martyrium Polycarpi*)
- Date: ca. 156–160 (approximate)
- Source: Lake, LCL 25:322; 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 5:1036a (found by text match)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/8/2/

Summary: Officials urged Polycarp to call Caesar “Lord” and sacrifice to save himself; he refused.

## Greek text

καὶ ὑπήντα αὐτῷ ὁ εἰρήναρχος Ἡρώδης καὶ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ Νικήτης, οἳ καὶ μεταθέντες αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὴν καροῦχαν ἔπειθον παρακαθεζόμενοι καὶ λέγοντες· Τί γὰρ κακόν ἐστιν εἰπεῖν· Κύριος Καῖσαρ, καὶ ἐπιθῦσαι καὶ τὰ τούτοις ἀκόλουθα καὶ διασώζεσθαι; ὁ δὲ τὰ μὲν πρῶτα οὐκ ἀπεκρίνατο αὐτοῖς, ἐπιμενόντων δὲ αὐτῶν ἔφη· Οὐ μέλλω ποιεῖν, ὃ συμβουλεύετέ μοι.

## English translation (Claude)

And the police captain Herod and his father Nicetes met him, moved him into their carriage, and sitting beside him tried to persuade him, saying, “What harm is there in saying ‘Lord Caesar,’ and offering sacrifice, and doing the other things that go with it, and so saving yourself?” At first he did not answer them, but when they kept on, he said, “I am not going to do what you advise me.”

## Translation notes

- “Lord Caesar” (Κύριος Καῖσαρ) can also be read as a statement, “Caesar is Lord.” Either way, Christians reserved the title “Lord” for Christ.

## Citation (SBL)

Mart. Pol. 8.2 (PG 5:1036a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/8/2/).