# Martyrdom of Polycarp 8.3

- 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–1036b (found by text match)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/8/3/

Summary: Thrown from the carriage and injured, Polycarp walked calmly into the noisy stadium.

## Greek text

οἱ δὲ ἀποτυχόντες τοῦ πεῖσαι αὐτὸν δεινὰ ῥήματα ἔλεγον αὐτῷ καὶ μετὰ σπουδῆς καθῄρουν αὐτόν, ὡς κατιόντα ἀπὸ τῆς καρούχας ἀποσῦραι τὸ ἀντικνήμιον. καὶ μὴ ἐπιστραφείς, ὡς οὐδὲν πεπονθὼς προθύμως μετὰ σπουδῆς ἐπορεύετο, ἀγόμενος εἰς τὸ στάδιον, θορύβου τηλικούτου ὄντος ἐν τῷ σταδίῳ, ὡς μηδὲ ἀκουσθῆναί τινα δύνασθαι.

## English translation (Claude)

When they failed to persuade him, they said terrible things to him and pulled him down in such haste that, as he was getting down from the carriage, he scraped his shin. Without turning back, as though nothing had happened to him, he walked on eagerly and quickly as he was led into the stadium, where there was such an uproar that no one could even be heard.

## Translation notes

- “Scraped his shin” (ἀποσῦραι τὸ ἀντικνήμιον): literally “tore the skin off his shin.” Some older translations say “dislocated his leg.”

## Citation (SBL)

Mart. Pol. 8.3 (PG 5:1036a–1036b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/8/3/).