# Martyrdom of Polycarp, inscription

- Author: Anonymous
- Work: [Martyrdom of Polycarp](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/) (*Martyrium Polycarpi*)
- Date: ca. 156–160 (approximate)
- Source: Lake, LCL 25:312; 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 5:1029a (found by text match)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/0/

Summary: The church at Smyrna greets the church at Philomelium and all churches everywhere.

## Greek text

Ἡ ἐκκλησία τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ παροικοῦσα Σμύρναν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ τῇ παροικούσῃ ἐν Φιλομηλίῳ καὶ πάσαις ταῖς κατὰ πάντα τόπον τῆς ἁγίας καὶ καθολικῆς ἐκκλησίας παροικίαις· ἔλεος, εἰρήνη καὶ ἀγάπη θεοῦ πατρὸς καὶ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ πληθυνθείη.

## English translation (Claude)

The church of God that sojourns at Smyrna, to the church of God that sojourns in Philomelium and to all the congregations of the holy and catholic church sojourning in every place: may mercy, peace, and love from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ be multiplied.

## Scripture references

- Jude 1:2: allusion, high confidence
- 1 Pet 1:2: echo, low confidence

## Translation notes

- “Sojourns” (παροικοῦσα): the church lives in the city as a resident alien lives in a foreign land; “congregations” (παροικίαις) is the noun from the same root, literally “sojournings” (the source of English “parish”).
- “Catholic” (καθολικῆς): “universal, whole.” With Ign. Smyrn. 8.2 this is among the earliest uses of the word for the church.

## Citation (SBL)

Mart. Pol. 0 (PG 5:1029a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/0/).