# Martyrdom of Polycarp 3.1

- Author: Anonymous
- Work: [Martyrdom of Polycarp](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/) (*Martyrium Polycarpi*)
- Date: ca. 156–160 (approximate)
- Source: Lake, LCL 25:316; 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 5:1032c (found by text match)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/3/1/

Summary: Germanicus encouraged the others by his courage and chose death rather than accept the proconsul's pity.

## Greek text

Ἀλλὰ χάρις τῷ θεῷ· κατὰ πάντων γὰρ οὐκ ἴσχυσεν. ὁ γὰρ γενναιότατος Γερμανικὸς ἐπερρώννυεν αὐτῶν τὴν δειλίαν διὰ τῆς ἐν αὐτῷ ὑπομονῆς· ὃς καὶ ἐπισήμως ἐθηριομάχησεν. βουλομένου γὰρ τοῦ ἀνθυπάτου πείθειν αὐτὸν καὶ λέγοντος, τὴν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ κατοικτεῖραι, ἑαυτῷ ἐπεσπάσατο τὸ θηρίον προσβιασάμενος, τάχιον τοῦ ἀδίκου καὶ ἀνόμου βίου αὐτῶν ἀπαλλαγῆναι βουλόμενος.

## English translation (Claude)

But thanks be to God, for he did not prevail against them all. For the most noble Germanicus strengthened their fearfulness by his own endurance, and he fought the wild beasts with distinction. When the proconsul wanted to persuade him, telling him to have pity on his youth, he forcibly dragged the beast onto himself, wanting to be released the more quickly from their unjust and lawless life.

## Translation notes

- “Strengthened their fearfulness” (ἐπερρώννυεν αὐτῶν τὴν δειλίαν): literally “their cowardice”; he gave strength to those who were afraid.
- “His youth” (τὴν ἡλικίαν): the word means “time of life”; here probably youth. The same word is used of Polycarp's old age in 9.2.
- “Their unjust and lawless life”: the life of the pagans around them.

## Citation (SBL)

Mart. Pol. 3.1 (PG 5:1032c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/3/1/).