# Martyrdom of Polycarp 3.2

- 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/3/2/

Summary: Stirred by the martyrs' courage, the crowd demanded Polycarp.

## Greek text

ἐκ τούτου οὖν πᾶν τὸ πλῆθος, θαυμάσαν τὴν γενναιότητα τοῦ θεοφιλοῦς καὶ θεοσεβοῦς γένους τῶν Χριστιανῶν, ἐπεβόησεν· Αἶρε τοὺς ἀθέους· ζητείσθω Πολύκαρπος.

## English translation (Claude)

At this the whole crowd, amazed at the nobility of the God-loving and God-fearing race of the Christians, shouted out, “Away with the atheists! Let Polycarp be searched out!”

## Translation notes

- “Atheists” (ἀθέους): Christians refused to worship the gods, so their neighbors called them “godless.”
- “Race” (γένους): the Christians as a distinct people.

## Citation (SBL)

Mart. Pol. 3.2 (PG 5:1032c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/3/2/).