# Martyrdom of Polycarp 7.2

- Author: Anonymous
- Work: [Martyrdom of Polycarp](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/) (*Martyrium Polycarpi*)
- Date: ca. 156–160 (approximate)
- Source: Lake, LCL 25:320; 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 5:1033c (found by text match)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/7/2/

Summary: Polycarp welcomed his captors with a meal and asked for an hour to pray.

## Greek text

ἀκούσας οὖν παρόντας αὐτούς, καταβὰς διελέχθη αὐτοῖς, θαυμαζόντων τῶν παρόντων τὴν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ εὐσταθές, καὶ εἰ τοσαύτη σπουδὴ ἦν τοῦ συλληφθῆναι τοιοῦτον πρεσβύτην ἄνδρα. εὐθέως οὖν αὐτοῖς ἐκέλευσεν παρατεθῆναι φαγεῖν καὶ πιεῖν ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ, ὅσον ἂν βούλωνται, ἐξῃτήσατο δὲ αὐτούς, ἵνα δῶσιν αὐτῷ ὥραν πρὸς τὸ προσεύξασθαι ἀδεῶς.

## English translation (Claude)

Hearing that they had arrived, he went down and talked with them, while those present marveled at his age and his calm, and that there should be such eagerness to arrest so old a man. So he at once ordered that food and drink be set before them at that hour, as much as they wanted, and he asked them to give him an hour to pray undisturbed.

## Citation (SBL)

Mart. Pol. 7.2 (PG 5:1033c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/7/2/).