# Martyrdom of Polycarp 7.3

- Author: Anonymous
- Work: [Martyrdom of Polycarp](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/) (*Martyrium Polycarpi*)
- Date: ca. 156–160 (approximate)
- Source: Lake, LCL 25:320–322; 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 5:1033c (found by text match)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/7/3/

Summary: Polycarp prayed aloud for two hours, and many of his captors regretted coming for him.

## Greek text

τῶν δὲ ἐπιτρεψάντων, σταθεὶς προσηύξατο πλήρης ὢν τῆς χάριτος τοῦ θεοῦ οὕτως ὥστε ἐπὶ δύο ὥρας μὴ δύνασθαι σιγῆσαι καὶ ἐκπλήττεσθαι τοὺς ἀκούοντας, πολλούς τε μετανοεῖν ἐπὶ τῷ ἐληλυθέναι ἐπὶ τοιοῦτον θεοπρεπῆ πρεσβύτην.

## English translation (Claude)

When they allowed it, he stood and prayed, so full of the grace of God that for two hours he could not be silent, and those who heard were astonished, and many regretted that they had come after so godly an old man.

## Translation notes

- “Regretted” (μετανοεῖν): the usual word for “repent”; here it probably means that they were sorry they had come.

## Citation (SBL)

Mart. Pol. 7.3 (PG 5:1033c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/mart-pol/7/3/).