apostolicfathers0201clem - Carmel Apologetics

POLYCARP THE ELDER. 437
may be taken as a criterion) was more frequent at Athens than elsewhere.
In one of the inscriptions aheady referred to a Polycarp
is
mentioned in connexion with a Daphnus {hiscr. Att. iii. 1230) and in
another with an Agathopus {Inscr. Lat. 11.
4463)— both names occurring
in the Ignatian Epistles in connexion with the Smyrnaean Church (Ign.
Smyru. 10, 13). The coincidence however must be regarded as fortuitous.
In Garrucci {Dissert. Archeol. 11.
p. 172) it appears on a
monument in a Jewish
.
cemetery, noAYKApno[c] nAXHp kai kph[c]-
. .
KeNTeiNA .
AAHTHp. CtC.
After Polycarp's time it not unnaturally becomes more frequent in
Christian circles. Thus an epitaph in his own city Smyrna records a
namesake who was a subdeacon {Boeckh Corp. Inscr. 9281 noAYKd^pnco
YnoAiAKONco). In the Syriac Martyrology again (pp. 4, 7, 10, Wright),
which probably dates about the middle of the fourth century (see
11.
p. 419 sq), besides our Apostolic father (Feb. 23), three others bearing
the same name are mentioned as suffering martyrdom, one at Nicsea
(Jan. 27), one at Eumenia (Oct. 27), and one in a place
of which the
name is not preserved (May 24). About a century after our Polycarp's
death a namesake, a bishop of Hadrumetum, and a person of consideration
in the African Church, has a somewhat prominent place in
Cyprian's writings (Cyprian Op. pp. 437, 606, 650, 735, 766, ed. Hartel).
As important considerations depend on the date of Polycarp's birth,
we are fortunate in being able to fix it within a year or two on grounds
which must be regarded as satisfactory. At the time of his martyrdom
he speaks of himself as having ' served Christ fourscore and six years '
{Mart. Polyc. 9). The expression in the original may leave some
doubt whether these eighty-six years should be reckoned from his
birth or from his conversion, though the former would be the more
natural interpretation'. But if the language is not decisive in itself,
the probabilities of the case hardly leave much room for hesitation.
Polycarp had paid a visit to Rome shortly before his death; and during
the martyrdom itself he shows very considerable activity for a man
advanced in age. This would be possible in a man of eighty-six ;
^
Halloix (///. Ecd. Orient. Script, i. Ussher supposes that he was bishop of
p. 587) was the first to interpret this Smyrna more than 70 years. Blondel is
expression not of his actual age but of the still
more extravagant and speaks of him
years of his Christian profession ;
and he as 'exactis in sacro ministerio annis
was followed by Ussher {Ign. et Polyc. Ixxxvi ' at the time of his death. Against
Mart. pp. iv, 6i sq). In order to bring all these excessive estimates Pearson with
this interpretation into harmony with the good reason enters his protest ; Minor
traditions of Irenseus and with the re- Theological Works 11. p. 532 sq.
ceived date of Polycarp's martyrdom,