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 At Smyrna, a local outbreak of persecution arose, and twelve Christians were condemned to die. Soon Polycarp was also sought out. When the Roman officials arrived to arrest Polycarp, he treated them with the utmost courtesy, and invited them to eat and drink as his guests. When he was ready, the officials mounted him upon a donkey and led him into the city.
As he was brought to the crowded stadium to be burned alive, he heard a voice from heaven saying, “Be strong, Polycarp, and play the man.” He was led before the proconsul who tried to persuade him to recant saying, “Have respect to your age and swear by Caesar. Curse the Christ and I will release you.”
Polycarp responded, “Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He has done me no wrong; how then can I blaspheme my king who saved me?”
The proconsul said, “I have wild beasts; if you do not repent, I will throw you to them.” But he said, “Send for them. For repentance from better to worse is not a change permitted to us; but to change from cruelty to righteousness is a noble thing.”
Then the proconsul spoke again, “If you despise the wild beasts, I will burn you with fire.” Polycarp answered, “You threaten with the fire that burns for an hour and then is quenched, but you do not know about the fire of the judgment to come.”
Polycarp requested not to be nailed in place, believing that, “He who grants me to endure the fire will enable me also to remain on the pyre unmoved.” As the flames leapt around him, Polycarp looked up to heaven, praising God and thanking Him that he was counted worthy to take the cup of Christ. Polycarp's martyrdom brought an end to this local outbreak of persecution and there was a period of rest for the believers.
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