ronological order is the account of
Polycarp's martyrdom, written immediately after the occurrence (A.D.
155), and addressed to the Churches of the neighbouring province of
Pontus, more especially to the Christians of Philomelium. In this letter
the brethren of Smyrna draw a parallel between the sufferings of their
martyred friend and the Passion of our Lord, which is suggested by some
remarkable coincidences. 'Nearly all the incidents,' we are told at the
outset, 'which preceded (his death) came to pass that the Lord might
exhibit anew to us a martyrdom after the pattern of the Gospel; for
Polycarp remained that he might be betrayed, as did also the Lord'
[220:2]. This account is thus the earliest instance of a favourite type
of hagiology, which sees the sufferings of Christ visibly reflected and
imaged in detail in the servants of Christ, and of which ancient and
mediaeval biography furnishes numerous examples. This idea of literal
conformity to the life and Passion of Christ runs through the document.
Some of the coincidences are really striking; but in other cases the
parallelism is highly artificial. The name of the convicting magistrate
is Herod, and special stress is naturally laid on this fact [221:1]. The
time of the martyrdom is the passover--'the great sabbath,' as it is
here called [221:2]. Polycarp's place of refuge is ascertained from
information elicited by torture from a youth, apparently a slave in his
employ. This poor boy, much more sinned against than sinning, is cruelly
compared to Judas; and we are told accordingly that Polycarp, like our
Lord, was 'betrayed by them of his own household' [221:3]. When
apprehended, he is put upon an ass, and thus taken back to the city
[221:4]; and this is of course intended as a parallel to the triumphal
entry into Jerusalem. His pursuers come on horse-back and in arms, 'as
against a robber' [221:5]. When he is apprehended, he prays, 'The will
of God be done' [221:6]; and so forth. These parallels, at the same time
that they show the idea dominant in the mind of the narrators, are a
valuable testimony to the truth of the narrative itself, where so much
violent treatment is necessary to produce the desired effect [221:7].

Most of the incidents have their counterparts in the circumstances of
the Passion, as recorded by the Synoptic Evangelists alone or in common
with St John. This is natural; for they refer to external events, in
which the Synoptic narrative is rich.