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Encomium in sanctum Polycarpum

OF CHRYSOSTOM, AN ENCOMIUM FOR THE HOLY HIEROMARTYR POLYCARP. BLESS.

Let there be joy today also, beloved, or rather, for ever let the sacred dignity in Christ of the pastors of the church everywhere rejoice. Paul, praying this for the bishops of the Philippians with the presbyters and deacons, said, Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let the crown of every ecclesiastical see also rejoice with the crowns of the martyrs. XX fere linearum paucae litterae leguntur. or rather, of God himself speaking through Isaiah: Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a precious, chosen, cornerstone, and he who believes in him will not be put to shame. IX lineae evanuerunt. they built the heavenly Zion, whose architect and builder is God, according to Paul. he explicitly praises them in the Holy Spirit. Concerning this, Paul again testifies, saying: You are the temple of God, and His spirit dwells in you.

Upon this stone the blessed Polycarp today also built himself, obeying the same one who says, You are God's building, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the cornerstone. Having built himself upon these holy ones, he received the crown of incorruptibility, running not uncertainly, but disciplining his body and keeping it under control. He, for those coming after him to martyrdom, has left a most beautiful memorial for ever; for the righteous man remains forever. And the whole festive crowd, being pleased, wishes to learn, with great accuracy, how he was not afraid of the vain and wicked point of the devil. He entered into the stadium. having entered before the proconsul, he was being enticed with deceitful words; but the accusation destroyed the one who had confessed. Then the crowds with haste were gathering from the workshops wood and brushwood, and especially the Jews ... VIII lineae evanuerunt of the spirit. But Stephen una linea evanuit reasoning with them, "Which of the prophets," he says, "did your fathers not kill? Those who foretold about the coming of Christ. XIX lineae evanuerunt. ... with the instruments of fire the martyr, they wanted to nail him who had broken the goads of the devil through the confession of Christ. But the blessed Polycarp says, "Leave it thus; for he who grants endurance will enable me to keep the body unmoved without the nails. However they did not nail him, but they bound the righteous one. Then, having his hands behind his back and being bound, praying the effectual forever amen, thus he presented himself as a whole burnt offering to God.

Then, when the pyre was lit, a great wonder occurred for those watching. For the fire, being raised on high, crested, making the shape of a vault, and becoming like bronze it encircled the body of the martyr, it did not separate this from waters, but showed it most brilliant. Let Isaiah the prophet also now say to the martyr who suffered for Christ's sake, "Even if you pass through fire, the flame will not burn you." Finally, the men of the fire, seeing that the blessed Polycarp could not be consumed by the fire, ordered one man to thrust a sword once inside the chest into the body of the martyr. When that one had thrust, his holy body was wounded, so that his spirit might henceforth dwell in the heavens. Then as blood came out. ...opened... the side, they say a dove came out and a quantity of blood; the brothers, seeing the great Polycarp heaven-high... of this spirit ...worthy... the assembled crowd blessed, crying out: The blessed one will be near to God and dwells in the heavens. By your good deeds

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Encomium in sanctum Polycarpum

ΤΟΥ ΧΡΥΣΟΣΤΟΜΟΥ ΕΓΚΩΜΙΟΝ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΑΓΙΟΝ ΙΕΡΟΜΑΡΤΥΡΑ ΠΟΛΥΚΑΡΠΟΝ. ΕΥΛΟΓΗΣΟΝ.

Χαιρέτω καὶ σήμερον, ἀγαπητοί, μᾶλλον δὲ δι' αἰῶνος χαιρέτω τῶν

ἁπανταχοῦ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ποιμένων τὸ ἱεροπρεπὲς ἐν Χριστῷ ἀξίωμα. τοῦτο Παῦλος τοῖς Φιλιππησίων ἐπισκόποις σὺν πρεσβυτέροις καὶ διακόνοις ἐπευχόμενος ἔλεγεν Χαίρετε ἐν κυρίῳ πάντοτε, πάλιν ἐρῶ, χαίρετε. χαιρέτω καὶ πάσης τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς καθέδρας ὁ στέφανος τοῖς μαρτύρων στεφάνοις. XX fere linearum paucae litterae leguntur. μᾶλλον δὲ αὐτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ διὰ Ἡσαΐου λέγοντος Ἰδοὺ τίθημι ἐν Σιὼν λίθον πολυτελῆ, ἐκλεκτόν, ἀκρογωνιαῖον, καὶ ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ' αὐτῷ οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῇ. IX lineae evanuerunt. ᾠκοδόμησαν τὴν ἐπουράνιον Σιών, ἧς τεχνίτης καὶ δημιουργὸς ὁ θεὸς κατὰ τὸν Παῦλον. διαρρήδην αὐτοὺς ἐγκωμιάζει ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ. ἐπὶ τούτῳ πάλιν ὁ Παῦλος μαρτυρεῖ λέγων Ὑμεῖς ναὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστε, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν.

Τούτῳ τῷ λίθῳ καὶ ὁ μακάριος σήμερον Πολύκαρπος ἑαυτὸν ἐπῳκοδόμησεν, πειθόμενος τῷ αὐτῷ λέγοντι Οἰκοδομὴ θεοῦ ἐστε, ἐποικοδομηθέντες ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν, ὄντος αὐτοῦ ἀκρογωνιαίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. τούτοις ἑαυτὸν ἐποικοδομήσας τοῖς ἁγίοις τὸν τῆς ἀφθαρσίας στέφανον ἀπέλαβεν δραμὼν οὐκ ἀδήλως, ἀλλ' ὑπωπιάσας τὸ σῶμα καὶ δουλαγωγήσας. οὗτος τοῖς μετ' αὐτὸν ἐρχομένοις ἐπὶ τὸ μαρτύριον δι' αἰῶνος κάλλιστον κατέλιπεν μνημόσυνον· αἰώνιον γὰρ μένει ὁ δίκαιος. καὶ πᾶς ὁ τῆς πανηγύρεως ὅμιλος ἡσθεὶς θέλει μαθεῖν, πῶς οὐκ ἐφοβήθη τὴν ματαίαν καὶ πονηρὰν ἀκωκὴν τοῦ διαβόλου, πάνυ μετὰ ἀκριβείας. Εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸ στάδιον. εἰσελθὼν παρὰ τοῦ ἀνθυπάτου ἐδελεάζετο λόγοις ἀπατηλοῖς· ὁμολογήσαντα δὲ ἔφθειρεν ἡ κατηγορία τὸν προγενῆ. εἶτα τῶν ὄχλων μετὰ σπουδῆς συναγόντων ἐκ τῶν ἐργαστηρίων ξύλα καὶ φρύγανα, καὶ μάλιστα Ἰουδαίων ... VIII lineae evanuerunt πνεύματος. Στέφανος δὲ una linea evanuit πρὸς αὐτοὺς διαλεγόμενος Τίνα, φησίν, τῶν προφητῶν οὐκ ἀπέκτειναν οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν; τοὺς προκαταγγείλαντας περὶ τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ. XIX lineae evanuerunt. ... τοῦ πυρὸς ὀργάνοις ὁ μάρτυς, προσηλοῦν ἤθελον τὸν τὰ κέντρα τοῦ διαβόλου θραύσαντα διὰ τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν ὁμολογίας. ὁ δὲ μακάριος Πολύκαρπος Ἐάσατε, φησίν, οὕτως· ὁ γὰρ τὴν ὑπομονὴν χαριζόμενος ἀξιώσει τῶν ἥλων ἐκτὸς ἄσκυλτον τηρῆσαι τὸ σῶμα. ὅμως οὐ καθήλωσαν, προσέδησαν δὲ τὸν δίκαιον. εἶτα ὡς ὀπίσω τὰς χεῖρας ποιήσας προσδεθεὶς τὸ ἐνεργὸν εἰς ἀεὶ ἀμὴν δεόμενος οὕτως ὁλοκαύτωμα τῷ θεῷ ἑαυτὸν παρέστησεν.

Εἶτα δὲ τῆς πυρᾶς ἁφθείσης θαῦμα μαγικὸν ἐγένετο τοῖς ὁρῶσιν. τὸ γὰρ πῦρ εἰς ὕψος ἐπαρθὲν ἐκορυφοῦτο καμάρας εἶδος ποιοῦν, καὶ χαλκοειδὲς γενόμενον ἐκύκλωσε τὸ σῶμα τοῦ μάρτυρος, οὐκ ἀφώρισεν τοῦτο ἀπὸ ὑδάτων, ἀλλὰ λαμπρότατον ἀπέφηνε. λεγέτω καὶ νῦν Ἡσαΐας ὁ προφήτης τῷ διὰ Χριστὸν πονησαμένῳ μάρτυρι Κἂν διὰ πυρὸς διέλθῃς, ἡ φλὸξ οὐ κατακαύσει σε. Τέλος ἰδόντες οἱ τοῦ πυρὸς ἄνθρωποι οὐ δυνάμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ πυρὸς δαπανηθῆναι τὸν μακάριον Πολίκαρπον, ὠθῆσαι ἐκέλευσαν εἰς τὸ σῶμα τοῦ μάρτυρος ξίφει στέρνης ἔνδον ἅπαξ ἕνα. ὠθήσαντος ἐκείνου ἐτρώθη τὸ ἅγιον αὐτοῦ σῶμα, ἵνα λοιπὸν ἐν οὐρανοῖς οἰκοίη τὸ πνεῦμα. εἶτα ὡς αἷμα ἐξῆλθεν. τ······έχ··διήνοιξε··· τὴν πλευράν, ἐξελθεῖν φασὶν περιστερὰν καὶ πλῆθος αἱματοειδές· τὸν μέγαν Πολύκαρπον ἀδελφοὶ ἰδόντες οὐρανομήκη··χ····· τούτου πνεύματος τ····· ἄξιον ὁμηγύριος εὐλόγησεν ὄχλος βοῶν Ὁ μακάριος ἐγγὺς τοῦ θεοῦ ἔσται καὶ οἰκεῖ ἐν οὐρανοῖς. Ταῖς εὐπραγίαις σου