# Martyrdom of Polycarp (c. 155)

URL: https://christianity-history.com/timeline/155-martyrdom-of-polycarp
Location: Smyrna, Asia
Themes: Theology

Polycarp, the elderly bishop of Smyrna and a link to the apostolic generation, is burned; the account is the earliest martyrdom narrative outside the New Testament. At this point in the timeline (c. 155), the Bishop of Rome was Pope Anicetus (c. 155 – 166/7). Dates for the earliest bishops of Rome are traditional and uncertain.

## Why it matters
Martyrdom of Polycarp mattered because it shows how Christians and others suffered for faith and how violence shaped the church's memory and identity.

Pope at the time: [Pope Anicetus](https://christianity-history.com/popes/pope-anicetus)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Polycarp](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycarp)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Martyrdom of Polycarp](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Martyrdom+of+Polycarp)
- [Wikipedia — Early Church (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ante-Nicene_period)