Polycarp of Smyrna: An Insight into the Life of a Bishop and Martyr

We have little information regarding the early life of Polycarp. Most commentators give his birthdate as approximately 69 A.D. and his birthplace as Smyrna, a city of Asia Minor which is now the site of Izmir, Turkey. Some say he was raised by wealthy parents, while others argue that he was brought up by a devout Christian woman, Callisto. Polycarp in his youth was an eager listener to the word of the Apostle John. These treasured moments at the feet of the most beloved apostle must have been...