Early Christian Terminology in the Death of Peregrinus

[Secret Alias]

The title Polycarp is easy enough to explain in a general sense. 'Fruitful' was and is an actual title of the head of the community - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maphrian. But the actual origins or roots are still difficult to figure out. It literally means penis but has the sense of 'progenitor' http://dukhrana.com/lexicon//lookup.php?p=596&l=0 http://dukhrana.com/lexicon//lookup.php?p=3226&l=1The sense seems to be a characteristic of the Almighty Father (with the head of the Church as his earthly double). Hippolytus describes it as:

Therefore this solitary and supreme Deity, by an exercise of reflection, brought forth the Logos first; not the word in the sense of being articulated by voice, but as a ratiocination of the universe, conceived and residing in the divine mind. Him alone He produced from existing things; for the Father Himself constituted existence, and the being born from Him was the cause of all things that are produced.1077 The Logos was in the Father Himself, bearing the will of His progenitor, and not being unacquainted with the mind of the Father. For simultaneously1078 with His procession from His Progenitor, inasmuch as He is this Progenitor’s first-born, He has, as a voice in Himself, the ideas conceived in the Father. And so it was, that when the Father ordered the world to come into existence, the Logos one by one completed each object of creation, thus pleasing God. And some things which multiply by generation1079 He formed male and female; but whatsoever beings were designed for service and ministration He made either male, or not requiring females, or neither male nor female.

The underlying sense then was that the title was used to designate him as a sort of 'Pope' of the Asian Church. This seems to dovetail with the statement in the Octavius that "Some say that they worship the virilia of their pontiff and priest, and adore the nature, as it were, of their common parent (Alii eos ferunt ipsius antistitis ac sacerdotis colere genitalia et quasi parentis sui adorare naturam)." This seems to echo the sense of the veneration paid to a Pope if he was revered with the title 'maphrain' (= penis) which continues to be practiced in the Syriac Church.

[arnoldo]

It is worthy of note that in the Martyrdom of Ignatius he is assaulted by fire and lives:

Trajan said: “Thou camest here not to harangue, but to sacrifice to the gods and to escape from torture, for thou art not better (149) than yon Senate.” Ignatius said: “To which of the gods shall I sacrifice? To him [Ares] who for adultery was shut up in a cask for thirteen months? Or to him [Apollo] who was deceived by desire and overcome by the woman? Or to him [Hephaistos] whose ankles were bound with copper fetters? Or to that effeminate one [Bacchos] who was torn to pieces by the Titans? Or to them [Poseidon and Apollo] who built the rampart of Ilion and were cheated of their hire ? I am ashamed to call them even men, let alone gods, but sorcerers and corruptors of men and boys [81] and others' wives," transformed into eagle and swan and bull and gold and dragon, not for any good reason, but for the violation of others wedlock, which it were meet for thee to abhor and not to adore. To such do thy wives pray that they may guard chastity toward you. Trajan said: “I was the reason for thee to insult the gods because (150) I tortured thee not." Ignatius said: "I have already told thee that I am ready for all tortures and prepared for all death, because I hasten to God." Trajan saith: "By the gods, if thou repentest not and dost not sacrifice, thou hast to repent afterward; so spare thyself before the torture." Ignatius said: "If I spared not myself, I should make the command into vengeance." Trajan saith to the soldiers : "Beat his back with leaden balls" ; and straightway they perform on him the commands. Ignatius said: 3“Thou increasest, O King, my desire for the Lord.” Trajan said: “Lacerate his sides with iron reeds and rub (them) with salt." Ignatius said: "My thoughts are altogether God-ward, and of thy tortures I reck not whatsoever." Trajan said: “Sacrifice to the gods.” Ignatius saith: “To what gods? I think that thou commandest me to sacrifice to the Egyptians — to ox and goat and (151) ape and venomous asp and wolf and dog, or crocodile [82] or Persian fire or water of the sea, or Pluto, lord of Hades, or Hermes the thief.” Trajan said: “ "I said to thee, 'Sacrifice to the gods'; for there is no use whatever for thee to say that." Ignatius said : "And I said to thee that I sacrifice not, and I depart not from the one only God Who made heaven and earth and all that in them is, Who hath dominion over all, Who is. a god of spirit and King of all (that is) intelligent and intellective. Trajan said: "And who preventeth thee from worshipping both Him — if He really is God — and them whom we all acknowledge (as) gods?" Ignatius said: "Natural intelligence, since what time it dwelleth in man, doth not equate falsehood with truth, or darkness with light, or bitter with sweet. But who do not distinguish them one from the other? (152) Their woe is ended ; for there 'is no relation of Christ with Belial, or any share of the believer with the unbeliever, and no likeness of the temple of God with idols.38 Thou wishest, O King, that I speak the true word which shall convince thee that verily under torture is he who leaveth the true God and fleeth to non-gods. If any of thy soldiers mutinied against thy command and passed to another, what didst thou certainly do to such an one? Necessarily thou didst deliver him to torture; [83] and whom, hostile to thee, didst thou name King after abandoning thee? Trajan said: "That is true." Ignatius said: "And so thou, why compellest thou me to sacrifice to non-gods? For, according to thine example, the true God doth punish both thee, and me the more because I obey thee." ? (153) Trajan said: "Spread out his hands and feet, and fill (them) with fire." Ignatius said: "Neither burning fire nor the teeth of beasts nor the scattering of bones nor the dismemberment of limbs nor the violence of Satan will separate me from the love of Christ." Trajan said : "Drench a reed with oil, and burn his sides." Ignatius said: "I think that thou errest, O King, and understandest not that God, Who liveth in me, will strengthen me, else were I not able to bear thy tortures." Trajan said: "I think that thou art iron and hard as an anvil ; else hadst thou consented, harrowed by torture." Ignatius said: "Not because I do not feel thy tortures am I patient; but on account of the love of Christ and the hope of future weal I account sufi'erings (as) light. For neither buming fire nor inundating water is able to quench the love that (is) toward God." Trajan said: "Bring fire and [84] wood, and kindle (it) ; and having (154) made coals of fire, spread (them) and put (them) on Ignatius that, being persuaded at least thus, he may sacrifice to the gods." Ignatius said ; The burning of this fire of thine leadeth me to remembrance of the eternal and unquenchable fire, though this is but for a season. Trajan said ; / suppose it is by some sorcery that thou despisest the tortures : for otherwise thou wouldest have submitted to us, after suffering so much at our hands. Ignatius said ; Tell me, how can men who abandon demons, as being rebels

The following passage is from Lucian of Samosata : THE PASSING OF PEREGRINUS

The story is that he despatched missives to almost all the famous cities—testamentary dispositions, so to speak, and exhortations and prescriptions—and he appointed a number of ambassadors for this purpose from among his comrades, styling them " messengers from the dead" and "underworld couriers.”37

I found the following footnote on Pearse's page interesting.

37. In the letters of Ignatius he recommends to the Church of Smyrna the election of a special messenger, styled” ambas sador of God” ([Greek omitted]: ad Smyrn., 11) or “courier of God ([Greek omitted] ad Polyc. 7) to be sent to Syria. The verbal coincidence is notable (cf. Lightfoot), and seems to indicate a knowledge of these letters, but on the part of Peregrinus, not Lucian.
http://www.tertullian.org/rpearse/lucian/peregrinus.htm

[Secret Alias]

Yes that's the underpinning of most theories identifying Peregrinus with Polycarp or Ignatius. Note the dove (Polycarp) and the vulture (Peregrinus) that emerges from the pyre as the martyr(s) die.

[Secret Alias]

The governor of Syria:

Theagenes: “Does anyone dare,”, he said, “to call Proteus vainglorious, O Earth, O sun, O rivers, O sea, O Heracles, god of Our fathers !—Proteus, who was imprisoned in Syria, who renounced five thousand talents in favour of his native hand, who was banished from the city of Rome, who is more conspicuous than the sun, who is able to rival Olympian Zeus himself?"

Unnamed one [probably Lucian himself]: I have observed his character and kept an eye on his career from the beginning ... as soon as he came of age, was taken in adultery in Armenia ... [t]hen he corrupted a handsome boy, and by paying three thousand drachmas to the boy’s parents, who were poor, bought himself off from being brought before the governor of the province of Asia [Ephesus] ... [w]hat he did to his father ... you have heard how he strangled the aged man, unable to tolerate his living beyond sixty years. Then, when the affair had been noised abroad, he condemned himself to exile and roamed about, going to one country after another ... It was then that he learned the wondrous lore of the Christians, by associating with their priests and scribes in Palestine ... he was [then] prophet, cult-leader, head of the synagogue, and everything, all by himself ... [t]hen at length Proteus was apprehended for this and thrown into prison ... when he had been imprisoned, the Christians, regarding the incident as a calamity, left nothing undone in the effort to rescue him ... widows and orphan children could be seen waiting near the prison, while their officials even slept inside with him after bribing the guards. Then elaborate meals were brought in, and sacred books of theirs were read aloud, and excellent Peregrinus—for he still went by that name—was called by them 'the new Socrates' ... Indeed, people came even from the cities in Asia, sent by the Christians at their common expense, to succour and defend and encourage the hero ... Peregrinus was freed by the then governor of Syria ... not considering him worthy even of the usual chastisement. Upon returning to his home [Parium], he found that the matter of his father’s murder was still at fever heat and that there were many who were for pressing the charge. against him ... Coming before the assembly of the Parians—he wore his hair long by now, dressed in a dirty mantle, had a wallet slung at ‘his side, the staff was in his hand ...When the people, poor folk agape for largesses, heard that ... His enemies were muzzled, and anyone who tried to mention the murder was at once pelted with stones. He left home, then, for the second time, to roam about, possessing an ample source of funds in the Christians, through whose ministrations he lived in unalloyed prosperity. For a time he battened himself thus; but then, after he had transgressed in some way even against them—he was seen, I think, eating some of the food that is forbidden them, they no longer accepted him, and so, being at a loss, he thought he must sing a palinode and demand his possessions back from his city. Submitting a petition [at Parium], he expected to recover them by order of the Emperor. Then, as the city sent representatives to oppose the claim, he achieved nothing, but was directed to abide by what he had once for all determined, under no compulsion from anyone. Thereafter he went away a third time, to Egypt, to visit Agathobulus ... From there, thus equipped, he set sail for Italy and immediately after disembarking he fell to abusing. everyone, and in particular the Emperor, knowing him to be mild and gentle, so that he was safe in making bold ... his reputation grew, among simple folk any how, and he was a cynosure for his recklessness, until finally the city prefect, a wise man, packed him off for immoderate indulgence in the thing, saying that the city had no need of any such philosopher. However, this too made for his renown, and he was on everybody’s lips as the philosopher who had been banished for his frankness ... Coming at last to Greece under these circum­stances, at one moment he abused the Eleans, at another he counselled the Greeks to take up arms against the Romans, and at another he libelled [Herodes Atticus] a man outstanding in literary attainments and position because he had been a benefactor to Greece in many ways, and particularly because he had brought water to Olympia and prevented the visitors to the festival from dying of thirst ... When they almost killed him with stones, mobbing him with one accord, he managed to escape death at the moment by fleeing to Zeus for sanctuary (stout fellow!), and afterwards, at the next Olympiad [four years later], he gave the Greeks a speech which he had composed during the four years that had intervened, praising the man who had brought in the water and defending himself for running away at that time ... after the last Olympic games [four years later] that he would burn himself up at the next festival.

Theagenes has the journey of Pereginus as simply (1) imprisoned in Syria presumably Antioch (2) then Parium (3) then Rome (4) then Olympia (5) death by fire

Lucian has it as (1) youth in Armenia (2) Ephesus (3) Parium (4) period of wandering (5) Palestine (6) imprisoned in Antioch (7) Parium (8) period of wandering (9) Parium (10) Alexandria (11) Rome (12) Greece and Parium (13) Olympia over 9 years (14) death by fire

Parallels with Ignatius:

1. imprisonment in Antioch cf. Syriac epistles
2. sending epistles to Greek cities during Antioch imprisonment
3. contact with Ephesus
4. visit to Rome

[Secret Alias]

It is also interesting that Lucian's observation that Peregrinus was sending epistles to Greek cities while imprisoned in Antioch. In the Ignatian epistles this has been altered to sending out correspondences while traveling town to town on a bizarre procession where Ignatius is imprisoned in Antioch but is sent to Rome to die and as a result he sends out his letters in a kind of 'martyr road tour.' Even in the Syriac epistles we see the barest mention of this reality:

To Polycarp " In everything I will be instead of thy soul, and my bonds which thou hast loved."
Third Epistle: "They are apostles, but I am one condemned; they indeed are free, but I am a slave, even until now. But if I suffer, I shall be the freed-man of Jesus Christ, and I shall rise in Him from the dead, free. And now being in bonds, I learn to desire nothing. From Syria, and even unto Rome, I am cast among wild beasts, by sea and by land, by night and by day, being bound between ten leopards, which are the band of soldiers ... I rejoice in the beasts which are prepared for me, and I pray that they may in haste be found for me; and I will provoke them speedily to devour me ... Fire, and the cross, and the beasts that are prepared, cutting off of the limbs, and scattering of the hones, and crushing of the whole body, harsh torments of the devil--let these come upon me, but only let me be accounted worthy of Jesus Christ.

At the core, there is an agreement that both men were imprisoned and sent out letters to Greek cities. In Lucian's version he is trying to rally Christians to come to Antioch and petition and provide material assistance to secure his release. In the Ignatian corpus as noted above the epistles were written shortly before or leading up to the martyrdom as Ignatius is going city to city through Asia. I tend to believe Lucian's story. In both cases the letters attract Christian interest to the martyr's cause. The clearly come to see him as he 'is in chains.' My guess is that a shorter collection of 'proto-epistles' lays behind the Syriac epistles which is a preservation of the letters mentioned by Lucian. If that is true then their may have been 'dramatic' references to his death in the epistles but these had nothing to do with the actual death of the martyr. They were written in a much earlier period.

Notice also how the whole idea of letters written as a Christian martyr is in chains on his way to Rome to appeal to the Emperor before his death has so many echoes of the Catholic story of Paul. There is a clear Paul-Polycarp parallel. My guess is that the Pauline canon was altered to make them seem 'prophetic' of the circumstances of Polycarp's life (where Polycarp and Ignatius are really one and the same person originally). In other words, we might imagine - taking the Lucian account as truthful - that Polycarp was wandering about 'in chains' perhaps because of circumstances related to the death of his father. Similarly his 'appeal to the Emperor' for his father's estate finds parallel in Paul going to Rome in Acts etc.

One more important detail. If you read the account of the Third Epistle/Roman Epistle there is some clear confusion about the 'beasts.' On the one hand there are times where it sounds like the martyr is going to be killed by actual wild beasts 'ground like wheat' and then other times where the beasts are the soldiers who escort him to Rome. It sounds like there are two layers fighting for recognition. It is worth noting that in the Martyrdom of Polycarp, Polycarp learns that martyrs are being 'fed to the beasts' before his death:

And in like manner they who had been condemned to the wild beasts endured dreadful punishments, lying upon beds of prickles, and punished with various other tortures, in order that, if it were possible, the tyrant might turn them by assiduous punishment to a denial of the faith. or the devil contrived many things against them, but thanks be unto God, for he prevailed not against all. For the most noble Germanicus strengthened their cowardice through the patience that was in him, who also in a notable way fought against wild beasts. For when the proconsul would have persuaded him, charging him to have compassion on his youth, he drew upon himself the wild beast by force, wishing to be the sooner freed from their unjust and lawless life. From this, therefore, all the multitude, wondering at the nobleness of the God-loving and God-fearing race of Christians, called out, Away with the Atheists; let Polycarp be sought for. But a certain man named Quintus, a Phrygian, who had newly come from Phrygia, when he saw the wild beasts, became afraid. This was he who constrained himself and others to come in of their own accord. This man, the proconsul, with much importunity, persuaded to swear and to sacrifice. On this account, brethren, we praise not them that give themselves up, since the gospel doth not so teach. But the most admirable Polycarp at the first, when he heard these things, was not disturbed, but desired to remain in the city

and again later:

But the proconsul said unto him, I have wild beasts; I will deliver thee unto them, unless thou repentest. But he said, Call them, for repentance from the better to the worse is impossible for us; but it is a good thing to change from evil deeds to just ones. But he said again unto him, I will cause thee to be consumed by fire if thou despisest the wild beasts, unless thou repentest. But Polycarp said, Thou threatenest me with fire that burneth but for a season, and is soon quenched. For thou art ignorant of the fire of the judgment to come, and of the eternal punishment reserved for the wicked. But why delayest thou? Bring whatever thou wishest. While he was saying these and more things, he was filled with courage and joy, and his face was filled with grace; so that he not only was not troubled and confused by the things said unto him, but, on the contrary, the proconsul was astonished, and sent his herald into the midst of the arena to proclaim a third time: Polycarp has confessed himself to be a Christian. When this had been said by the herald, the whole multitude, both of Gentiles and Jews, that inhabit Smyrna, with irrestrainable anger and a loud voice, called out, This is the teacher of impiety, the father of the Christians, the destroyer of your gods, who teacheth many neither to sacrifice nor to worship the gods. Saying these things, they shouted out, and asked the Asiarch Philip to let loose a lion at Polycarp. But Philip replied that it was not lawful for him to do so, since he had finished the exhibition of wild beasts. Then it seemed good unto them to shout with one voice that Polycarp should be burnt alive

This seems like the perfect context for what Ignatius is saying in the Third/Roman epistles.

[Secret Alias]

Counting backwards from the death of Peregrinus:

157 CE
161 CE
165 CE death
Eusebius, in his Chronicle, dates Polycarp's martyrdom to 166-7

If 157 is the first Olympiad where Peregrinus was active in Olympus it is interesting to note parallels Grant found with the Apology of Justin:

The First Apology is dated to between 155-157 CE, based on the reference to Felix as a recent prefect of Egypt.[3] Robert Grant has claimed that this Apology was made in response to the Martyrdom of Polycarp, which occurred around the same time as the Apology was written.[3] This correlation would explain why the Apology heavily focused on punishment by fire; a reference to Polycarp’s burning at the stake.[3] It is also generally believed that the Second Apology was originally part of the larger First Apology, although there is uncertainty among scholars about this point.

Note again the time line derived from Lucian:

(10) Alexandria (11) Rome (12) Greece and Parium (13) Olympia over 9 years (14) death by fire

The 'Egyptian section' in the Apology:

And that you may understand that promiscuous intercourse is not one of our mysteries, one of our number a short time ago presented to Felix the governor in Alexandria a petition, craving that permission might be given to a surgeon to make him an eunuch. For the surgeons there said that they were forbidden to do this without the permission of the governor. And when Felix absolutely refused to sign such a permission, the youth remained single, and was satisfied with his own approving conscience, and the approval of those who thought as he did. And it is not out of place, we think, to mention here Antinous, who was alive but lately, and whom all were prompt, through fear, to worship as a god, though they knew both who he was and what was his origin.

Where did Justin get this information? I would imagine the traditional explanation is that there was already a 'world-wide Church' sharing information. But an equally plausible explanation - in light of Lucian's testimony - that the author is really 'Peregrinus' petitioning the Emperor and mentioning information he learned about while in Alexandria just previous to coming to Rome or perhaps writing the epistle in Alexandria.

[Secret Alias]

Brent is another who argues that Peregrinus = Ignatius:

We have argued that Lucian of Samosata is a witness to Ignatius in his description of Peregrinus Proteus.

https://books.google.com/books?id=NvARB ... 22&f=false

I would substantially agree with Brent adding only that Polycarp is the historical personage behind the later creation of 'Ignatius.'' Remember Irenaeus never names the author of the Epistle to the Romans.

An overview of the argument for linguistic parallels before Brent - https://books.google.com/books?id=NFEoA ... us&f=false

The first, so far as we know, who offered this conjecture was Pearson, who was of the opinion that Peregrinus imitated Ignatius for the sake of becoming renowned in the same way. But with Baur (the quoted treatise, p. 142), we find the assumption much more natural that "Lucian decorated his Peregrinus with a trait borrowed from Ignatius, in order to parody the Christian martyrs." What first led to this view was the expression of Lucian (41) : πρεσβευτὰς τῶν ἑταίρων ἐχειροτόνησεν, νεκραγγέλους καὶ νερτεροδρόμους προσαγορεύσας words which by their form and import make it probable, that they are not original with Lucian but rather imitation. The original may be found in the epistles of Ignatius, not only the χειροτονεῖν (ad Philad. 18), but πρέπει χειροτονῆσαι θεοπρεσβύτην (ad Smyrn. 11), and yet more manifestly πρέπει χειροτονῆσαι τίνα ὃς
δυνήσεται θεόδρομος καλεῖσθαι. To be sure, Ignatius, as it appears, does not speak of such as should announce his own end, and ad Phil. 2, Ignatius seems to call himself a runner of God, as he hastens to God, ἵνα θεοῦ ἐπιτύχω, as it is so often said ; but the expression νερτεροδρόμοι, death's runners, is evidently an imitation of θεοδρόμοι, God's runners, since it is not elsewhere found in the usus loquendi.

[Joseph D. L.]

I have reason to believe that the governor of Syria at the time of Peregrinus's imprisonment was Hadrian.

Here's something of note...

Ignatius appears in visions after his death :

Now these things took place on the thirteenth day before the Kalends of January, that is, on the twentieth of December, Sura and Senecio being then the consuls of the Romans for the second time. Having ourselves been eye-witnesses of these things, and having spent the whole night in tears within the house, and having entreated the Lord, with bended knees and much prayer, that He would give us weak men full assurance respecting the things which were done, it came to pass, on our falling into a brief slumber, that some of us saw the blessed Ignatius suddenly standing by us and embracing us, while others beheld him again praying for us, and others still saw him dropping with sweat, as if he had just come from his great labour, and standing by the Lord. When, therefore, we had with great joy witnessed these things, and had compared our several visions together, we sang praise to God, the giver of all good things, and expressed our sense of the happiness of the holy [martyr]; and now we have made known to you both the day and the time [when these things happened], that, assembling ourselves together according to the time of his martyrdom, we may have fellowship with the champion and noble martyr of Christ, who trod under foot the devil, and perfected the course which, out of love to Christ, he had desired, in Christ Jesus our Lord; by whom, and with whom, be glory and power to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, for evermore! Amen.

Peregrinus is beheld by a credulous spectatour after his death:

On my return to the festival, I came upon a grey-haired man whose face, I assure you, inspired confidence in addition to his beard and his general air of consequence, telling all about Proteus, and how, since his cremation, he had beheld him in white raiment a little while ago, and had just now left him walking about cheerfully in the Portico of the Seven Voices, wearing a garland of wild olive. Then on top of it all, he put the vulture, swearing that he himself had seen it flying up out of the pyre, when I myself had just previously let it fly to ridicule fools and dullards.

[Joseph D. L.]

For what it's worth, here is my reconstructed timeline of the life of Peregrinus:

ca. 80 ad. Born in Parium

ca. 100 ad. Movements in Armenia

ca. 105 ad. Leaves Parium; travels through Phrygia, Syria and Palestine

ca. 110 ad. Joins a community identified as Christian in Pella, Jordan. Becomes an honoured member and possibly presbyter.

115 ad. Likely involved in riots during the Kitos revolt; imprisoned in Syria

117 ad. Released by Hadrian

118 ad. At Parium

119 ad. Takes up his travels again

ca. 125 ad. Excommunicated by the community, returns once more to Parium, afterwards journeys to Egypt

ca. 140. Arrives at Rome, publicly mocks Antoninus Pius

142-144. Expelled from Rome, travels to Greece

145-149ad. Studies Athenian philosophy, lives as Diogenes of Sinope, openly attacks Herodes Atticus, later apologizes, announces intent to sacrifice himself at the next Olympia

153 ad. Postpones intended self-immolation for the next Olympia

157 ad. Carries out intended self-immolation

[Secret Alias]

I think 157 CE for the death is too early