Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, disciple of Saint John the Apostle and friend of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, was a revered Christian leader during the first half of the second century. Polycarp, bishop of ...

Born in Syria in the mid-1st century, Ignatius is traditionally believed to have been personally taught by the Apostle John, alongside another future martyr, Saint Polycarp. Around the year 70, ...