Martyrdom of Polycarp 11

1The proconsul then said to him, “I have wild beasts at hand; to these will I cast thee, except thou repent.” But he answered, “Call them then, for we are not accustomed to repent of what is good in order to adopt that which is evil; and it is well for me to be changed from what is evil to what is righteous.” But again the proconsul said to him, “I will cause thee to be consumed by fire, seeing thou despisest the wild beasts, if thou wilt not repent.” But Polycarp said, “Thou threatenest me with fire which burneth for an hour, and after a little is extinguished, but art ignorant of the fire of the coming judgment and of eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. But why tarriest thou? Bring forth what thou wilt.”

ΧΙ. ‘O δὲ ἀνθύπατος εἶπεν: Θηρία ἔχω, τούτοις σε παραβαλῶ, ἐὰν μὴ μετανοήσῃς. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν Κάλει ἀμετά- θετος γὰρ ἡμῖν ἡ ἀπὸ τῶν κρειττόνων ἐπὶ τὰ χείρω μετάνοια" καλὸν δὲ μετατίθεσθας ἀπὸ τῶν χαλεπῶν ἐπὶ τὰ δίκαια. 6 δὲ πάλιν πρὸς αὐτόν: Πυρί ce ποιῶ δαπανηθῆναε, εἰ τῶν θηρίων καταφρονεῖς, ἐὰν μὴ μετανοήσῃς. ὁ δὲ ἸΠολύ- καρπος' Πῦρ ἀπειλεῖς τὸ πρὸς ὥραν καιόμενον καὶ per ὀλύγον σβεννύμενον" ἀγνοεῖς γὰρ τὸ τῆς μελλούσης κρίσεως καὶ αἰωνίου κολάσεως τοῖς ἀσεβέσι τηρούμενον πῦρ. ἀλλὰ τί βραδύνεις ; φέρε ὃ βούλει.