The telling of the martyrdom of St. Polycarp is considered the earliest preserved, fully reliable account of Christian martyrdom.
St. Polycarp was born around the year 70. There is little solid information about the beginning of his life, but it is known that he was a disciple of St. John the Apostle, and friend to St. Ignatius of Antioch. When St. Ignatius of Antioch was on his way to Rome to be martyred, he visited Polycarp and later wrote him a letter. Polycarp served as bishop of Smyrna, now near modern Izmir, Turkey, and fearlessly preached the Faith. He was trusted and respected by the people and chosen to serve for a while as the representative of the Churches of Asia Minor for a theological discussion with Pope St. Anicetus.
Polycarp ruled peacefully and wisely for many years and wrote many letters encouraging and teaching the Faithful. At the age of 86, around the year 156, Polycarp was arrested for being a Christian and condemned to death for not giving up his faith. He was sentenced to be burned at the stake, but the flames harmed him in no way. Finally, he was killed by a dagger, and his body was burned.
When the pyre was ready, Polycarp took off all his outer clothes and loosened his under-garments. There and then he was surrounded by the material for the pyre. When they tried to fasten him also with nails, he said, "Leave me as I am. The one who gives me the strength to endure the fire will also give me strength to stay quite still on the pyre, even without the precaution of your nails." So they did not fix him to the pyre with nails, but only fastened him instead.
Looking up to heave, he said, "Lord, almighty God, Father of your beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, through whom have come to the knowledge of yourself, God of angels, of powers, of all creation, of all the race of saints who live in your sight, I bless you for judging me worthy of this day, this hour, so that in the company of the martyrs I may share the cup of Christ, your anointed one, and so rise again to eternal life in soul and body through the power of the Holy Spirit.
"I praise you for all things, I bless you, I glorify you through the eternal priest of heaven, Jesus Christ, your beloved Son. Through him by glory to you, together with him and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen."
When he had said, "Amen" and finished the prayer, the officials at the pyre lit it. But, when a great flame burst out, those of us privileged to see it witnessed a strange and wonderful thing. Like a ship's sail swelling in the wind, the flame became as it were a dome encircling the martyr's body. Surrounded by the fire, his body was like bread that is baked, or gold and silver white-hot in a furnace, not like flesh that has been burnt. So sweet a fragrance came to us that it was like that of burning incense or some other costly and sweet-smelling gum.
from a letter by the Church of Smyrna on the martyrdom of Saint Polycarp
Lord God almighty, Father of Jesus Christ, your dear Son through whom we have come to know you, God of the angels and powers, God of all creation, God of those who live in your presence, the race of the just: I bless you. You have considered me worthy of this day and hour, worthy to be numbered with the martyrs and to drink the cup of your Anointed One, and thus to rise and live forever, body and soul, in the incorruptibility of the Holy Spirit.
Saint Polycarp of Smyrna, Bishop and Martyr