As he said these and many other things, he was filled with courage and joy, and his face was filled with grace. Far from collapsing in alarm at what was being said to him, he astonished the proconsul instead. The proconsul sent his herald into the middle of the arena to proclaim three times, “Polycarp has confessed that he is a Christian.”
When the herald had made this announcement, the entire crowd of Gentiles and Jews living in Smyrna shouted with uncontrollable rage and a loud voice: “This is the teacher of Asia, the father of the Christians, the destroyer of our gods, who teaches many not to sacrifice or worship!” As they shouted these things, they asked Philip the Asiarch to let a lion loose on Polycarp. He replied that he was not permitted to do so, since he had ended the wild-beast games.
Then they unanimously decided to shout that Polycarp should be burned alive. For the vision revealed to him concerning his pillow had to be fulfilled. When he had seen it burning as he prayed, he turned to the faithful with him and said prophetically, “I must be burned alive.”