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Polycarp was a correspondent of St. [[Ignatius of Antioch]], one of the other [[Apostolic Fathers]]. Ignatius addressed a letter to him, and mentions him in the letters to the Ephesians and to the Magnesians. Polycarp visited Rome during the time of Pope Anicetus, and found their customs for observing [[Pascha]] differed. They agreed to peaceably disagree on this matter. Polycarp was offered the opportunity of celebrating the [[Eucharist]] in the Pope's church.
His sole surviving work, the ''Letter to the Philippians'', and an account of ''The Martyrdom of Polycarp'' form part of the writings usually collected under the title ''The [[Apostolic Fathers]]''. The latter is considered the earliest genuine post-biblical account of a Christian martyrdom, and one of the very few genuine such writings from the actual age of the persecutions. It also is one of the earliest accounts of the veneration of [[relics]], as the ''Martyrdom'' records that after Polycarp's immolation, the faithful piously gathered up his bones as precious treasures.
St. [[Irenaeus of Lyons]] relates how and when he became a Christian and in his letter to Florinus stated that he saw and heard him personally in lower Asia; in particular he heard the account of Polycarp's intercourse with [[Apostle John|John the Evangelist]] and with others who had seen [[Jesus Christ]]. Irenaeus also reports that Polycarp was converted to Christianity by [[apostles]], was consecrated a [[bishop]], and communicated with many who had seen Jesus. He repeatedly emphasizes the very old age of Polycarp. The ''Martyrdom'' has Polycarp himself give his age on the day of his death as 86 years.