Ever since his dissertation - published in 1979 as Martyrium Polycarpi: een literair-kritische studie (BETL 52) - the Martyrdom of Polycarp and the many problems attached to it have been at the focus of Boudewijn Dehandschutter's research. Over the years he has written a substantial number of scholarly contributions on this text, as well as on Ignatius and on martyrdom and persecution in the second century in general. Quite a few of these were published in Festschriften and other not always easily accessible volumes. Together with some contributions that were especially written for this volume, all of Dehandschutter's scholarly work on the topic has been brought together in this book.Highlights:-A new text-edition of the Martyrdom of Polycarp, based on all the textual evidence-Including the newly discovered Codex Kosinitza-The complete Forschungsbericht from the ANRW 27.1 with an update until 2007-The New Testament in the Martyrdom of Polycarp-Ignatius and Polycarp-Images of Polycarp outside the MartyrdomBoudewijn Dehandschutter is Professor of Early Church History and Patrology at the Faculty of Theology of the K.U.Leuven; Johan Leemans teaches Early Church History and Patrology at the universities of Erfurt and Leuven.