The T;]c 'Sp.vpraiwv ttcKXqtriag Trepi paprvpiov tov ayiov UoXvicap-rrov tT7i<7ToX>) tyicvicXiKug is almost en- tirely incorporated in the Historia Ecclesiastica of Eu- sebius (iv, 15) ; it is also extant in its original form, in which it was first published by archbishop Usher, in his Appenelix Ignatiana (Lond. 1647, 4 to) ; and was re- printed in the Acta Marty rum Sincera et Select a of Ruinart (Paris, 1689, 4to), and in the Patres Apostolici of Cotelerius (vol. ii, Paris, 1672, fol.; Antwerp [or rather Amsterdam], 1698; and Amsterdam, 1724); it was also reprinted by Maderus, in his edition of the Epistola Polycarpi. already mentioned; by Ittigius, in his Bibliotheca Patrum Apostolicorum (Leips. 1699,8vo) ; by Smith, in his edition of the Epistolce of Ignatius (re- printed at Basle by Frey, 1742, 8vo) ; by Russel, in his Patres Apostolici (vol. ii, Lond. 1746, 8vo) ; by Gallan- dius, in his Bibliotheca Patrum (vol. i, Venice, 1765, fol.); and by Jaeobson, in his Patrum Apostolicorum quce supersunt (vol. ii, Oxford, 1838, 8vo). There is an ancient Latin version, which is given with the Creek text by Usher; and there are modern Latin versions given by other editors of the Greek text, or in the Acta Sanctorum Januarii (ad d. 26), ii, 702, etc. There are English versions by archbishop Wake (Lond. 1693, 8vo, often reprinted), by Chevallier (Cambridge, 1833,
8vo), and by Dalrymple, in his Remains of Christian Antiquity (Edinburgh, 1776, 8vo). See Cave, I. c. p. 65; Fabricius, /. c. p. 51; Lardner, /. c. c. 7; Ceil- lier, /. c. p. 695; Ittigius, Gallandius, and Jaeobson, //. cc.
Polycarp the Ascetic. There is extant in Greek a life of the female saint Syncletica, which has been as- cribed to various persons. Some MSS. and the Greek ecclesiastical historian Nicephorus Callisti (//. E. viii, - 40) ascribe it to Athanasius; but Montfaucon, though he gives the piece with a Latin version in his edition of the works of Athanasius (ii, 081, etc.), classes it among the spurious works, and declares that the difference of style, and the absence of any external testimony for live or six centuries after Athanasius. leave no room to doubt its spuriousness. A copy, which was among the papers of Combefis, contains a clause, stating that the discourses or sayings of the saint had been reported by '•the blessed Arsenius of Pegadse;" but this does not seem to describe him as the compiler of the narrative, but only as the author from whom part of the materials were derived. It is then most reasonable to follow the very ancient MS. in the Vatican Library, which ascribes the biography to Polycarp the Ascetic or Monk, but where or when this Polycarp lived cannot be deter- mined. The biography was first published in the Latin version of David Colvillus in the A eta Saiictorum Ja- nuarii, i, 242, etc. The original Greek text is said to have been published with some other pieces (Ingol- stadt, 1603, 4to) ; it is given with a new Latin version and notes in the Ecclcsice Grcecce Momunenta of Cotele- rius (Paris, 1677, 4to), i, 201, etc. The MS. used by Cotelerius contained neither the author's name nor the final clause about Arsenius of Pegada*. The title of the piece is B/oc Kai TroXiriia Tijg iaiag Kai aoiSipov jUjj- rpog fjpuv (in Montfaucon's edition, B. ic. tt. rtjc ayiag Kai paKapiag ical SiEauKciXov) SvyKXnTiKiig, Vita et (,'istii sanctir vihbrisque matris nnstrce (or, according to Montfaucon, sanctm beatceque magistral) Syncleticoe. See Fabricius. Biblioth. Grceca, x, 329.— Smith, Diet, of Class. Bin;;, s. v.
Polyeuct, the first martyr of Armenia, was a sol- dier in a Roman legion when converted to the Christian faith by one of his friends (Nearchus). For his faith he was sentenced to be beheaded. His martyrdom took place in 257. The Roman Catholic Church observes his memory on Feb. 13. The French poet, Pierre Cor- neille, made this case of martyrdom the subject of one of his most beautiful tragedies. — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generate, s. v.
Polygamy was anciently and still is a prevailing custom in the East (comp. of the Persians, Strabo, xv, 733; Herod, i, 135; iii, 88; Rhode, Heil. Sage, p. 443; of the Indians, Strabo, xv, 714; of the Medes, xi. 526; of the Getae, vii, 297 ; see also xvii, 835 ; on the Egyp- tians, see Herod, ii, 92; comp. Diod. Sic. i, 80; Heng- stenberg, Mos. p. 210 sq.), which stands in close con- nection with the great fruitfulness of Eastern women; and some have tried to show that it is connected with a preponderance of female births (Mariti, Reis. p. 14), but this is denied by Burdach (Physiol, i, 403 sq.) and the most recent authorities. Even the Mosaic law did not forbid polygamy (Polygyny), which, indeed, existed among the Israelites from the beginning of their nation (Gen. xxviii, 9; xxix, passim; xxxvii, 2; xlvi, 10), but seems to- be expressly permitted (Deut. xxi, 16 sq. ; Exod. xxi, 9 sq. ; Lev. xviii, 18) ; and there are several direct instances under the law (Judg.viii,30), and more indirect ones (x, 4; xii, 9, 14), of polygamy, or at least bigamy, chiefly in the time of the Judges. Yet the lawgiver had certainly placed difficulties in the way of polygamy by many remarkable directions (comp. the Koran, iv, 3, which allows a Mussulman but four wedded wives, without, however, limiting the number of his concubines!). The Mosaic law aimed at mitigating rather than removing evils which were inseparable from