Polycrates of Ephesus was the bishop of Ephesus in the late second century AD and one of the most important Christian leaders of Asia Minor of his day. He is remembered above all for a single bold act: when the bishop of Rome tried to force every church to celebrate Easter on a Sunday, Polycrates wrote a fearless letter defending the ancient tradition of Asia — a tradition he traced all the way back to the apostles John and Philip, who lay buried in his own region. His stand is one of the most revealing episodes in the early history of the Church.
Who Was Polycrates of Ephesus?
Polycrates lived from around 130 to around 196 AD and served as bishop of Ephesus, by then one of the greatest Christian centres in the world. In his famous letter he tells us, with quiet pride, that he was about sixty-five years old, that he had studied the whole of Scripture, and that he came from a family of bishops — seven of his relatives had held the office before him, and he was the eighth. He was, in other words, a man steeped in the living memory and tradition of the Church in Asia, and he spoke for all the churches of the region.
What Was the Quartodeciman Controversy?
To understand Polycrates, you need to understand the argument he was drawn into — the Quartodeciman controversy, one of the first great disputes in Church history. It was, in essence, a disagreement about the date of Easter.
The churches of Asia Minor, including Ephesus, kept what was called the Quartodeciman practice (from the Latin for “fourteenth”). They celebrated Pascha — Easter — on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the day of the Jewish Passover and the day on which Christ was crucified, no matter what day of the week it fell on. Rome and most other churches, however, always celebrated Easter on a Sunday, the day of the Resurrection. Both sides believed their tradition went back to the apostles, and for a long while the difference was tolerated. Then, around the year 190, the bishop of Rome, Victor I, decided everyone must follow the Sunday observance — and threatened to cut off from the wider Church any community that refused.
Polycrates’ Famous Letter to Pope Victor
Polycrates would not be bullied. On behalf of the bishops of Asia he wrote a now-celebrated letter to Victor and the church of Rome, firmly defending the Asian tradition as genuinely apostolic. His argument was simple but powerful: the greatest figures of the early Church, the very ones who had known the Lord and the apostles, had kept this practice — and they were buried right here, in Asia. He then listed these “great lights” who, as he put it, had “fallen asleep” in his region:
• Philip, whom he names as one of the twelve apostles, buried with his daughters at Hierapolis; • John, the apostle “who leaned on the Lord’s breast,” buried at Ephesus; • Polycarp, the bishop and martyr of Smyrna; • and other revered bishops and martyrs such as Thraseas, Sagaris at Laodicea, Papirius, and Melito of Sardis.
Polycrates ended with words that still ring with courage. He declared that he was not frightened by the threats against him, for “those greater than I have said: we ought to obey God rather than men.” The whole letter is preserved for us by the historian Eusebius in his Church History, which is how we still have his voice across eighteen centuries.
The “Great Lights” of Asia — and Why They Matter Here
For anyone who loves the Christian heritage of Turkey, this list is extraordinary, because it is an ancient map of where the first generation of Christianity came to rest — and almost all of it is in this region. The Apostle John lies at Ephesus, beneath the great basilica on Ayasuluk Hill. The Apostle Philip lies at Hierapolis, above Pamukkale, where his magnificent martyrium still stands. Polycarp, the disciple of John, was the martyr-bishop of Smyrna, modern İzmir. Melito was bishop of Sardis, and Sagaris is linked to Laodicea — both among the Seven Churches of Revelation. Polycrates’ letter is, in effect, a witness from the year 190 to the very sites that pilgrims still travel to see today.
How Did the Dispute End?
Victor went ahead and tried to excommunicate the churches of Asia — but he had overreached. Bishops across the Christian world objected, and the most famous of them, Irenaeus of Lyon (whose name fittingly means “peaceful”), wrote to Victor and rebuked him sharply, reminding him that earlier leaders had lived in peace despite this very difference. The threatened split was healed, and the Asian churches kept their tradition for generations to come. In the end the Sunday observance gradually became universal, and the question of the date of Easter was finally settled for the whole Church at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. But Polycrates had made his point: tradition and conscience could stand firm, even against Rome.
Why Polycrates Matters for Ephesus
Polycrates reminds us just how important Ephesus was in the early Christian world — not a backwater, but a leading church whose bishop could speak as an equal to Rome and defend a tradition reaching back to the apostles themselves. He also gives us a precious, dateable record of the Christian map of Asia Minor. When I guide pilgrims to the tomb of St John at Ephesus, the martyrium of St Philip at Hierapolis, or the city of Polycarp at İzmir, I love to remind them that a real bishop of Ephesus named all of these holy places, in a single brave letter, more than eighteen hundred years ago.
Frequently Asked Questions About Polycrates of Ephesus
Who was Polycrates of Ephesus? The bishop of Ephesus in the late 2nd century AD and the leading voice of the churches of Asia Minor, famous for defending their tradition on the date of Easter.
What was the Quartodeciman controversy? A dispute over when to celebrate Easter — the churches of Asia kept it on the 14th of Nisan (the day of Passover), while Rome insisted on a Sunday.
What did Polycrates’ letter say? He defended the Asian tradition as apostolic, citing the great Christian figures buried in Asia — including the apostles John and Philip and the martyr Polycarp — and refused to be intimidated by Rome’s threats.
Was Polycrates excommunicated? Pope Victor I tried to cut off the Asian churches, but other bishops, led by Irenaeus, intervened and the breach was healed; the Asian churches kept their tradition for many years.
Why is Polycrates important? His letter shows the strength and independence of the church of Ephesus and gives an ancient record of where John, Philip, Polycarp and other early Christian leaders were buried in Asia Minor.
Book An Ephesian Tour Guide
The story of Polycrates opens a window onto the early Christian world of Ephesus and the whole Aegean — a world you can still walk through today. I’m a nationally licensed Turkish guide based in Kuşadası, beside Ephesus, and I’d be honoured to lead you to the tomb of St John, the martyrium of St Philip at Hierapolis, and the Seven Churches of Revelation. Reach me through toursaroundturkey.com to start planning. See you soon, Hasan Gülday.
