Zwierlein's significant study is far more than just a critical edition, but a novel paradigm for understanding the Polycarpian, Pionian and Ignatian literatures. The two-volume set is a provocative mixture of reconstructed archetypes, theorised textual stemma and revisionary historical suppositions. The first volume spotlights Zwierlein's reconstructed ‘original versions’ and editiones criticae of the Martyrdom of Polycarp and Martyrdom of Pionius. Daniel Kölligan helpfully provides German translations of the Old Armenian versions and English translations of the reconstructed Urfassungen. The volume closes by examining the Passio Pionii, including its provenance (Gaul), dating (fifth century), literary qualities and manuscript tradition. Volume ii commences with the date of Polycarp's death (placed between 161 and 168). It then investigates the Martyrdom of Pionius as a preliminary ‘test case,’ arguing that the simpler Old Armenian version is a decent reflection of the Ur-form – although including some interpolated materials (the ‘Great Sabbath’ and Trinitarian reference) and excising some original materials (the three-fold confession and being ‘burnt alive’). Zwierlein then discusses his reconstructed Urfassung of the Martyrdom of Polycarp, which he claims was used by an ‘ω version’ (c. 260–80), which Eusebius then used (c. 295), from which came the early Syriac and then Armenian versions. Eusebius later redacted his own work (an ‘α version’ of 307–12), which was then overhauled by a (Pseudo)‘Pionius’ around 400. This ‘Pseudo-Pionius’ boldly assumed the earlier Smyrnaean martyr's identity and masterfully covered his tracks (planting interpolated connectors across literary seams and appropriating plausible-sounding characters). In Zwierlein's intricate schematic, the Polycarpian Ur-form lacked the ‘Gospel martyrdom’ leitmotif, various biblical allusions, the Devil's adversarial role, the Quintus episode, the charge of atheism, the prophetic vision of fire, the ‘Catholic’ Church, the triadic doxology, the fragrance of baking bread, the dove released at death and the celebration of the dies natalis. Furthermore, a scriptural allusion in 7.1, ‘as God wills’ in 7.3, the vox caelentis, the Jewish opposition, Polycarp's habit of not undressing himself, the ‘cup of Christ’, the phrase ‘body and soul’, Polycarp's prophetic character in 16.2, the ‘Great Sabbath’, and the divine pinpointing of the proper burial-spot are also expunged in the Urfassung, although appearing in the privileged Armenian. The Armenian's proconsular admonition to Germanicus, however, is retained. Zwierlein also reconstructs a Corpus Polycarpianum, which integrated Polycarp's Philippians into a Vita Polycarpi (c. 400). Zwierlein maintains that Philippians originally mentioned an otherwise unknown ‘Ignatius’, an innocent reference which was altered into an anchor for the spurious Ignatian correspondence through interpolations. The forged ‘Ignatian’ epistles borrowed from Lucian's Peregrinus – serving as a terminus a quo. The two-volume set closes with valuable indices (covering the second volume alone). On the opposite bookend, volume i commences with a comprehensive bibliography (though lacking Jan Kozlowski's relevant studies). If accepted, Zwierlein's complex reconstructions would replace more traditional views with intricate histories of adaptations across several centuries, motivated by assorted later controversies. Zwierlein's exacting work will certainly become a stimulating interlocutor, as other scholars sift and weigh his specific arguments, particular assertions of literary dependence, and detailed claims.