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The Martyrdom of Justin Martyr

Anonymous

Chapter 1

About this work

A concise record of the examination and execution of Justin and several companions before the Roman prefect, emphasizing their confession, refusal to sacrifice, and expectation of resurrection.

Author: Anonymous
Date: Late 2nd-century account of a mid-2nd-century martyrdom
Origin: Rome
Genre: Martyrdom Account

Justin and his companions were martyred around AD 165; the surviving anonymous literary account and its recensions may be later.

Chapter I.—Examination of Justin by the prefect.

In the time of the lawless partisans of idolatry,

Chapter 2 ›

wicked

decrees

were

passed

against

the

godly

Christians

in

town

and

country

,

to

force

them

to

offer

libations

to

vain

idols

;

and

accordingly

the

holy

men

,

having

been

apprehended

,

were

brought

before

the

prefect

of

Rome

,

Rusticus

by

name

.

And

when

they

had

been

brought

before

his

judgment

-

seat

,

said

to

Justin

,

“

Obey

the

gods

at

once

,

and

submit

to

the

kings

.

”

Justin

said

,

“

To

obey

the

commandments

of

our

Saviour

Jesus

Christ

is

worthy

neither

of

blame

nor

of

condemnation

.

”

Rusticus

the

prefect

said

,

“

What

kind

of

doctrines

do

you

profess

?

”

Justin

said

,

“

I

have

endeavoured

to

learn

all

doctrines

;

but

I

have

acquiesced

at

last

in

the

true

doctrines

,

those

namely

of

the

Christians

,

even

though

they

do

not

please

those

who

hold

false

opinions

.

”

Rusticus

the

prefect

said

,

“

Are

those

the

doctrines

that

please

you

,

you

utterly

wretched

man

?

”

Justin

said

,

“

Yes

,

since

I

adhere

to

them

with

right

dogma

.

”

Rusticus

the

prefect

said

,

“

What

is

the

dogma

?

”

Justin

said

,

“

That

according

to

which

we

worship

the

God

of

the

Christians

,

whom

we

reckon

to

be

one

from

the

beginning

,

the

maker

and

fashioner

of

the

whole

creation

,

visible

and

invisible

;

and

the

Lord

Jesus

Christ

,

the

Son

of

God

,

who

had

also

been

preached

beforehand

by

the

prophets

as

about

to

be

present

with

the

race

of

men

,

the

herald

of

salvation

and

teacher

of

good

disciples

.

And

I

,

being

a

man

,

think

that

what

I

can

say

is

insignificant

in

comparison

with

His

boundless

divinity

,

acknowledging

a

certain

prophetic

power

,

since

it

was

prophesied

concerning

Him

of

whom

now

I

say

that

He

is

the

Son

of

God

.

For

I

know

that

of

old

the

prophets

foretold

His

appearance

among

men

.

”

Notes

1
i.e., the emperors.
2
Μετὰ δόγματος ὀρθοῦ, orthodoxy.
3
That is, that a prophetic inspiration is required to speak worthily of Christ.