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The Martyrdom of Justin Martyr

Anonymous

Chapter 5

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 V.—Sentence pronounced and executed.

Rusticus the prefect pronounced sentence, saying, “Let

‹ Chapter 4

those

who

have

refused

to

sacrifice

to

the

gods

and

to

yield

to

the

command

of

the

emperor

be

scourged

,

and

led

away

to

suffer

the

punishment

of

decapitation

,

according

to

the

laws

.

”

The

holy

martyrs

having

glorified

God

,

and

having

gone

forth

to

the

accustomed

place

,

were

beheaded

,

and

perfected

their

testimony

in

the

confession

of

the

Saviour

.

And

some

of

the

faithful

having

secretly

removed

their

bodies

,

laid

them

in

a

suitable

place

,

the

grace

of

our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

having

wrought

along

with

them

,

to

whom

be

glory

for

ever

and

ever

.

Amen

.

Notes

6
[This wholesale sentence implies a great indifference to the probable Roman citizenship of some of them, if not our heroic martyr himself; but Acts xxii. 25–29 seems to allow that the condemned were not protected by the law.]