Justin Martyr

Justin Martyr, a Christian father of the second century, was born at 1 lavia Neapolis, now Nabulus, in Palestine. His parents appear to have been heathens. He himself was first a Stoic, then a Peripatetic, then a Pythagorean, and finally a Christian Platonist. Nothing is known of his life except what he himself tells, according to which he disputed at Ephesus with a Jew named Trypho, and at Rome with Crescens, a Cynic. Eusebius says that Justin owed his death to the hatred of the latter. His martyrdom was probably between

148 and 165, but the date of his birth cannot be fixed. The account of his death is derived from an old document of unknown authorship. Many writings are attributed to Justin, but very few are undoubtedly genuine. Of these the First Apology was dedicated to the Emperor Antoninus Pius. He defended the general position of the Christians rather than their particular doctrines.