JUSTI'NUS, commonly called JUSTIN, MARTYR, one of the early fathers of the Christian church, was born near the end of the Ist, or early in the 2nd century, in Palestine, at a place then called Neapolia, a new city, as may be ioLrred from its name, which had arisen upon the site of or near the ancient town of Sichem, of which we read in the Old Testament. His father was a Greek. Justin was carefully instructed in the learning of the Grecian schools of philo sophy, in the course of his studies visiting Alexandria, then a cele brated seat of learning; and travelling much iu Egypt. With a mind deeply imbued with the Platonic philosophy, he became sensible to the truth and beauty of Christianity, and made a public profession that he received it as divine truth. This was about the year 132.
During the remainder of his life Justin continued in the profession of Christianity, and is distinguished among the fathers of the church by the apologies and defences which be published. 'kis first apology for Christianity was addressed to the emperor Autoninus, at a time when the Christians were suffering rather from popular fury than from the bearing upon them of the regular authority of the state, and it prevailed so far as to obtain for them some favourable concessions from the emperor. His second apology was addressed to the suc cessor of Antoninus, Marcus Aurelius, on occasion of several Christians having been put to death for their faith. Both these apologies are extant; as well as another work of Justin's, which is a dialogue with Trypho, a learned Jew, in defence of Christianity. Of the genuine
ness of these works there is little doubt. There is also another work of his 'On the Unity and Sovereignty of God ;' but great suspicious are entertained of the genuineness of some other writings which have been attributed to him.
We have now to relate his end. The usual place of his residence was Rome, where, in or about 165, he was put to death a martyr to Christian truth : he is said to have been first scourged and theu beheaded. It was eminently as a martyr or witness that he suffered ; for he might have saved his life had he consented to join in a sacrifice to the heathen deities. Hence with his name has descended the addition of The Martyr, a distinction which in a later age was givcu to Peter, one of the Protestant sufferers for the truth.
'The Dialogue with Trypho' was edited by Dr. Samuel Jebb, and the 'Apologies' by Dr. Charles Ashton, two learned Englishmen of the last century. Among the best editions of the whole works of Justin may be named the oditio princeps of the collected works of Stephens, folio, 1551; that of °hardier, 2 vole. 8vo, 1777; and especially that of Otto, 2 vols. 8vo, Jena, 1892.44. There aro English translations of the Apologies by William Reeve, M.A., 2 vols. 8vo, 1809; and of the Dialogue by Henry Brown, 5I.A., 1755.