JUSTIN MARTYR

JUSTIN MARTYR, “The Philosopher,” apologist, St. (?–165). Justin was the first who attempted to reconcile Christian belief with Greek philosophy (q.v.). Of the many works attributed to him by the ecclesiastical historian Eusebius of Caesarea (q.v.), only the Apologies against the pagans and the Dialogue with the Jew Trypho exist today. Also of historical importance is The Acts of St. Justin and his Companions, which contains the official Roman court proceedings against Justin and six of his companions, all of whom were scourged and beheaded. One writing, a pseudo-Justinian work, or possibly the lost Confutation of the Greeks, seems to have been devoted to convincing a pagan by logical proof to accept Christianity. Many theologians posit that the spread of Christianity in the early centuries occurred as a result of not only evangelism (q.v.) and teaching, but of Christian martyrdom (q.v.). In Greek the word “martyr,” Justin’s epithet, also means “witness.”