JUSTIN MARTYR (c. 100-165 CE)
In 165 a Christian apologist and six of his companions were beheaded for refusing to sacrifice to the gods in obedience to the emperor--who, at the time, was the Stoic Marcus Aurelius. So defining a moment was it that the act became a sort of "name": we now know him as Justin Martyr. (The word means "witness," but is used for people who die for their beliefs.) When he was young, he had tried on various philosophies--Stoic, Aristotelian, Pythagorean, Platonic--but none of them seemed to fit. At last he ran into an aged Christian who told him that the Prophets were more reliable than the philosophers; accepting this, he moved to Rome, where he took up the robe and profession of "philosopher," but teaching Christianity.
- Though he is said to have written at least eight works, only two apologies and a dialogue survive.
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