2. Reason directs that all who are really pious, and truly
^I^GS'I Yr
'^BS GLOGJ
P J^
THE FIRST APOLOGY
S. JUSTIN MARTYR
FOR THE CHRISTIANS
TO ANTONINUS
PIUS.
1. To the Emperor Titus ^.lius Adrianus Antoninus Pius Augustus Caesar, to his son Verissimus the philosopher, ^res'g. and Lucius the philosopher % the natural son of Csesar, but the adopted son of Pius, and the lover of learning; and to the sacred Senate, and to the whole people of Rome, in favour of those men of all nations who are unjustly hated and oppressed,
I, Justin, the son of Priscus, and grandson of Bacchius, natives of Flavia Neapolis, a city of Palestine, being one of them, have composed this address and petition.
2. Reason directs that all who are really pious, and truly philosophers, should l ove tha t alone whicli is_ true, and tVJus- ^^^^ refuse to follow the opinions of~tlie ancients, should they*'^^' prove to be worthless ; for sound reason requires that we should not only reject those who act, or teach, any thing ^ Aovk'k}} <piXocr6(j)C{).
Eusebius, who of St.
Justin.
In the second section has translated this exordium of St. of the second Apology, the same words Justin, has (pi\oa-6(pov instead of cpiKoare repeated; and the Codices of St. a6(})C(>, and refers the term to Lucius Justin read as above (t)i\o(r6(p(f}, whilst ^lius Verus, the Csesar and father of those of Kusebius, who also cites the Lucius.
Valesius, in his note on the whole section, are again found to conpassage, whilst admitting that the Mss. tsi'm (pL\oa6(pou.
In favour perhaps of are on the whole in favour of the former Eusebius's reading, is the fact, that reading, yet contends for the correctLucius, when St. Justin thus addressed ness of the latter: whilst the Benehim, was only eight years old. dictine, and Otto, receive the text B
; ; ;
The Emperor s responsibility for justice.
Just, contrary to that whicli is right; but tliat by every means, - ^^^' and before his own life, the lover of truth ought, even if threatened with death, to choose to speak and to do what is right.
Since, then, you are universally termed pious, and philosophers, and guardians of justice, and lovers of learning; it shall now be seen whether you are indeed such.
For we have not come to flatter you by these writings of ours, nor to seek to please by our address ; but to make our claim to be judged after a strict and searching enquiry
; so that neither by prejudice, nor desire of popularity from the superstitious, nor by any unthinking impulse of zeal, nor by that evil report which has so long kept possession of your minds, you may be urged to give a decision against yourselves, 'or it is our maxim that we can suffer harm from none, unless we be convicted as doers of evil, or proved to be wicked : you may indeed slay us, but hurt us you cannot.
Claim of 3. But lest any should say that this is a senseless and rash ®°^""^^' assertion, I entreat that the charges against us may be examined ; and if they be substantiated, let us be punished as is right ^.
But if no man has any thing of which to accuse us, true reason does not allow you through a wicked report to wrong the innocent, or rather yourselves, who are disposed to direct affairs not by judgment, but by passion and every soberminded person will think this to be the only good and right proceeding, namely, that the subjects should give a blameless account of their life and doctrine and that their rulers should, on the other hand, equally give sentence, not under the guidance of violence, and tyranny, but of piety and wisdom.
Thus will both prince and people be blessed ; for one of the ancients has somewhere said, "Unless the princes and people alike act by philosophy, the city cannot prosper."
It is my undertaking, then, to give all men an account both of our life and doctrines lest, for those who appear to be ignorant of our customs, *J The text here adds the words think with Otto and others that they fj-aWov Se Ko\d(eiv, which the Benehave crept into the text from the dictine would alter to &Kko]/ 5e KoXd^eiy, margin, where some reader who thought "let us be punished as it is right to that S.
Justin's meaning would he punish another ;" i. e. an offender who better expressed by the active than is not a Christian.
We have omitted by the passive verb, had written fj-ciWoy to translate the words, because we KoKdCeiu.