out to me by a revelation, as I shall declare in what follows; having gathered these things together, already almost corrupted by length of time: that Jesus Christ our Lord may also gather me together with his elect. To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

PART II.

THE

APOLOGY OF JUSTIN MARTYR

FOR THE

CHRISTIANS

TO ANTONINUS PIUS.

1. To the Emperor Titus Ælius Adrianus Antoninus Pius Augustus Cæsar, and to his son 53* Verissimus the Philosopher, and to Lucius the Philosopher, the son of (Ælius Verus) Cæsar by

The figures in the margin refer to the pages in the Paris Edition.

b

The Emperor Adrian adopted Lucius Ælius Verus, and gave him the title of Cæsar. This Lucius died; leaving only one son Lucius Verus.

Adrian then adopted Titus Antoninus Pius, as his successor, upon condition that he should adopt both Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, who is here called Verissimus, his wife's brother's son, and Lucius Verus, the son of Ælius Verus.

The following scheme will shew the relation in which Lucius Verus stood towards Antoninus Pius and Lucius Ælius Verus.

Thus Lucius Verus was by birth son of L. Ælius Verus Cæsar, and the adopted son of Antoninus Pius. The apology of Athe

nagoras

birth, and of Pius by adoption, the lover of learning; and to the sacred Senate, and to all the Roman people, in behalf of those of all nations who are unjustly hated and persecuted, I Justin, the son of Priscus, and grandson of Bacchius, natives of Flavia Neapolis of Syria Palestine, being myself one of those (who are so unjustly used) offer this address and supplication.

2. Reason herself dictates that those, who can with propriety be denominated Pious and Philosophers, should love and honour truth alone, and refuse to follow the opinions of the ancients, if plainly erroneous. For right reason not only forbids us to assent to those who are unjust, either in practice or in principle, but commands the lover of truth, by all means, to choose that which is just in word and deed, even in preference to his own

nagoras is in like manner inscribed to Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Ælius, or Aurelius Verus, the philosophers.

Of Lucius Verus the following character is given by Gibbon, (Book 1. ch. 3.). "He was adopted by Pius; and on the accession of Marcus was invested with an equal share of sovereign power. Among the many vices of this younger Verus, he possessed one virtue: a dutiful reverence for his wiser colleague, to whom he willingly abandoned the ruder cares of empire. The philosophic emperor dissembled his follies, lamented his early death, and cast a decent veil over his memory."

© Flavia Neapolis was, as its name implies, a new town, built near the ruins of Sychem, in Samaria. It derived its name Flavia from Flavius Vespasian, who sent a colony thither.