Justin Martyr

Justin calls himself the son of Priscus and grandson of Bacchius, from Flavia Neapolis in Palestine, the modern Nablus (Justin, First Apology 1). By his own account he tried one school of Greek philosophy after another before an old man turned him to the Hebrew prophets and to Christ, and he went on calling himself a philosopher afterwards (Justin, Dialogue with Trypho 2–8).

At Rome he taught in his lodging, wrote against Marcion and other teachers, and addressed his Apology to Antoninus Pius (Acts of Justin 2; 5) (Justin, First Apology 26) (Justin, First Apology 1). He was tried with six companions before the prefect Rusticus and beheaded (Acts of Justin 2; 5). Irenaeus, who wrote about fifteen years later, already speaks of his martyrdom, and Eusebius places it under Marcus Aurelius (Irenaeus, Against Heresies 1.28.1) (Eusebius, Church History 4.16). See Justin Martyr Defends the Faith and Describes Its Worship.