(NOTE: The electronic text obtained from The Electronic Bible Society was
not completely corrected. EWTN has corrected all discovered errors.)

Transliteration of Greek words: All phonetical except: w = omega; h serves
three puposes: 1. = Eta; 2. = rough breathing, when appearing intially
before a vowel; 3. = in the aspirated letters theta = th, phi = ph, chi =
ch. Accents are given immediately after their corresponding vowels: acute =
' , grave = `, circumflex = ^. The character ' doubles as an apostrophe,
when necessary.


THE MARTYRDOM OF THE HOLY MARTYRS JUSTIN, CHARITON, CHARITES, PAEON, AND
LIBERIANUS, WHO SUFFERED AT ROME.

[TRANSLATED BY THE REV. M. DODS, M.A.]

CHAP. I.--EXAMINATION OF JUSTIN BY THE PREFECT.

   IN the time of the lawless partisans of idolatry, wicked decrees were
passed against the godly Christians in town and country, to force them to
offer libations to vain idols; and accordingly the holy men, having been
apprehended, were brought before the prefect of Rome, Rusticus by name. And
when they had been brought before his judgment-seat, Rusticus the prefect
said to Justin, "Obey the gods at once, and submit to the kings."(1) Justin
said, "To obey the commandments of our Saviour Jesus Christ is worthy
neither of blame nor of condemnation." Rusticus the prefect said, "What
kind of doctrines do you profess?" Justin said, "I have endeavoured to
learn all doctrines; but I have acquiesced at last in the true doctrines,
those namely of the Christians, even though they do not please those who
hold false opinions." Rusticus the prefect said, "Are those the doctrines
that please you, you utterly wretched man?" Justin said, "Yes, since I
adhere to them with right dogma."(2) Rusticus the prefect said, "What is
the dogma?" Justin said, "That according to which we worship the God of the
Christians, whom we reckon to be one from the beginning, the maker and
fashioner of the whole creation, visible and invisible; and the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, who had also been preached beforehand by the
prophets as about to be present with the race of men, the herald of
salvation and teacher of good disciples. And I, being a man, think that
what I can say is insignificant in comparison with His boundless divinity,
acknowledging a Certain prophetic power,(3) since it was prophesied
concerning Him of whom now I say that He is the Son of God. For I know that
of old the prophets foretold His appearance among men."

CHAP. II.-- EXAMINATION OF JUSTIN CONTINUED.

   Rusticus the prefect said, "Where do you assemble?" Justin said, "Where
each one chooses and can: for do you fancy that we all meet in the very
same place? Not so; because the God of the Christians is not circumscribed
by place; but being invisible, fills heaven and earth, and everywhere is
worshipped and glorified by the faithful." Rusticus the prefect said, "Tell
me where you assemble, or into what place do you collect your followers?"
Justin said, "I live above one Martinus, at the Timiotinian Bath; and
during the whole time (and I am now living in Rome for the second time) I
am unaware of any other meeting than his. And if any one wished to come to
me, I communicated to him the doctrines of truth." Rusticus said, "Are you
not, then, a Christian?" Justin said, "Yes, I am a Christian."

CHAP. III.--EXAMINATION OF CHARITON AND OTHERS.

   Then said the prefect Rusticus to Chariton, "Tell me further, Chariton,
are you also a Christian?" Chariton said, "I am a Christian by the command
of God." Rusticus the prefect asked the woman Charito, "What say you,
Charito?" Charito said, "I am a Christian by the grace of God." Rusticus
said to Euelpistus, "And what are you?" Euelpistus, a servant of Caesar,
answered, "I too am a Christian, having been freed by Christ; and by the
grace of Christ I partake of the same hope." Rusticus the prefect said to
Hierax, "And you, are you a Christian?" Hierax said, "Yes, I am a
Christian, for I revere and worship the same God." Rusticus the prefect
said, "Did Justin make you Christians?" Hierax said, "I was a Christian,
and will be a Christian." And Paeon stood up and said, "I too am a
Christian." Rusticus the prefect said, "Who taught you?" Paeon said, "From
our parents we received this good confession." Euelpistus said, "I
willingly heard the words of Justin. But from my parents also I learned to
be a Christian." Rusticus the prefect said, "Where are your parents?"
Euelpistus said, "In Cappadocia." Rusticus says to Hierax, "Where are your
parents?" And he answered, and said,

"Christ is our true father, and faith in Him is our mother; and my earthly
parents died; and I, when I was driven from Iconium in Phrygia, came here."
Rusticus the prefect said to Liberianus, "And what say you? Are you a
Christian,  and unwilling to worship [the gods]?" Liberianus said, "I too
am a Christian, for I worship and reverence the only true God."

CHAP. IV.--RUSTICUS THREATENS THE CHRISTIANS WITH DEATH.

   The prefect says to Justin, "Hearken, you who are called learned, and
think that you know true doctrines; if you are scourged and beheaded, do
you believe you will ascend into heaven?" Justin said, "I hope that, if I
endure these things, I shall have His gifts.(1) For I know that, to all who
have thus lived, there abides the divine favour until the completion of the
whole world." Rusticus the prefect said, "Do you suppose, then, that you
will ascend into heaven to receive some recompense?" Justin said, "I do not
suppose it, but I know and am fully persuaded of it." Rusticus the prefect
said, "Let us, then, now come to the matter in hand, and which presses.
Having come together, offer sacrifice with one accord to the gods." Justin
said, "No right-thinking person falls away from piety to impiety." Rusticus
the prefect said, "Unless ye obey, ye shall be mercilessly punished."
Justin said, "Through prayer we can be saved on account of our Lord Jesus
Christ, even when we have been punished,(2) because this shall become to us
salvation and confidence at the more fearful and universal judgment-seat of
our Lord and Saviour." Thus also said the other martyrs: "Do what you will,
for we are Christians, and do not sacrifice to idols."

CHAP. V.--SENTENCE PRONOUNCED AND EXECUTED.

   Rusticus the prefect pronounced sentence, saying, "Let those who have
refused to sacrifice to the gods and to yield to the command of the emperor
be scourged,(3) and led away to suffer  the punishment of decapitation,
according to the  laws." The holy martyrs having glorified God, and having
gone forth to the accustomed place, were beheaded, and perfected their
testimony in the confession of the Saviour. And some of the faithful having
secretly removed their bodies, laid them in a suitable place, the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ having wrought along with them, to whom be glory for
ever and ever. Amen.


Taken from "The Early Church Fathers and Other Works" originally published
by Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co. in English in Edinburgh, Scotland beginning in
1867. (ANF 1, Roberts and Donaldson.) The digital version is by The
Electronic Bible Society, P.O. Box 701356, Dallas, TX 75370, 214-407-WORD.

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