From the Prologue of Ochrid
Born of Greek parents in the Samaritan city of Shechem, later called Nablus, in the year 105 after Christ. He earnestly sought wisdom from philosophers, first the Stoics, then the Peripatetics, then the Pythagoreans, and finally the Platonists. Although Plato's philosophy did not satisfy him either, he lingered with it the longest, having nothing that attracted him more. But by the Providence of God a certain honorable elder appeared to him, who shook in him the whole philosophy of Plato and reminded him that men cannot know the truth about God until God reveals it to them, and God has revealed the truth about Himself in the books of Holy Scripture. Justin began to read Holy Scripture and became a convinced Christian. Yet he would not be baptized or call himself a Christian until he had personally verified the falseness of all the accusations that the pagans raised against Christians. Coming to Rome in a philosopher's cloak, he quickly gained great respect and many followers there. He was present at the martyrdom of the holy martyrs Ptolemy and Lucius. Seeing the suffering of innocent Christians, he wrote an apology (defense) of Christians and the Christian teaching and presented it to Emperor Antoninus and the senate. The emperor read the apology attentively and ordered the persecution of Christians to cease. Justin took a copy of the emperor's decree and went with it to Asia, where by means of that decree he saved many persecuted Christians. Then he returned again to Rome. When persecution arose under Emperor Marcus Aurelius, he wrote a second apology and addressed it to the emperor. A certain dishonorable philosopher Crescens, a Cynic, accused him as a Christian, out of envy because Justin surpassed him in all debates, and Justin was thrown into prison. Desiring Justin's death but fearing that he might somehow vindicate himself at trial, Crescens found an opportunity and somehow poisoned Justin in prison. Thus this great defender of the Christian faith ended his earthly life and departed to blessed eternity in the year 166.
