St. Justin lived from c. 100-165 AD. He gained great respect from society by interpreting the theology of the Logos; The Word of God, the second person of the Trinity. He was also a Christian apologist that used his gift for writing as a way to defend Christianity to a world that sought to destroy it. His work “The First Apology” was written to sway the opinion of Antonius, then Roman Emperor. Possessing a strong intellect, he brought both Christian theology and philosophy, including the works of Plato into his discourse. His legacy as a philosopher led to his designation as the patron saint of intellectuals and philosophers. Fittingly, on patron saint medals with his image or in other artwork he is usually shown holding a book.
St. Justin was persecuted during the time of Marcus Aurelius. He was sentenced to die after being questioned about his beliefs. During his testimony, he was resolute in his conviction of Christ as savior. For standing up for his conviction of Christ as kind, he was executed.