Comparing Crito And First Apology

Nicholas DiBlasi Dr. Ruzicka Christianity and Culture in Dialogue 01 May 2024

Justice and Defense Two ancient seminal works which take profound leaps into the themes of morality, justice, and defense of one's beliefs are Plato’s “Crito” and Justin Martyr’s “First Apology”. Although these two literary works derive from different periods, reflecting contrasting societies and cultures, both highlight the concepts of justice and defense in differing contexts. In short, “Crito” is a philosophical dialogue that determines certain rights as a citizen and the nature of justice under Socratic philosophy. On the other hand, Justin’s “First Apology” showcases a defense of Christianity after suffering constant violence and disrespect by the Roman Empire.
This dialogue between Socrates, and his friend Crito, takes place in his prison cell where Crito delivers great news. Crito informs Socrates that he has planned to smuggle the ancient philosopher out of the cell to the safety of exile. Although there is a clear path of escape, Socrates disagrees with these arrangements saying, “I cannot, now that this fate has come upon me, discard the arguments I used; they seem to me much the same. I value and respect the same principles as before, and if we have no better arguments to bring up at this moment, be sure that I shall not agree with you” (Plato). Even in the face of death, Socrates was not willing to change his morals just because of a time of desperation. Countering Crito’s argument for escaping, Socrates mentions how there is high importance to adhering to the principles of justice, even if facing any injustices. Placing himself in the shoes of Athenian Law, Socrates states “We have given you birth, nurtured you, educated you; we have given you and all other citizens a share of all the good things we could. Even so, by giving every Athenian the opportunity, once arrived
This theme of defense is more prevalent in Justin’s “First Apology” written in about 155 AD by the famous Greek apologist to the Roman Emperor at the time, Antonius Pius. This apology deals with the accusations of atheism and sedition against the Christians in the Roman Empire. During this time, most if not all Christians were not accepted by society and were thought of as evil beings. By composing this first apology, Justin wanted to change the negative stereotype Christians had in their community while preventing all persecution of its people. He goes on to defend his fellow Christians, explaining how “truth alone is the thing to be had in the highest honour, and to hold the first place in our affections, and the ancients to be followed not one step further than they are followers of truth” (Martyr). The famous apologist tries to defend his religion by showing how their beliefs are based on truth and nothing else. He goes on to argue how Christians are being unjustly persecuted because of a misunderstanding. One way that Justin tries to promote Christianity is by appealing to different Roman values/morals, such as justice or tolerance. To combat any charges of