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in kind. And if anyone can convict us of doing wrong, whether small or great, we do not refuse to be punished, but even whatever punishment is most bitter and merciless, we think it right to undergo; but if the accusation is merely a matter of a name (for to this very day, what the common and indiscriminate rumor of men spreads about us, and no Christian has been convicted of wrongdoing), it is now your task, O greatest and most philanthropic and most learned emperors, to dispel by law the false accusation against us, so that just as the whole world has shared in the benefits from you, both individually and by cities, we too may be grateful to you, glorying that we have ceased to be falsely accused. For it is not in keeping with your justice that others who are charged with crimes should be punished not before they are convicted, but that in our case the name should have more force than the proofs at the trial, with the judges not inquiring whether the accused has done any wrong, but insulting the name as if it were a crime. But no name in and of itself is considered either wicked or good, but they seem either bad or good according to the wicked or good actions connected with them. But you know these things more clearly, proceeding as you do from philosophy and all learning. For this reason those who are judged before you, even if they are accused of the greatest crimes, are confident, <and> knowing that you will examine their life and will pay no attention to the names, if they are empty, nor to the charges of the accusers, if they should be false, they receive on equal terms the vote that condemns and the one that acquits. Therefore, we also claim as our right this same equal treatment for all, that we not be hated and punished because we are called Christians (for what does the name contribute to wickedness?), but be judged on whatever charge anyone may bring, and either be released, having cleared ourselves of the charges, or be punished, being convicted as wicked, not on account of the name (for no Christian is wicked, unless he is a hypocrite in his profession), but on account of the crime. Thus also we see those judged who are from philosophy; none of them before judgment seems to the judge to be good or wicked because of his knowledge or art, but if he is found to be unjust, he is punished, bringing no charge against philosophy (for he is wicked who does not philosophize according to the law, but the knowledge itself is blameless), and having cleared himself of the slanders, he is acquitted. Let the same, then, be true in our case also. Let the life of the accused be examined, but let the name be cleared of all blame. But it is necessary for me, as I begin to make a defense for our doctrine, to ask of you, O greatest emperors, to be impartial hearers for us, and not to be prejudiced, being carried away by the common and irrational rumor, but to apply your love of learning and love of truth also to our doctrine. For thus you on the one hand will not sin through ignorance, and we, having been cleared of the indiscriminate rumor of the multitude, will cease from being warred against. They bring three charges against us: atheism, Thyestean feasts, Oedipodean unions. But if these things are true, spare no class of us, but proceed against the crimes, with their wives and

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γένει. Καὶ εἰ μέν τις ἡμᾶς ἐλέγχειν ἔχει ἢ μικρὸν ἢ μεῖζον ἀδικοῦντας, κολάζεσθαι οὐ παραιτούμεθα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἥτις πικροτάτη καὶ ἀνηλεὴς τιμωρία, ὑπέχειν ἀξιοῦμεν· εἰ δὲ μέχρις ὀνόματος ἡ κατηγορία (εἰς γοῦν τὴν σήμερον ἡμέραν ἃ περὶ ἡμῶν λογοποιοῦσιν ἡ κοινὴ καὶ ἄκριτος τῶν ἀνθρώπων φήμη, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀδικῶν Χριστιανὸς ἐλήλεγκται), ὑμῶν ἤδη ἔργον τῶν μεγίστων καὶ φιλανθρωποτάτων καὶ φιλομαθεστάτων βασιλέων ἀποσκευάσαι ἡμῶν νόμῳ τὴν ἐπήρειαν, ἵν' ὥσπερ ἡ σύμπασα ταῖς παρ' ὑμῶν εὐεργεσίαις καὶ καθ' ἕνα κεκοινώνηκε καὶ κατὰ πόλεις, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἔχωμεν ὑμῖν χάριν σεμνυνόμενοι ὅτι πεπαύμεθα συκοφαντούμενοι. καὶ γὰρ οὐ πρὸς τῆς ὑμετέρας δικαιοσύνης τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους αἰτίαν λαβόντας ἀδικημάτων μὴ πρότερον ἢ ἐλεγχθῆναι κολάζεσθαι, ἐφ' ἡμῶν δὲ μεῖζον ἰσχύειν τὸ ὄνομα τῶν ἐπὶ τῇ δίκῃ ἐλέγχων, οὐκ εἰ ἠδίκησέν τι ὁ κρινόμενος τῶν δικαζόντων ἐπιζητούντων, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸ ὄνομα ὡς εἰς ἀδίκημα ἐνυβριζόντων. οὐδὲν δὲ ὄνομα ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ δι' αὑτοῦ οὐ πονηρὸν οὐδὲ χρηστὸν νομίζεται, διὰ δὲ τὰς ὑποκειμένας αὐτοῖς ἢ πονηρὰς ἢ ἀγαθὰς ἢ φλαῦρα ἢ ἀγαθὰ δοκεῖ. ὑμεῖς δὲ ταῦτα ἴστε φανερώτερον, ὡσανεὶ ἀπὸ φιλοσοφίας καὶ παιδείας πάσης ὁρμώμενοι. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ οἱ παρ' ὑμῖν κρινόμενοι, κἂν ἐπὶ μεγίστοις φεύγωσι, θαρροῦσιν, <καὶ> εἰδότες ὅτι ἐξετάσετε αὐτῶν τὸν βίον καὶ οὔτε τοῖς ὀνόμασι προσθήσεσθε, ἂν ᾖ κενά, οὔτε ταῖς ἀπὸ τῶν κατηγόρων αἰτίαις, εἰ ψευδεῖς εἶεν, ἐν ἴσῃ τάξει τὴν καταδικάζουσαν τῆς ἀπολυούσης δέχονται ψῆφον. τὸ τοίνυν πρὸς ἅπαντας ἴσον καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀξιοῦμεν, μὴ ὅτι Χριστιανοὶ λεγόμεθα μισεῖσθαι καὶ κολά ζεσθαι (τί γὰρ ἡμῖν τὸ ὄνομα πρὸς κακίαν τελεῖ;), ἀλλὰ κρίνεσθαι ἐφ' ὅτῳ ἂν καὶ εὐθύνῃ τις, καὶ ἢ ἀφίεσθαι ἀπολυομένους τὰς κατηγορίας ἢ κολάζεσθαι τοὺς ἁλισκομένους πονηρούς, μὴ ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι (οὐδεὶς γὰρ Χριστιανὸς πονηρός, εἰ μὴ ὑποκρίνεται τὸν λόγον), ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ ἀδικήματι. οὕτω καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ φιλοσοφίας κρινομένους ὁρῶμεν· οὐδεὶς αὐτῶν πρὸ κρίσεως διὰ τὴν ἐπιστήμην ἢ τέχνην ἀγαθὸς ἢ πονηρὸς τῷ δικαστῇ εἶναι δοκεῖ, ἀλλὰ δόξας μὲν εἶναι ἄδικος κολάζεται, οὐδὲν τῇ φιλοσοφίᾳ προστριψάμενος ἔγκλημα (ἐκεῖνος γὰρ πονηρὸς ὁ μὴ ὡς νόμος φιλοσοφῶν, ἡ δὲ ἐπιστήμη ἀναίτιος), ἀπολυσάμενος δὲ τὰς διαβολὰς ἀφίεται. ἔστω δὴ τὸ ἴσον καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν· ὁ τῶν κρινομένων ἐξεταζέσθω βίος, τὸ δὲ ὄνομα παντὸς ἀφείσθω ἐγκλήματος. ἀναγκαῖον δέ μοι ἀρχομένῳ ἀπολογεῖσθαι ὑπὲρ τοῦ λόγου δεηθῆναι ὑμῶν, μέγιστοι αὐτο κράτορες, ἴσους ἡμῖν ἀκροατὰς γενέσθαι καὶ μὴ τῇ κοινῇ καὶ ἀλόγῳ φήμῃ συναπενεχθέντας προκατασχεθῆναι, ἐπιτρέψαι δὲ ὑμῶν τὸ φιλομαθὲς καὶ φιλάληθες καὶ τῷ καθ' ἡμᾶς λόγῳ. ὑμεῖς τε γὰρ οὐ πρὸς ἀγνοίας ἐξαμαρτήσετε καὶ ἡμεῖς τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀκρίτου τῶν πολλῶν φήμης ἀπολυσάμενοι παυσόμεθα πολεμούμενοι. Τρία ἐπιφημίζουσιν ἡμῖν ἐγκλήματα, ἀθεότητα, Θυέστεια δεῖπνα, Oἰδιποδείους μίξεις. ἀλλὰ εἰ μὲν ἀληθῆ ταῦτα, μηδενὸς γένους φείσησθε, ἐπεξέλθετε δὲ τοῖς ἀδικήμασι, σὺν γυναιξὶ καὶ