Iustinus

Justīnus, i, m., Justin.

• I A Roman historian in the second century of the Christian era, who made an abstract of the historical work of Trogus Pompeius.—
• II Justinus I., a Roman emperor of low birth (a swine-herd) in the sixth century of the Christian era.—
• III Justinus II., a Roman emperor in the latter half of the sixth century.
• —Hence, Justīnĭānus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to the emperor Justin: labores, Coripp. Laud. Just. 1, 263.—
• IV A philosopher who defended the Christians under Antoninus Pius, called also Justin Martyr, Hier. Ep. 70, 4 al.

Iūstīnus, ī, m. (vollst. M. Iunianus Iustinus od. M. Iustinus Frontinus), ein röm. Historiker, der aus den Schriften des Trogus Pompeius die unter Iustinus' Namen bekannte Epitome verfertigte, wahrsch. Zeitgenosse der Antonine; vgl. W. Teuffel Gesch. der röm. Literat.⁶ 258, 5 ff.

Iustīnus, M. Iuniānus

A Latin historian, generally supposed to have flourished in the age of the Antonines. Nothing is known of the particulars of Justin's life. He made an epitome or selection of extracts from the Historiae Philippicae of Trogus Pompeius, written under Augustus. This epitome is entitled, Historiarum Philippicarum et Totius Mundi Originum, et Terrae Situs ex Trogo Pompeio Excerptarum Libri XLIV. a Nino ad Caesarem Augustum, and it is best described as a history of the world down to the Roman conquest of the East. In making his extracts, Justin gave the preference to those facts and those passages which he considered peculiarly interesting. Other events are only mentioned briefly, and by way of transition. Chronology is entirely neglected in the work of Justin, as in the greater part of the ancient writers. His style is correct, simple, and elegant, but unequal; though preferable to that of Florus.

The value of Justin's history chiefly depends on the circumstance of Trogus's work having been compiled from some of the best of the ancient historical writers, such as Theopompus, Herodotus, Ctesias, Hieronymus of Cardia, Timaeus, Phylarchus, Polybius, Posidonius, etc.

In the Middle Ages the work of Justin was much read and copied, though not used in schools. The editio princeps appeared at Venice and Rome in 1470. Good editions are those of Fittbogen, with notes (Halle, 1835), Johanneau and Dübner, revised by Jeep (Leipzig, 1860), with critical commentary, and Rühl (Leipzig, 1886). There is an index in the Delphin edition (by Cantel) and in the Lemaire edition, from Wetzel.