Re-appropriating &quote;Marvelous Fables&quote;

Edwin Hatch provided a colorful portrait of the religious world to which Justin Martyr belonged: "e;The main subject-matter of . . . literary education [amongst the pagans] was the poets. . . . They were read as we read the Bible. They were committed to memory. The minds of men were saturated with them. A quotation from Homer or from a tragic poet was apposite on all occasions and in every kind of society"e; (The Influence of Greek Ideas on Christianity, 1957). So when some of these pagans converted to Christianity in Justin's day, is it reasonable to assume that they simply "e;forgot"e; these mythical narratives in which they had been reared from childhood? Re-appropriating "e;Marvelous Fables"e; sets out to argue that this was hardly the case. Rather, Justin in 1 Apology can be seen taking full advantage of this mythical framework that still loomed large in the minds of fledgling Christian believers and students in his care--masterfully re-appropriating this popular form of religious discourse for the purpose of solidifying their newfound faith.