Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Chris Weimer · 08-10-2007, 11:16 AM

What are our primary sources for Simon Magus? This is essentially what I have so far:

Acts of the Apostles, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Hippolytus, Acts of Peter, Recognitions and Homilies, and the Apophasis Megale.

Am I missing anything?

Toto · 08-10-2007, 11:29 AM

It depends on whether you assume that Simon Magus is mentioned in Josephus, who refers to a Jewish magician named Simon, or some other character

ccel

Quote:

4. Untenable Theories Concerning Simon Magus

...

It [420] has likewise been maintained that Simon Magus is to be identified with the heresiarch Simon of Gitta, who should, on this hypothesis, be dated in the early part of the second century, but for this theory there is not the slightest ground, especially in view of the testimony of Acts, Clement of Alexandria, and Justin. It is, on the other hand, not improbable that Simon Magus is to be identified with a Jewish magician named Simon who acted as a go-between for the procurator Felix of Judea. This Simon is described by Josephus (Ant., XX., vii. 2) as a Cypriot, but this statement probably rests upon a confusion of the Cyprian capital, Cittium (Hebr. Kittim), with the obscure Samaritan village of Gitta (Hebr. Gittim).

There also appears to be some Hebrew literature referenced at that link.

Ben C Smith · 08-10-2007, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Weimer

What are our primary sources for Simon Magus? This is essentially what I have so far:

Acts of the Apostles, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Hippolytus, Acts of Peter, Recognitions and Homilies, and the Apophasis Megale.

Am I missing anything?

There is a brief notice in Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies 7.17. (I have the Greek text on one of my canonical list weblogs.)

Eusebius gives some details, of course.

Epiphanius dedicates heresy 21 in his Panarion to the Simonian heresy, and includes mention of the legend of Peter and Simon at Rome.

I would bet good money that there are others, as well.

But I wonder how many of them offer truly independent testimony.

Ben.

Roger Pearse · 08-10-2007, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Weimer

...the Apophasis Megale.

The what?

All the best,

Roger Pearse

Toto · 08-10-2007, 01:16 PM

Simon Magnus in Catholic Encyclopedia

Quote:

A developed system of doctrines is attributed to Simon and his followers in the anti-heretical writings of the early Church, especially in Irenaeus ("Adv. haer., I, xxiii; IV; VI, xxxiii), in the "Philosophumena" (VI, VII sq.), and in Epiphanius ("Haer.", XXII). The work "The Great Declaration" (Apophasis megale) was also ascribed to Simon, and the "Pseudo-Clementines" also present his teaching in detail. How much of this system actually belonged to Simon cannot now be determined. Still his doctrine seems to have been a heathen Gnosticism, in which he proclaimed himself as the Standing One (estos), the principal emanation of the Deity and the Redeemer.

Roger Pearse · 08-10-2007, 01:42 PM

It seems that this is a work which is known to us online from Hippolytus, Refutation of Heresies (Philosophenuma), book 6, chapter 6 ff., in which he quotes or paraphases from a book of this title.

All the best,

Roger Pearse

mountainman · 08-12-2007, 03:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Weimer

What are our primary sources for Simon Magus? This is essentially what I have so far:

Acts of the Apostles, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Hippolytus, Acts of Peter, Recognitions and Homilies, and the Apophasis Megale.

Am I missing anything?

Yes .... the statue and inscription.
The ones to Simon Magus which

"was erected in the river Tiber,
between the two bridges,
and bore this inscription
in the language of Rome:
'Simoni Deo Sancto --
To Simon the holy God"

(I Apol. chs. xxvi, lvi; ANF. i, 171, 182; cf. Iren.
Adv. Haer. ch. xxiii; ANF. i, 347-8; Euseb. HE. II, 13.)

The fiction, which may not be entirely far from the truth,
does not stop and start with what you might wish to term
the primary sources in the literature tradition, but clearly
attempts to extend itself into the evidentiary citations
of the archeological and epigraphic, etc sources available to
ancient history.

No way hose.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WHELAS

re:Irenaeus

Irenaeus also vouches his belief in magic arts, repeating as
true the fabulous stories of Simon Magus and his statue in the
Tiber and the false recital of the inscription on it; and as a
professional heresy-hunter he falls upon Simon as the Father of
Heresy: "Now this Simon of Samaria, from whom all heresies derive
their origin. ... The successor of this man was Menander, also a
Samaritan by birth; and he, too, was a perfect adept in the
practice of magic." (Adv. Haer. I, xxiii; ANF. i, 348.)

and re: Justin Martyr

Father Justin also retails to the Emperor the old fable of
Simon Magus and his magical miracles at Rome, and attributes it all
to the work of the devils. For "the evil spirits, not being
satisfied with saying, before Christ's appearance, that those who
were said to be sons of Jupiter were born of him, but after he
appeared, ... and when they learned how He had been foretold by the
prophets, put forward again other men, the Samaritans Simon and
Menander, who did many mighty works by magic; ... and so greatly
astonished the sacred Senate and people of the Romans that he was
considered a god, and honored with a statue; ... which statue was
erected in the river Tiber, between the two bridges, and bore this
inscription in the language of Rome: 'Simoni Deo Sancto -- To Simon
the holy God" (I Apol. chs. xxvi, lvi; ANF. i, 171, 182; cf. Iren.
Adv. Haer. ch. xxiii; ANF. i, 347-8; Euseb. HE. II, 13.) We have
seen this much embroidered "tradition" myth exploded, and the
statue discovered and deciphered, it being a simple private pious
monument to a Pagan god!

-- extracted from Joseph Wheless,
"FORGERY IN CHRISTIANITY", 1930

etc

Does the statue and inscription exist?
What does this tell us?

yalla · 08-12-2007, 05:15 AM

FWIW
Hyam Macoby in "Mythmaker' makes the statement/suggestion that the Simon Magus referred to in "certain" anti-Pauline docos, [he later names the Pseudo-Clementines as one such] was a code name for Paul.
He asserts that this is "accepted by many scholars" and, from his text, I think he includes Baur as one such.

azidhak · 08-12-2007, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yalla

FWIW
Hyam Macoby in "Mythmaker' makes the statement/suggestion that the Simon Magus referred to in "certain" anti-Pauline docos, [he later names the Pseudo-Clementines as one such] was a code name for Paul.
He asserts that this is "accepted by many scholars" and, from his text, I think he includes Baur as one such.

Robert M. Price is a Lovecraft scholar as well as a bible scholar and in his comments to Richard L. Tierney's Simon Magus cycle (or via: amazon.co.uk) he alludes to Simon Magus as the Anti-Paul. Especially enlightening is when he compares Simon Magus' wanting to buy the power of the holy ghost with Paul's aid to the jewish christian community in Jerusalem to make them accept his apostoly.

yalla · 08-12-2007, 07:20 AM

Oh in answer to the OP I reckon Simon must be fair dinkum cos he was portrayed by Jack Palance in the movie "The Silver Chalice (or via: amazon.co.uk)" which IIRC was the debut film for Paul Newman.
Everyone knows Hollywood doesn't lie!

08-10-2007, 11:16 AM	#1
Chris Weimer Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: none Posts: 9,879	Did Simon Magus exist? What are our primary sources for Simon Magus? This is essentially what I have so far: Acts of the Apostles, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Hippolytus, Acts of Peter, Recognitions and Homilies, and the Apophasis Megale. Am I missing anything?

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08-10-2007, 01:42 PM	#6
Roger Pearse Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: N/A Posts: 4,370	It seems that this is a work which is known to us online from Hippolytus, Refutation of Heresies (Philosophenuma), book 6, chapter 6 ff., in which he quotes or paraphases from a book of this title. All the best, Roger Pearse

08-12-2007, 05:15 AM	#8
yalla Veteran Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: oz Posts: 1,848	FWIW Hyam Macoby in "Mythmaker' makes the statement/suggestion that the Simon Magus referred to in "certain" anti-Pauline docos, [he later names the Pseudo-Clementines as one such] was a code name for Paul. He asserts that this is "accepted by many scholars" and, from his text, I think he includes Baur as one such.

08-12-2007, 07:20 AM	#10
yalla Veteran Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: oz Posts: 1,848	Oh in answer to the OP I reckon Simon must be fair dinkum cos he was portrayed by Jack Palance in the movie "The Silver Chalice (or via: amazon.co.uk)" which IIRC was the debut film for Paul Newman. Everyone knows Hollywood doesn't lie!

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