79

of the faith of the same Dionysius, he made him bishop in that country; which Dionysius, formerly a philosopher, also composed books against the Greeks. But the holy Paul returned to Jerusalem. And in the reign of the same Nero, a certain Egyptian magician named Simon went up to Rome, performing certain phantoms through sorcery and calling himself Christ. And when the holy apostle Peter heard about him, he went up to Rome. And as he was going up to Rome, while passing through Antioch the great, it happened that Evodus, the bishop and patriarch of Antioch, died; and Ignatius received the office of the episcopate of Antioch the great, having been ordained by the holy apostle Peter. And it happened in the same times that Mark the apostle also died in Alexandria the great, being bishop there and patriarch. And Anianus, his disciple, received the episcopate from him, as the wise Theophilus the chronographer wrote. And when the holy apostle Peter arrived in Rome and learned where Simon the magician was staying, he went to him where he was lodging; and he found there a great sheep-dog in the gateway where Simon the magician was staying, bound with chains, whom Simon had tied up on account of Peter and those wanting to go up to him, so that no one, as it happened, could pass without Simon commanding the dog and the dog allowing those whom Simon wished to pass; and this was a preliminary wonder for the one about to go up to 253 the same Simon. But Peter, having seen the dog so great and fearsome, and having learned from those standing outside the same gateway that unless Simon commanded the dog, the same dog does not allow anyone to go up, but attacking kills the one who approaches it; therefore Peter, taking hold of the dog's chain, loosed it and said to it, "Go up to Simon and tell him in a human voice, 'Peter, the servant of the most high God, wishes to come up.'" And the same dog went up immediately at a run; and while he was teaching some magical deceptions, the dog stood in the midst and says in a human voice to Simon, "Peter, the servant of the most high God, wishes to come up to you." And those who heard the dog speaking with a human voice were amazed, saying, "Who is Peter or what is the power of this Peter of whom the dog spoke, that he made the dog speak like a human and give him the reply." And Simon says to the people standing by and marveling at Peter, "Let this not surprise you; for behold, I too will tell the dog to bring a reply to him in the same human voice." And Simon says to the dog, "I command you to go and tell Peter in a human voice that Simon said, 'Come up.'" And Peter went up to Simon and contended with Simon the Egyptian, he also performing wonders; and he defeated Simon the magician by performing healings. And many believed in Peter and were enlightened. 254 And there was in Rome a great commotion and rumor on account of Simon and Peter, because they were performing wonders opposite one another. And Agrippa the prefect, hearing the commotion, reported to the emperor Nero that there are some in this reigning city performing wonders opposite one another, and the one says he is Christ, but the other says, "He is not, but is a magician; for I am a disciple of Christ." And the emperor Nero ordered Simon and Peter to be brought in to him, and Pilate to be brought from the prison. And they were brought in to the emperor; and Nero asked Simon, saying, "Are you the one whom the people say is Christ?" And he said, "Yes." And Nero also asked Peter, saying, "Is this truly the Christ?" But Peter said, "He is not; for I am his disciple, and upon me

79

τῆς πίστεως τοῦ αὐτοῦ ∆ιονυσίου ἐποίησεν αὐτὸν ἐπίσκοπον ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ ἐκείνῃ· ὅστις ∆ιονύσιος ὁ ἀπὸ φιλοσόφων καὶ βίβλους καθ' Ἑλλήνων ἐξέθετο. ὁ δὲ ἅγιος Παῦλος ὑπέστρεψεν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα. Ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ αὐτοῦ Νέρωνος ἀνῆλθεν ἐν Ῥώμῃ Σίμων τις ὀνόματι Αἰγύπτιος μάγος, ποιῶν διὰ γοητείας φαντασίας τινὰς καὶ λέγων ἑαυτὸν Χριστόν. ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ ἅγιος Πέτρος ὁ ἀπόστολος περὶ αὐτοῦ ἀνήρχετο ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ. ἐν τῷ δὲ ἀνιέναι αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ διερχομένου αὐτοῦ δι' Ἀντιοχείας τῆς μεγάλης συνέβη τελευτῆσαι Εὔοδον τὸν ἐπίσκοπον καὶ πατριάρχην Ἀντιοχείας· καὶ ἔλαβε τὸ σχῆμα τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς Ἀντιοχείας τῆς μεγάλης Ἰγνάτιος, τοῦ ἁγίου Πέτρου τοῦ ἀποστόλου χειροτονήσαντος. συνέβη δὲ ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς χρόνοις τελευτῆσαι καὶ Μάρκον τὸν ἀπόστολον ἐν Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ τῇ μεγάλῃ, ἐπίσκοπον ὄντα ἐκεῖ καὶ πατριάρχην. καὶ παρέλαβε τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν παρ' αὐτοῦ Ἀνιανός, μαθητὴς αὐτοῦ, καθὼς ὁ σοφὸς Θεόφιλος ὁ χρονογράφος συνεγράψατο. Καταφθάσαντος δὲ τοῦ ἁγίου Πέτρου τοῦ ἀποστόλου τὴν Ῥώμην καὶ μαθόντος ποῦ μένει Σίμων ὁ μάγος, ἀπῆλθε πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔνθα κατέμεινε· καὶ ηὗρεν ἐκεῖ κύνα μέγαν ἐν τῷ πυλεῶνι ποιμενικόν, ὅπου κατέμεινε Σίμων ὁ μάγος, ἁλύσεσι δεδεμένον, ὅντινα ὁ Σίμων διὰ τὸν Πέτρον καὶ τοὺς θέλοντας ἀνιέναι πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐδέσμησεν εἰς τὸ μηδένα ὡς ἔτυχεν δίχα τοῦ τὸν Σίμωνα κελεύειν τῷ κυνὶ καὶ συγχωρεῖν τὸν κύνα παριέναι, οὓς ἠβούλετο ὁ Σίμων· καὶ τοῦτο ἦν πρῴην θαῦμα τῷ μέλλοντι ἀνιέναι πρὸς 253 τὸν αὐτὸν Σίμωνα. ὁ δὲ Πέτρος ἑωρακὼς τὸν κύνα οὕτω μέγαν καὶ φοβερόν, καὶ μαθὼν παρὰ τῶν ἑστηκότων ἔξω τοῦ αὐτοῦ πυλῶνος ὅτι εἰ μὴ κελεύσει ὁ Σίμων τῷ κυνί, οὐ συγχωρεῖ ὁ αὐτὸς κύων τινὰ ἀνελθεῖν, ἀλλ' ἐπερχόμενος φονεύει τὸν πλησιάζοντα αὐτῷ· κρατήσας οὖν ὁ Πέτρος τὴν ἅλυσιν τοῦ κυνὸς ἔλυσεν αὐτὸν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Ἄνελθε πρὸς Σίμωνα καὶ εἰπὲ αὐτῷ ἀνθρωπίνῃ φωνῇ, Πέτρος ὁ δοῦλος τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου ἀνελθεῖν θέλει. ὁ δὲ αὐτὸς κύων ἀνῆλθεν εὐθέως δρομαίως· καὶ ἐν τῷ ἐκεῖνον διδάσκειν τινὰ μαγικὰ πλανήματα ἔστη ἐν μέσῳ ὁ κύων καὶ ἀνθρωπίνῃ φωνῇ λέγει τῷ Σίμωνι, Πέτρος ὁ δοῦλος τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου ἀνελθεῖν θέλει πρός σε. οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες τοῦ κυνὸς λαλοῦντος ἀνθρωπίνῃ φωνῇ, ἐθαύμασαν λέγοντες, Τίς ἐστι Πέτρος ἢ ἡ δύναμις αὐτοῦ Πέτρου οὗ εἶπεν ὁ κύων, ὅτι ἐποίησε τὸν κύνα ἀνθρωπιστὶ λαλῆσαι καὶ ποιῆσαι αὐτῷ τὴν ἀπόκρισιν. καὶ λέγει ὁ Σίμων τοῖς ἑστῶσι καὶ θαυμάζουσι τὸν Πέτρον τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, Τοῦτο ὑμᾶς μὴ ξενίσῃ· ἰδοὺ γὰρ κἀγὼ λέγω αὐτῷ τῷ κυνὶ τῇ αὐτῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ φωνῇ ἀπόκρισιν αὐτῷ κατενέγκαι. καὶ λέγει ὁ Σίμων τῷ κυνί, Κελεύω σοι ἀπελθεῖν καὶ εἰπεῖν τῷ Πέτρῳ ἀνθρωπίνῃ φωνῇ ὅτι εἶπεν ὁ Σίμων, Ἄνελθε. καὶ ἀνῆλθε πρὸς τὸν Σίμωνα ὁ Πέτρος καὶ συνέβαλε μετὰ Σίμωνος τοῦ Αἰγυπτίου, ποιῶν καὶ αὐτὸς θαυμάσια· καὶ ἐνίκησε τὸν Σίμωνα τὸν μάγον ποιῶν ἰάσεις. καὶ ἐπίστευσαν τῷ Πέτρῳ πολλοὶ καὶ ἐφωτίσθησαν. 254 Καὶ ἦν ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ ταραχὴ μεγάλη καὶ θρύλος ἕνεκεν τοῦ Σίμωνος καὶ τοῦ Πέτρου, ὅτι κατέναντι ἀλλήλων ἐποίουν θαύματα. καὶ ἀκούσας τὴν ταραχὴν Ἀγρίππας ὁ ἔπαρχος, ἀνήγαγε τῷ βασιλεῖ Νέρωνι ὅτι εἰσί τινες ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ βασιλευούσῃ πόλει θαύματα ποιοῦντες κατέναντι ἀλλήλων, καὶ ὁ μὲν εἷς λέγει αὑτὸν Χριστόν, ὁ δὲ ἕτερος λέγει, Οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτός, ἀλλὰ μάγος ἐστίν· ἐγὼ γὰρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μαθητής εἰμι. καὶ ἐκέλευσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Νέρων εἰσαχθῆναι πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν Σίμωνα καὶ τὸν Πέτρον, καὶ τὸν Πιλᾶτον δὲ ἀχθῆναι ἀπὸ τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου. καὶ εἰσηνέχθησαν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα· καὶ ἐπηρώτησε τὸν Σίμωνα ὁ Νέρων, λέγων, Σὺ εἶ ὃν λέγουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι εἶναι Χριστόν; ὁ δὲ εἶπε, Ναί. καὶ ἐπηρώτησε καὶ τὸν Πέτρον ὁ Νέρων λέγων, Ἀκριβῶς οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός; ὁ δὲ Πέτρος ἔφη, Οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτός· ἐγὼ γὰρ ἐκείνου μαθητής εἰμι, καὶ ἐπ' ἐμοῦ