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Simon Magus, by G.R.S. Mead.
http://www.gnosis.org/library/grs-mead/grsm_simon_ma...
.
T
HE
G
NOSTIC
S
OCIETY
L
IBRARY
Archive
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Library
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The G. R. S. Mead Collection
SIMON MAGUS
AN ESSAY ON THE FOUNDER OF SIMONIANISM
BASED ON THE ANCIENT SOURCES
WITH A RE-EVALUATION OF HIS PHILOSOPHY AND TEACHINGS.
The Mead Collection
BY
Collection Index
Brief Introduction
G.R.S. MEAD
Echoes from Gnosis
SIMON MAGUS.
The Gnosis of the Mind
INTRODUCTION.
The Hymn of Jesus
The Hymn of the Robe of Glory
Everybody in Christendom has heard of Simon, the magician, and how Peter, the
apostle, rebuked him, as told in the narrative of the Acts of the Apostles. Many also
have heard the legend of how at Rome this wicked sorcerer endeavoured to fly by
aid of the demons, and how Peter caused him to fall headlong and thus miserably
perish. And so most think that there is an end of the matter, and either cast their
mite of pity or contempt at the memory of Simon, or laugh at the whole matter as the
invention of superstition or the imagination of religious fanaticism, according as
their respective beliefs may be in orthodoxy or materialism. This for the general.
Students of theology and church history, on the other hand, have had a more
difficult task set them in comparing and arranging the materials they have at their
disposal, as found in the patristic writings and legendary records; and various
theories have been put forward, not the least astonishing being the supposition that
Simon was an alias for Paul, and that the Simon and Peter in the accounts of the
fathers and in the narrative of the legends were simply concrete symbols to
represent the two sides of the Pauline and Petrine controversies.
The Hymns of Hermes
The Mysteries of Mithra
The Vision of Aridaeus
The Chaldaen Oracles
Complete Books
Pistis Sophia
Apollonius of Tyana
Fragments of a Faith Forgotten
The first reason why I have ventured on this present enquiry is that Simon Magus is
invariably mentioned by the heresiologists as the founder of the first heresy of the
commonly-accepted Christian era, and is believed by them to have been the
originator of those systems of religio-philosophy and theosophy which are now
somewhat inaccurately classed together under the heading of Gnosticism. And
though this assumption of the patristic heresiologists is entirely incorrect, as may be
proved from their own works, it is nevertheless true that Simonianism is the first
Simon Magus
Gnostic John the Baptizer:
Selections from the Mandæan
John-Book
Did Jesus Live 100 BC?
1 of 71
15/03/09 12:17 PM
Simon Magus, by G.R.S. Mead.
http://www.gnosis.org/library/grs-mead/grsm_simon_ma...
system that, as far as our present records go, came into conflict with what has been
regarded as the orthodox stream of Christianity. A second reason is that I believe
that Simon has been grossly misrepresented, and entirely misunderstood, by his
orthodox opponents, whoever they were, in the first place, and also, in the second
place, by those who have ignorantly and without enquiry copied from them. But my
chief reason is that the present revival of theosophical enquiry throws a flood of
light on Simon's teachings, whenever we can get anything approaching a first-hand
statement of them, and shows that it was identical in its fundamentals with the
Esoteric Philosophy of all the great religions of the world.
Essays
Commentary on Pymander
Introduction to Marcion
Concerning H.P.B.
Authorship of the Gospels
In this enquiry, I shall have to be slightly wearisome to some of my readers, for
instead of giving a selection or even a paraphraze of the notices on Simon which
we have from authenticated patristic sources, I shall furnish verbatim translations,
and present a digest only of the unauthenticated legends. The growth of the
Simonian legend must unfold itself before the reader in its native form as it comes
from the pens of those who have constructed it. Repetitions will, therefore, be
unavoidable in the marshalling of authorities, but they will be shown to be not
without interest in the subsequent treatment of the subject, and at any rate we shall
at least be on the sure ground of having before us all that has been said on the
matter by the Church fathers. Having cited these authorities, I shall attempt to
submit them to a critical examination, and so eliminate all accretions, hearsay and
controversial opinions, and thus sift out what reliable residue is possible. Finally,
my task will be to show that Simon taught a system of Theosophy, which instead of
deserving our condemnation should rather excite our admiration, and that, instead
of being a common impostor and impious perverter of public morality, his method
was in many respects of the same nature as the methods of the theosophical
movement of to-day, and deserves the study and consideration of all students of
Theosophy.
The Synoptical Problem
The Fourth-Gospel Problem
Thoughts on Theosophy
Books in Print
Mead Collection Bookstore
Site design © 1995-2005 Lance
Owens. All rights reserved.
This essay will, therefore, be divided into the following parts:
I.
—
Sources of Information.
II.
—
A Review of Authorities.
III.
—
The Theosophy of Simon.
PART I.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION.
Our sources of information fall under three heads: I. The Simon of the New
Testament; II. The Simon of the Fathers; III. The Simon of the Legends.
I.—The Simon of the New Testament.
Acts (viii. 9-24); author and date unknown; commonly supposed to be "by the
author of the third gospel, traditionally known as Luke";
[1]
not quoted prior to A.D.
2 of 71
15/03/09 12:17 PM
Simon Magus, by G.R.S. Mead.
http://www.gnosis.org/library/grs-mead/grsm_simon_ma...
177;
[2]
earliest MS. not older than the sixth century, though some contend for the
third.
II.—The Simon of the Fathers.
i. Justinus Martyr (Apologia, I. 26, 56; Apologia, II. 15; Dialogus cum Tryphone,
120); probable date of First Apology A.D. 141; neither the date of the birth nor death
of Justin is known; MS. fourteenth century.
ii. Irenæus (Contra Hæreses, I. xxiii. 1-4); chief literary activity last decennium of the
second century; MSS. probably sixth, seventh, and eighth centuries; date of birth
and death unknown, for the former any time from A.D. 97-147 suggested, for latter
202-3.
iii. Clemens Alexandrinus (Stromateis, ii. 11; vii. 17); greatest literary activity A.D.
190-203; born 150-160, date of death unknown; oldest MS. eleventh century.
iv. Tertullianus (De Præscriptionibus adversus Hæreticos, 46, generally attributed
to a Pseudo-Tertullian); c. A.D. 199; (De Anima, 34, 36); c. A.D. 208-9; born
150-160, died 220-240.
v. [Hippolytus (?)] (Philosophumena, vi. 7-20); date unknown, probably last decade
of second to third of third century; author unknown and only conjecturally
Hippolytus; MS. fourteenth century.
vi. Origenes (Contra Celsum, i. 57; v. 62; vi. 11); born A.D. 185-6, died 254-5; MS.
fourteenth century.
vii. Philastrius (De Hæresibus); date of birth unknown, died probably A.D. 387.
viii. Epiphanius (Contra Hæreses, ii. 1-6); born A.D. 310-20, died 404; MS. eleventh
century.
ix. Hieronymus (Commentarium in Evangelicum Matthæi, IV. xxiv. 5); written A.D.
387.
x. Theodoretus (Hereticarum Fabularum Compendium, i. 1); born towards the end
of the fourth century, died A.D. 453-58; MS. eleventh century.
III.—The Simon of the Legends.
A. The so-called Clementine literature.
i. Recognitiones, 2. Homiliæ, of which the Greek originals are lost, and the Latin
translation of Rufinus (born c.A.D. 345, died 410) alone remains to us. The originals
are placed by conjecture somewhere about the beginning of the third century; MS.
eleventh century.
B. A mediæval account; (Constitutiones Sanctorum Apostolorum, VI. vii, viii, xvi);
these were never heard of prior to 1546, when a Venetian, Carolus Capellus,
printed an epitomized translation of them from an MS. found in Crete. They are
hopelessly apocryphal.
3 of 71
15/03/09 12:17 PM
Simon Magus, by G.R.S. Mead.
http://www.gnosis.org/library/grs-mead/grsm_simon_ma...
I.—The Simon of the New Testament.
Acts (viii. 9-24). Text: The Greek Testament (with the readings adopted by the
revisers of the authorized version); Oxford, 1881.
Now a certain fellow by name Simon had been previously in the
city practising magic and driving the people of Samaria out of
their wits, saying that he was some great one; to whom all from
small to great gave heed, saying: "This man is the Power of God
which is called Great." And they gave heed to him, owing to his
having driven them out of their wits for a long time by his magic
arts. But when they believed on Philip preaching about the
Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ, they began to be
baptized, both men and women. And Simon himself also
believed, and after being baptized remained constantly with
Philip; and was driven out of his wits on seeing the signs and
great wonders
[3]
that took place.
And the apostles in Jerusalem hearing that Samaria had received
the Word of God, sent Peter and John to them. And they went
down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
For as yet it had not fallen upon any of them, but they had only
been baptized unto the Name of the Lord Jesus.
Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy
Spirit. And when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given by the
laying on of the hands of the apostles, he offered them money,
saying: "Give unto me also this power, in order that on
whomsoever I lay my hands he may receive the Holy Spirit."
But Peter said unto him: "Thy silver perish with thee, in that thou
didst think that the gift of God is possessed with money. There is
not for thee part or lot in this Word, for thy heart is not right before
God. Therefore turn from this evil of thine, and pray the Lord, if by
chance the thought of thy heart shall be forgiven thee. For I see
that thou art in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity."
And Simon answered and said: "Pray ye on my behalf to the Lord,
that none of the things that ye have said may come upon me."
II.—The Simon of the Fathers.
i. Justinus Martyr (Apologia, I. 26). Text: Corpus Apologetarum Christianorum
Sæculi Secundi (edidit Io. Car. Th. Eques de Otto); Jenæ, 1876 (ed. tert.).
And thirdly, that even after the ascension of the Christ into heaven
the daemons cast before themselves (as a shield) certain men
who said that they were gods, who were not only not expelled by
you,
[4]
but even thought worthy of honours; a certain Samaritan,
Simon, who came from a village called Gitta; who in the reign of
Claudius Cæsar
[5]
wrought magic wonders by the art of the
4 of 71
15/03/09 12:17 PM
Simon Magus, by G.R.S. Mead.
http://www.gnosis.org/library/grs-mead/grsm_simon_ma...
daemons who possessed him, and was considered a god in your
imperial city of Rome, and as a god was honoured with a statue
by you, which statue was erected in the river Tiber, between the
two bridges, with the following inscription in Roman: "Simoni Deo
Sancto." And nearly all the Samaritans, but few among the rest of
the nations, confess him to be the first god and worship him. And
they speak of a certain Helen, who went round with him at that
time, and who had formerly prostituted herself,
[6]
but was made
by him his first Thought.
ii. Irenæus (Contra Hæreses, I. xxiii. 1-4). Text: Opera (edidit Adolphus Stieren);
Lipsiæ, 1848.
1. Simon was a Samaritan, the notorious magician of whom Luke
the disciple and adherent of the apostles says: "But there was a
fellow by name Simon, who had previously practised the art of
magic in their state, and led away the people of the Samaritans,
saying that he was some great one, to whom they all listened,
from the small to the great, saying: 'He is the Power of God, which
is called Great.' Now they gave heed to him because he had
driven them out of their wits by his magical phenomena." This
Simon, therefore, pretended to be a believer, thinking that the
apostles also wrought their cures by magic and not by the power
of God; and supposing that their filling with the Holy Spirit by the
laying on of hands those who believed in God, through that Christ
Jesus who was being preached by them—that this was effected
by some superior magical knowledge, and offering money to the
apostles, so that he also might obtain the power of giving the Holy
Spirit to whomsoever he would, he received this answer from
Peter: "Thy money perish with thee, since thou hast thought that
the gift of God is obtained possession of with money; for thee
there is neither part nor lot in this Word, for thy heart is not right
before God. For I see thou art in the gall of bitterness and the
bond of iniquity."
And since the magician still refused to believe in God, he
ambitiously strove to contend against the apostles, so that he also
might be thought of great renown, by extending his investigations
into universal magic still farther, so that he struck many aghast; so
much so that he is said to have been honoured with a statue for
his magic knowledge by Claudius Cæsar.
He, therefore, was glorified by many as a god; and he taught that
it was he himself who, forsooth, appeared among the Jews as the
Son, while in Samaria he descended as the Father, and in the
rest of the nations he came as the Holy Spirit. That he was the
highest power, to wit, the Father over all, and that he allowed
himself to be called by whatever name men pleased.
2. Now the sect of the Samaritan Simon, from whom all the
heresies took their origin, was composed of the following
materials.
He took round with him a certain Helen, a hired prostitute from the
5 of 71
15/03/09 12:17 PM
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zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl jajeczko.pev.pl
Simon Magus, by G.R.S. Mead.
http://www.gnosis.org/library/grs-mead/grsm_simon_ma...
.
T
HE
G
NOSTIC
S
OCIETY
L
IBRARY
Archive
|
Library
|
Bookstore
|
Index
|
Web Lectures
|
Ecclesia Gnostica
|
Gnostic Society
The G. R. S. Mead Collection
SIMON MAGUS
AN ESSAY ON THE FOUNDER OF SIMONIANISM
BASED ON THE ANCIENT SOURCES
WITH A RE-EVALUATION OF HIS PHILOSOPHY AND TEACHINGS.
The Mead Collection
BY
Collection Index
Brief Introduction
G.R.S. MEAD
Echoes from Gnosis
SIMON MAGUS.
The Gnosis of the Mind
INTRODUCTION.
The Hymn of Jesus
The Hymn of the Robe of Glory
Everybody in Christendom has heard of Simon, the magician, and how Peter, the
apostle, rebuked him, as told in the narrative of the Acts of the Apostles. Many also
have heard the legend of how at Rome this wicked sorcerer endeavoured to fly by
aid of the demons, and how Peter caused him to fall headlong and thus miserably
perish. And so most think that there is an end of the matter, and either cast their
mite of pity or contempt at the memory of Simon, or laugh at the whole matter as the
invention of superstition or the imagination of religious fanaticism, according as
their respective beliefs may be in orthodoxy or materialism. This for the general.
Students of theology and church history, on the other hand, have had a more
difficult task set them in comparing and arranging the materials they have at their
disposal, as found in the patristic writings and legendary records; and various
theories have been put forward, not the least astonishing being the supposition that
Simon was an alias for Paul, and that the Simon and Peter in the accounts of the
fathers and in the narrative of the legends were simply concrete symbols to
represent the two sides of the Pauline and Petrine controversies.
The Hymns of Hermes
The Mysteries of Mithra
The Vision of Aridaeus
The Chaldaen Oracles
Complete Books
Pistis Sophia
Apollonius of Tyana
Fragments of a Faith Forgotten
The first reason why I have ventured on this present enquiry is that Simon Magus is
invariably mentioned by the heresiologists as the founder of the first heresy of the
commonly-accepted Christian era, and is believed by them to have been the
originator of those systems of religio-philosophy and theosophy which are now
somewhat inaccurately classed together under the heading of Gnosticism. And
though this assumption of the patristic heresiologists is entirely incorrect, as may be
proved from their own works, it is nevertheless true that Simonianism is the first
Simon Magus
Gnostic John the Baptizer:
Selections from the Mandæan
John-Book
Did Jesus Live 100 BC?
1 of 71
15/03/09 12:17 PM
Simon Magus, by G.R.S. Mead.
http://www.gnosis.org/library/grs-mead/grsm_simon_ma...
system that, as far as our present records go, came into conflict with what has been
regarded as the orthodox stream of Christianity. A second reason is that I believe
that Simon has been grossly misrepresented, and entirely misunderstood, by his
orthodox opponents, whoever they were, in the first place, and also, in the second
place, by those who have ignorantly and without enquiry copied from them. But my
chief reason is that the present revival of theosophical enquiry throws a flood of
light on Simon's teachings, whenever we can get anything approaching a first-hand
statement of them, and shows that it was identical in its fundamentals with the
Esoteric Philosophy of all the great religions of the world.
Essays
Commentary on Pymander
Introduction to Marcion
Concerning H.P.B.
Authorship of the Gospels
In this enquiry, I shall have to be slightly wearisome to some of my readers, for
instead of giving a selection or even a paraphraze of the notices on Simon which
we have from authenticated patristic sources, I shall furnish verbatim translations,
and present a digest only of the unauthenticated legends. The growth of the
Simonian legend must unfold itself before the reader in its native form as it comes
from the pens of those who have constructed it. Repetitions will, therefore, be
unavoidable in the marshalling of authorities, but they will be shown to be not
without interest in the subsequent treatment of the subject, and at any rate we shall
at least be on the sure ground of having before us all that has been said on the
matter by the Church fathers. Having cited these authorities, I shall attempt to
submit them to a critical examination, and so eliminate all accretions, hearsay and
controversial opinions, and thus sift out what reliable residue is possible. Finally,
my task will be to show that Simon taught a system of Theosophy, which instead of
deserving our condemnation should rather excite our admiration, and that, instead
of being a common impostor and impious perverter of public morality, his method
was in many respects of the same nature as the methods of the theosophical
movement of to-day, and deserves the study and consideration of all students of
Theosophy.
The Synoptical Problem
The Fourth-Gospel Problem
Thoughts on Theosophy
Books in Print
Mead Collection Bookstore
Site design © 1995-2005 Lance
Owens. All rights reserved.
This essay will, therefore, be divided into the following parts:
I.
—
Sources of Information.
II.
—
A Review of Authorities.
III.
—
The Theosophy of Simon.
PART I.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION.
Our sources of information fall under three heads: I. The Simon of the New
Testament; II. The Simon of the Fathers; III. The Simon of the Legends.
I.—The Simon of the New Testament.
Acts (viii. 9-24); author and date unknown; commonly supposed to be "by the
author of the third gospel, traditionally known as Luke";
[1]
not quoted prior to A.D.
2 of 71
15/03/09 12:17 PM
Simon Magus, by G.R.S. Mead.
http://www.gnosis.org/library/grs-mead/grsm_simon_ma...
177;
[2]
earliest MS. not older than the sixth century, though some contend for the
third.
II.—The Simon of the Fathers.
i. Justinus Martyr (Apologia, I. 26, 56; Apologia, II. 15; Dialogus cum Tryphone,
120); probable date of First Apology A.D. 141; neither the date of the birth nor death
of Justin is known; MS. fourteenth century.
ii. Irenæus (Contra Hæreses, I. xxiii. 1-4); chief literary activity last decennium of the
second century; MSS. probably sixth, seventh, and eighth centuries; date of birth
and death unknown, for the former any time from A.D. 97-147 suggested, for latter
202-3.
iii. Clemens Alexandrinus (Stromateis, ii. 11; vii. 17); greatest literary activity A.D.
190-203; born 150-160, date of death unknown; oldest MS. eleventh century.
iv. Tertullianus (De Præscriptionibus adversus Hæreticos, 46, generally attributed
to a Pseudo-Tertullian); c. A.D. 199; (De Anima, 34, 36); c. A.D. 208-9; born
150-160, died 220-240.
v. [Hippolytus (?)] (Philosophumena, vi. 7-20); date unknown, probably last decade
of second to third of third century; author unknown and only conjecturally
Hippolytus; MS. fourteenth century.
vi. Origenes (Contra Celsum, i. 57; v. 62; vi. 11); born A.D. 185-6, died 254-5; MS.
fourteenth century.
vii. Philastrius (De Hæresibus); date of birth unknown, died probably A.D. 387.
viii. Epiphanius (Contra Hæreses, ii. 1-6); born A.D. 310-20, died 404; MS. eleventh
century.
ix. Hieronymus (Commentarium in Evangelicum Matthæi, IV. xxiv. 5); written A.D.
387.
x. Theodoretus (Hereticarum Fabularum Compendium, i. 1); born towards the end
of the fourth century, died A.D. 453-58; MS. eleventh century.
III.—The Simon of the Legends.
A. The so-called Clementine literature.
i. Recognitiones, 2. Homiliæ, of which the Greek originals are lost, and the Latin
translation of Rufinus (born c.A.D. 345, died 410) alone remains to us. The originals
are placed by conjecture somewhere about the beginning of the third century; MS.
eleventh century.
B. A mediæval account; (Constitutiones Sanctorum Apostolorum, VI. vii, viii, xvi);
these were never heard of prior to 1546, when a Venetian, Carolus Capellus,
printed an epitomized translation of them from an MS. found in Crete. They are
hopelessly apocryphal.
3 of 71
15/03/09 12:17 PM
Simon Magus, by G.R.S. Mead.
http://www.gnosis.org/library/grs-mead/grsm_simon_ma...
I.—The Simon of the New Testament.
Acts (viii. 9-24). Text: The Greek Testament (with the readings adopted by the
revisers of the authorized version); Oxford, 1881.
Now a certain fellow by name Simon had been previously in the
city practising magic and driving the people of Samaria out of
their wits, saying that he was some great one; to whom all from
small to great gave heed, saying: "This man is the Power of God
which is called Great." And they gave heed to him, owing to his
having driven them out of their wits for a long time by his magic
arts. But when they believed on Philip preaching about the
Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ, they began to be
baptized, both men and women. And Simon himself also
believed, and after being baptized remained constantly with
Philip; and was driven out of his wits on seeing the signs and
great wonders
[3]
that took place.
And the apostles in Jerusalem hearing that Samaria had received
the Word of God, sent Peter and John to them. And they went
down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
For as yet it had not fallen upon any of them, but they had only
been baptized unto the Name of the Lord Jesus.
Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy
Spirit. And when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given by the
laying on of the hands of the apostles, he offered them money,
saying: "Give unto me also this power, in order that on
whomsoever I lay my hands he may receive the Holy Spirit."
But Peter said unto him: "Thy silver perish with thee, in that thou
didst think that the gift of God is possessed with money. There is
not for thee part or lot in this Word, for thy heart is not right before
God. Therefore turn from this evil of thine, and pray the Lord, if by
chance the thought of thy heart shall be forgiven thee. For I see
that thou art in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity."
And Simon answered and said: "Pray ye on my behalf to the Lord,
that none of the things that ye have said may come upon me."
II.—The Simon of the Fathers.
i. Justinus Martyr (Apologia, I. 26). Text: Corpus Apologetarum Christianorum
Sæculi Secundi (edidit Io. Car. Th. Eques de Otto); Jenæ, 1876 (ed. tert.).
And thirdly, that even after the ascension of the Christ into heaven
the daemons cast before themselves (as a shield) certain men
who said that they were gods, who were not only not expelled by
you,
[4]
but even thought worthy of honours; a certain Samaritan,
Simon, who came from a village called Gitta; who in the reign of
Claudius Cæsar
[5]
wrought magic wonders by the art of the
4 of 71
15/03/09 12:17 PM
Simon Magus, by G.R.S. Mead.
http://www.gnosis.org/library/grs-mead/grsm_simon_ma...
daemons who possessed him, and was considered a god in your
imperial city of Rome, and as a god was honoured with a statue
by you, which statue was erected in the river Tiber, between the
two bridges, with the following inscription in Roman: "Simoni Deo
Sancto." And nearly all the Samaritans, but few among the rest of
the nations, confess him to be the first god and worship him. And
they speak of a certain Helen, who went round with him at that
time, and who had formerly prostituted herself,
[6]
but was made
by him his first Thought.
ii. Irenæus (Contra Hæreses, I. xxiii. 1-4). Text: Opera (edidit Adolphus Stieren);
Lipsiæ, 1848.
1. Simon was a Samaritan, the notorious magician of whom Luke
the disciple and adherent of the apostles says: "But there was a
fellow by name Simon, who had previously practised the art of
magic in their state, and led away the people of the Samaritans,
saying that he was some great one, to whom they all listened,
from the small to the great, saying: 'He is the Power of God, which
is called Great.' Now they gave heed to him because he had
driven them out of their wits by his magical phenomena." This
Simon, therefore, pretended to be a believer, thinking that the
apostles also wrought their cures by magic and not by the power
of God; and supposing that their filling with the Holy Spirit by the
laying on of hands those who believed in God, through that Christ
Jesus who was being preached by them—that this was effected
by some superior magical knowledge, and offering money to the
apostles, so that he also might obtain the power of giving the Holy
Spirit to whomsoever he would, he received this answer from
Peter: "Thy money perish with thee, since thou hast thought that
the gift of God is obtained possession of with money; for thee
there is neither part nor lot in this Word, for thy heart is not right
before God. For I see thou art in the gall of bitterness and the
bond of iniquity."
And since the magician still refused to believe in God, he
ambitiously strove to contend against the apostles, so that he also
might be thought of great renown, by extending his investigations
into universal magic still farther, so that he struck many aghast; so
much so that he is said to have been honoured with a statue for
his magic knowledge by Claudius Cæsar.
He, therefore, was glorified by many as a god; and he taught that
it was he himself who, forsooth, appeared among the Jews as the
Son, while in Samaria he descended as the Father, and in the
rest of the nations he came as the Holy Spirit. That he was the
highest power, to wit, the Father over all, and that he allowed
himself to be called by whatever name men pleased.
2. Now the sect of the Samaritan Simon, from whom all the
heresies took their origin, was composed of the following
materials.
He took round with him a certain Helen, a hired prostitute from the
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