Simon Magus
Samaritan magus who clashed with Peter and inspired the term simony.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Simon Magus (Greek Σίμων ὁ μάγος, Latin: Simon Magus), also known as Simon the Magician, was a 1st-century Samaritan religious figure whose confrontation with Peter is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. He is the namesake of simony, the act of paying for position, after he attempted to buy the power of the Apostles. Accounts of Simon by second-century writers exist but are not considered verifiable; he is often described as the founder of Gnosticism, though some modern scholars reject this claim, maintaining that he was merely considered a Gnostic by the Church Fathers.
- born
- 1st century AD
- field
- Religious figure, magus
- nationality
- Samaritan
- known_for
- Confrontation with Peter; namesake of simony; founder of the Simonian sect; repu
Lore & Background
According to the canonical Acts of the Apostles, Simon was a Samaritan who used sorcery and bewitched the people, claiming to be 'the great power of God.' He converted to Christianity and was baptized by Philip the Evangelist, but later offered money to Peter and John for the power to confer the Holy Spirit, prompting Peter's rebuke: 'Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.' This incident gave rise to the term simony. Justin, a native of Samaria, wrote that nearly all Samaritans of his time followed a certain Simon of Gitta. In apocryphal works such as the Acts of Peter and the Pseudo-Clementines, Simon appears as a formidable sorcerer able to levitate and fly, sometimes called 'the Bad Samaritan.' The Apostolic Constitutions accuse him of lawlessness (antinomianism).
Reader's Guide
Simon Magus holds a unique place in early Christian history as both a biblical figure and a symbol of heresy. His brief appearance in Acts of the Apostles provides the foundation for the concept of simony, which became a major ecclesiastical offense. The Simonian sect, which venerated Simon and his consort Helen, developed a complex cosmology involving a female divine principle, angelic rebellion, and salvation through knowledge. Simon's legacy is also preserved in apocryphal literature, where he appears as a sorcerer in conflict with Peter, and in the writings of Josephus, who mentions a magician named Atomus (Simon in Latin manuscripts) involved with the procurator Felix. The uncertainty surrounding Simon—whether he was a historical Gnostic, a Samaritan magician, or a composite figure—reflects the challenges of reconstructing early Christian and Gnostic history from polemical sources.
Did You Know?
- Simon's name means 'the Magician' in Greek (Σίμων ὁ μάγος).
- The term 'simony' comes directly from Simon's attempt to buy the power of the Holy Spirit from Peter and John.
- Justin Martyr, a native of Samaria, wrote that nearly all Samaritans of his time followed a certain Simon of Gitta.
- A statue on the Tiber island in Rome was inscribed 'Simoni Deo Sancto,' though it may have actually been for the Sabine god Semo Sancus.
- In apocryphal Acts of Peter, Simon Magus is described as a sorcerer who could levitate and fly.
More in Christian Reformers And Mystics 1-23
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record