Simon is a magician, or Simon is a sorcerer (his name comes from the Hebrew "Chimon", which means "God heard"), leaving a noticeable mark on Christianity.
In tradition, Simon is a Samaritan sorcerer, an opponent of the famous Apostle Peter, the first disciple of Jesus Christ, appointed by him in Rome over the entire Ecumenical Catholic Church. He constantly and everywhere competed with him, posing as an apostle, taking advantage of the coincidence of the names of Simon and Peter, who was previously called Semeon.
In the "Acts of the Holy Apostles" it is stated that Simon, the magician, pretending to be God, won extraordinary glory among the people with his witchcraft.
THE DEATH OF SIMON - MAGA
The Capitol Hill was rustling. The people gathered - apparently invisibly. Every day an excited crowd gathered here to listen to the preachers of the new faith, to heed the prophecies of the famous soothsayers. But people also gathered in order to stare at the strange stranger, with a large patlatate beard, a thick shock of jet-black hair on his head and piercing black eyes.
This eccentric did such that all the spectators just got their eyes on their foreheads. He came to Rome from afar, from the city of Gatta in Judean Samaria. He studied magic and witchcraft in Egypt in a special school, and for some time was part of the secret sacred brotherhood of a certain Dositheus.
Soon he died and the sect disintegrated. All the wizards scattered around the world to preach the occult worldview that was revealed to them.
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Simon also traveled to the cities of Egypt, Samaria, Judea and other Mediterranean countries. He finally got to Rome, began to amaze the Romans with his magical art. They had never seen anything like this before. Simon the magician could lift up in the air, and hang in this position in complete immobility, at the request of the audience, he caused wonderful, alluring mirages, hypnotized those who wanted, moved heavy objects at a distance with the help of an unknown, most likely satanic force, caused lightning, showed complete insensitivity to physical pain. "No, this is not an ordinary person," the commoners marveled, "God himself!" And Simon, the magician, was only happy, because he himself was publicly owned by the Almighty. Thanks to his art, the "creator of unprecedented miracles" even got into the New Testament.
Enthusiastic stories reached the emperor Nero. He called Nero to him and Simon the magician. He, inspired by the royal attention, surpassed himself. With the help of various magic tricks, he amazed those gathered in the palace: it seemed to them that the lame were no longer lame, the blind became sighted and even the dead were coming to life.
He declared himself immortal, in front of the crowd and the amazed emperor, he puts his head on the block, but at the last moment substitutes a ram instead of himself … After spending three days in a secluded place, he triumphantly returned to the palace of Emperor Nero - alive, healthy and not harmful. But this deception was also discovered by Peter. Simon had two sworn enemies who did not take their eyes off him, everywhere following him - from one side to the other. These were the apostles Peter and Paul, who vowed to bring the "black" magician, swindler and charlatan out into the open. He uttered angry speeches against them everywhere, driving them to white heat. In the presence of Peter the magician was seized by an unusual shyness, and all his tricks ended in complete embarrassment.
The emperor noticed this and himself began to doubt the supernatural abilities of his beloved court magician, whom he ordered to erect a three-meter statue on the banks of the Tiber. And then Peter annoys him. Saint Peter had already incurred the discontent of many from the tsar's entourage, for in his sermons he denounced the deplorable state of public morality in depraved Rome, where orgies were held.
And so Nero decides, in order to support his favorite, to arrange a competition in magic in his presence. A large crowd of onlookers gathered, and both disputants were brought in. To begin with, the magician offered the apostle a rather easy test. Leaning towards the emperor, he quietly said:
“Let this wicked Christian guess what I’m thinking.
The Apostle Peter just chuckled.
- Not a very difficult task. At the moment you wish me death and summon all evil demons on my gray head!
- That's right, you say! Simon exclaimed in rage. - So let what you said come true, and immediately!
Suddenly out of nowhere, huge dogs appeared and, growling menacingly, rushed to Peter, but he pacified them with one gesture, taking out the consecrated bread from his bosom, showed it to the cables, and they disappeared as quickly as they appeared.
"You won't fool me with your tricks," Simon growled angrily. - It's a big deal to drive the dogs away! Tomorrow we will continue the competition, and I will show you a real miracle - I will ascend to heaven!
The next day, in front of the humming crowd, the magician climbed a high wooden tower, stretching out his arms in front of him, pushed off the edge of the structure, flew into the air, and the demons lifted him.
-You see now? - shouted a satisfied emperor and turned to Peter.
-Do not rush to conclusions, the emperor of great Rome! - Saint Peter warned him and shouted loudly:
- I conjure you, angels of Satan, I conjure you in the bright name of Jesus Christ - do not keep this sorcerer on you! Let go!
At the same second, the sorcerer with a heartbreaking cry quickly flew down and crashed. The enraged Nero ordered to seize the Apostle and deliver him to a painful execution by crucifixion.
SIMONY
Simon the magician, as you know, thanks to his magical art won wide fame among the people. But he was an envious man and, of course, was not content with what he already had.
He wanted more - for people to recognize in him "the Most High". But this was hindered by the bright and passionate sermons of Philip, who denounced his Jewish origin in every possible way as a Gentile.
He realized that with his "tricks" he would never achieve the power of the apostles, and went to the trick: having received baptism, he became a Christian. But this seemed to him not enough.
Deciding to temporarily forget about his irreconcilable rivalry with Peter, he once, when he was preaching in Samaria after Philip, turned to the apostle to raise him, Simon, to the high apostolic dignity and offered money for this.
Outraged Peter cursed Simon for trying to buy God's gift, pushed him sharply, and he fell to the ground. Next to Simon lay a measure with scattered silver coins.
BLACK DOG SIMON
Simon the magician constantly told everyone that he was “God himself,” and boasted that he could work miracles. With his habitual impudence, he appropriated the name of Jesus Christ and placed a huge black dog at the entrance to his dwelling.
"The dog is black," says the Gospel, "evil spirits." Simon threatened anyone who refused to believe that he was Jesus Christ, and promised to release this monster, which will tear to pieces any "unbelieving Thomas."
The Apostle Peter, by the power of his prayer, turns the dog's rage against its owner, and this beast suddenly, with a human voice, accuses the sorcerer of lying in front of all honest people.
Again the battle between the Apostle Peter and the deceiving "black magician" ended not in favor of the latter.
CRUCIFIXION REVERSE
Why did the emperor give orders to crucify the holy apostle upside down? They say that in this way he wanted to humiliate him, it is more painful to avenge his victory over his beloved magician, for his death. Nero, as it were, imitated the fall of Simon with his head to the ground during the execution.
But the day before, when Saint Peter decided to run away so as not to be subjected to oppression, Jesus appeared to him, who told him to return to the city and not be afraid of execution, just as he himself was not afraid of it on Calvary. Not wishing to become on a level with the Teacher in torment, Saint Peter himself asked his executioners to crucify him upside down on the cross.
There is a version of the death of Simon the magician himself. He allegedly ordered to bury himself alive in the ground, promising everyone to be resurrected on the third day, apparently wishing to equate himself with Christ.