1 Earliest Rome

12.7 The Christians
forward certain people who said that they were themselves gods; not only were they not
prosecuted by you, but were actually thought worthy of honours. One Simon of Samaria,
from a village called Gitta, in the reign of Claudius Caesar performed magic acts through
the skill of demons operating in him and in your royal city Rome was called god and
honoured by you as a god with a statue - the statue was erected on the river Tiber
between the two bridges with the following Latin inscription: 'To Simon holy god.' 1
And
almost all the Samaritans and some even of other peoples worship him and acknowledge
that he is the first god. And one Helena, who travelled round with him at that time,
having previously worked in a brothel, is said to be the first Idea generated by him. 2
Menandros, another Samaritan, from the village of Kapparetaia, a pupil of Simon's and
also under the influence of demons, while in Antioch we know deceived many through
his magic art; he persuaded those who followed him that they would not die, and to this
day some people profess this view of his. 3
One Marcion of Pontos is at present teaching
his disciples to believe there is another god greater than the creator; with the assistance of
demons he has persuaded many of every country to utter blasphemies and deny that god
is the maker of this world, and to profess that some other greater being has done greater
works than him. 4
Everyone who follows their views, as we said , are called Christians, just as philosophers who do not share the same views are
still called by one common name. Whether they also perform those scandalous and
fabled acts - the overturning of the lamp, promiscuous intercourse, and eating human
flesh - we do not know, 5
but we do know that they are not persecuted and executed by
you, at least for their opinions. But I have written a treatise denouncing all the heresies
that have occurred, which if you wish to read I will send you.
(66) . . . The wicked demons have arranged for this to be imitated
also In the mysteries of Mithras; as you know or can learn, bread and a cup of water are
put out in the rites of one being initiated with some words said over them. 6
One
1. This story probably results from Justin's confusion of the traditional Roman deity Semo
Sanco Dius Fidius (who had a statue on the Tiber island in Rome - 1LS 3474) and rhe
name Simon. See Sculiard (1981) 146-7; on Simon see Vol. 1, 227; Jonas (1963)
103-11; Filoramo (1990) 147-52. He and the following people are important in the
history of'gnosticism', on which see 12.7e(i).
2. On Helena, see R. M. Grant (1966) 74-85. Idea (Ennoia) is a technical term of gnostics:
12.7e(i).
3. On Menandros see R. M.Grant (1966) 15-17,93-4.
4. On Marcion, who taught in Rome, see Vol. 1, 309; Jonas (1963) 137-46.
5. On these accusations see Vol. 1, 225-7 and 11.11. 11.1 Id explains the overturning of
rhe lamp.
6. The words referred to are 'This is my body, this is my blood', the words of the Eucharist.
Cf. 12.5g-
12.7a(ii) The rejection of the gentile world and conversion to
Christianity.
The critique of Graeco-Roman cults offered by Justin was extended by his
pupil Tatian and presented as a motivating force behind his own conversion to
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