Saints Peter and Paul Dispute Before Nero with Simon Magus

12th century
Mosaic
Palatine Chapel, Palermo, Sicily

This episode in the Golden Legend traces back to the Acts of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul (post-4th century). The dispute is lengthy, but the conclusion is that Simon promises to prove his divinity by jumping from a tower in the Campus Martius. He says his angels will bear him up to his Father in Heaven.

The inscription says HIC PETRUS ET PAULUS INTRAVERUNT AD NERONE ET DISPUTAVERUNT CUM SIMONE MAGO, "Here Peter and Paul went in to Nero and disputed with Simon Magus."

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Photographed at the basilica by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.