Besides the two epistles which form part of the canonical Scriptures [see next article] there were in the Apocryphal literature of the church several works ascribed to St. Peter. Eusebius mentions (Hist. Eccl. iii. 3) four works of this class ; his Way-Atop, his IlpciEcts, his Eihptrytta, and his 'AroKdX4Ls. Of these the KhPtrybta and the are cited by Clem. Alex. (Strom.
vi- 5. ; vi- 48 ; HyPotypos ap. Euseb. H. E. vi. 14 ; and in Theodoti Epitorn., appended to the Stromata). The Apocalypsis is mentioned also in the Canon Muratori, sec. 3 to ; Origen (Expos. in 7oann. Ev., torn. xiii.) mentions the Kill:aryl:a, and speaks also of a &Mx') of Peter (De Princ. praef. 8). In addition to the above Jerome names Yudi clam Petri (fatal. S.E.) ; and Epiphanius names ITeptoSot fUrpou, as a book among the Ebionites (Hares. xxx. i5). It is probable that several of these are only different names of the same book (Schwegler, 11Tack-apost. Zeitalt., ii. 30). St. Peter is the great hero of the pseudo-Clementine literature, where he is exalted at the expense of St. Paul (Schliemann, Die Clementine,: nebst den ver wandlen Schri/ten, 1814). Among other legends which have come down to us concerning St. Peter is that relating to his contention at Rome with Simon Magus. This seems to have no better foundation than a misunderstanding of an inscrip tion by Justin Martyr (Apol. i. c. 26). [Simox MAGUS.] The tradition of Peter's being crucified with his head downward is probably also to be relegated to the regions of the fabulous. Tertullian, who is the first to mention Peter's crucifixion, says simply (De Fraser. Hares., 36), Petrus passioni adquatur ;' which would rather lead to the conclusion that he was crucified in the usual way, as our Lord was. The next witness is Origen, whose words are : Kara Keq5cans ourwr alrds 4:tho-as imBEFv (Ap. Euseb. H. E., iii.
i) ; and these are generally cited as intimating the peculiarity traditionally ascribed to the mode of Peter's crucifixion. But do the words really inti mate this ? Allowing that the verb may mean ' was crucified,' can Kara Ke0d)qs mean `with the head downwards ?' No instance, we believe, can be adduced which would justify such a translation. The combination Kara KEOCAnS occurs both in classical and biblical Greek (cf. Plato, Rep., iii., p. 398 ; Plut. Apoph. de Scipione un., 13 ; Mark xiv. 3 ; I Cor. xi. 4), but in every case it means, ' upon the head' (comp. Kara Kbhi)s rardEat, Lucian, Gall., c. 30, and Kara, K6Ons Catapl., c. 12). According to analogy, Origen's words should mean, that the apostle was impaled, or fastened to the cross upon, i. e. by, the head. When Eusebius has to mention the crucify ing of martyrs with the head downwards, he says distinctly of SF KartoKcipa 7rpoon.N.cagrres (H. E., viii. 8). It is probably to a misunder standing of Origen's words that this story is to be traced ; and it is curious to see how it grows as it advances. First, we have Origen's vague and doubtful statement above quoted ; then we have Eusebius's more precise statement : Ilerpos Kark Kel,c1X7)s a-rat:pal-at (Dem. En., iii, p. 116, c.) ; and at length, in the hands of Jerome, it expands into Affixus cruci martyrio cannabis est capite ad terram verso et in sublime pedibus elevatis, asse rens se indignum qui sic crucifigeretur ut Dominus sues' (fatal. Script. Eccles., i.) (Campbell, Eccles.
lect. v. and xiii. ; Barrow, ubi sup., etc. ; Eichhorn, Einleit. iii. 599 ; Hug. Introd. p. 635, Fosdick's tr. ; Home, Introd., iv. 432 ; Lardner, Works, vols. iv. v. vi., ed. 1788 ; Cave, Antiqui• tales Apostolica ; Davidson, Introduction to H. T., iii. ; Neander, Apostol. Zeitalt. ; Lange, Apost. Zeitalt. ; and Weiss, Petrin. Lthrbegrif, etc.)— W. L. A.