3.26.1
XXVI. Ἴωμεν δὴ λοιπὸν καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ἑξῆς ἱστορίαν. Σίμωνα τὸν μάγον Μένανδρος διαδεξάμενος, μένος, ὅπλον δεύτερον οὐ χεῖρον τοῦ προτέρου τῆς διαβολικῆς ἐνεργείας ἀποδείκνυται τὸν τρόπον. ἦν καὶ οὗτος Σαμαρεύς, εἰς ἄκρον δὲ γοητείας οὐκ ἔλαττον τοῦ διδασκάλου προελθών, μείζοσιν ἐπιδαψιλεεύεται τερατολογίαις, ἑαυτὸν μὲν ὡς ἄρα εἴη, λέγων, ὁ σωτὴρ ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἄνωθέν ποθεν ἐξ ἀοράτων αἰώνων ἀπεσταλμένος σωτηρίᾳ, διδάσκων δὲ μὴ ἄλλως δύνασθαί τινα καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν κοσμοποιῶν ἀγγέλων περιυενήσεσθαι, μὴ πρότερον διὰ τῆς πρὸς αὐτοῦ παραδιδομένης μαγικῆς ἐμπειρίας ἀχθέντα καὶ διὰ τοῦ μεταδιδομένου πρὸς αὐτοῦ βαπτίσματος, οὗ τοὺς καταξιουμένους ἀθανασίαν ἀΐδιον ἐν αὐτῷ τούτῳ μεθέξειν τῷ βίῳ, μηκέτι θνήσκοντας, αὐτοῦ δὲ παραμένοντας εἰς τὸ ἀεὶ ἀγήρως τινὰς καὶ ἀθανάτους ἐσομένους. ταῦτα μὲν οὗν καὶ ἐκ τῶν Εἰρηναίου διαγνῶναι ῥᾴδιον· καὶ ὁ Ἱουδυῖνος δὲ κατὰ τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦ Σίμωνος μνημονεύσας, καὶ τὴν περὶ τούτου διήγησιν ἐπιφέρει, λέγων· “Μένανδρον δέ τινα καὶ αὐτὸν Σαμαρέα, τὸν ἀπὸ κώμης Κσπστσυυσίσς, γενόμενον μαθητὴν τοῦ Σίμωνος, οἰστρηθέντα καὶ αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τῶν δαιμόνων καὶ ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ γενόμενον, πολλοὺς ἐξαπατῆσαι διὰ μαγικῆς τέχνης οἴδαμεν· ὃς καὶ τοὺς αὐτῷ ἑπομένους ὡς μὴ ἀποθνῄσκοιεν, ἔπεισεν, καὶ νῦν τινές εἰσιν, ἀπ’ ἐκείνου τοῦτο ὁμολογοῦντες.”
XXVI. Let us now continue the narrative. Menander, who succeeded Simon Magus, showed himself as a second weapon of the devil’s power, not inferior to his predecessor. He, too, was a Samaritan, and, having advanced to the highest point of sorcery, not less than his master, he abounded in greater wonders. He said of himself that he was the saviour who had been sent from above for the salvation of men from invisible aeons, and taught that no one, not even of the angels who made the world, could prevail unless they were first brought by the magic art delivered by him and through the baptism transmitted by him; those who were deemed worthy of it would in this very life partake of eternal immortality, no longer dying, but remaining with him here, to be forever ageless and immortal. This point can also be easily studied from the writings of Irenaeus. Justin, too, in the same way, after mentioning Simon, continues his account of him by saying: “We also know that a certain Menander, himself also a Samaritan, from the village of Caparetaea, became a disciple of Simon, and, being similarly stimulated by the demons, appeared in Antioch and deceived many by magical arts. He persuaded those who followed him that they would not die, and there are still some who, from that time, profess this.”