The story of Petronilla, the supposed daughter of St. Peter, is given in Acta Nerei et Achillei 15 (ed. Achelis p. 14 f.), and in Acta Philippi, in Tischendorf, "ἘΞ Apocr. pp. 149, 155. Augustine (contr. Adimant. 17; Migne, Pat. Lat. 42, 161) also mentions the fact that the story had a place in the apocryphal books in use among the Manichwans. The beauty of the daughter, so the story runs, was a trouble to the apostle, who therefore prayed that she might be paralyzed. He afterwards, in answer to the challenge of Titus, bade her rise and minister to them. After her restoration she was sought in marriage by ‘Flaccus the Count.’ She puts him off for three days, and on the third day dies after receiving the Eucharist. The Encratite element in the story connects it with the Gnostic Πράξεις Πέτρου (see below), from which it was doubtless originally derived (see Lipsius pp. 81, 203 ff.). The saint’s memorial day is May 31. Over her tomb in the Ardeatine Way pope Siricius, about 390, erected a basilica. The inscription on the tomb was AVR - PETRONILL4 - FILL - DVLCISSIM4. The name Petronilla is to be connected, not with Peter but with Petronius. The founder of the Flavian house bore the name of Petro. The catacomb in which Petronilla was buried was closely connected with the Flavian gens, being the ‘Cemetery of Domitilla,’ the wife of Flavius Clemens. Doubt- less the story arose from a mistaken etymology. Petronilla, an early convert to Christianity and a member of the Flavian family, was in later days assumed to be a daughter of the Apostle Peter (see Lightfoot, Clement i. p. 37 ff., who gives references to de Rossi’s articles; Lanciani, Pagan and Christian Rome p. 340 ff.).
As to (late) traditions respecting the personal appearance of the apostle, it must suflice to refer to Lipsius p. 213. As the tonsure was supposed to be due to St. Peter's example, it is of interest to notice that Jerome (Comm. in Gal. i. 18) refers to a statement of the Periods that he was bald.
For information in regard to early pictures and representations of the apostle, see art. in Diet. Chr.
9 References to Lipsius (unless it ls otherwise stated) are to Die Apokryphen A postelgeschichten und A postellegenden, ni. 1
ἡ Cf. Origen in Beang. Matth. xvi. 21 (Lomm. iil. p 871); Epiph. Harr, xxx. 22 (ed. Petay. p. 147)
PETER (SIMON)
768 PETER (SIMON) Ant. ii. Ρ 1621; Lanciani, Pagan and Christian Rome p. 210 ff.
Among the sayings of our Lord preserved in extra-canonical authorities a few are addressed to St. Peter. (1) Ignatius, Smyr. 3, ‘When {after the Resurrection] He came to Peter and his company, He said to them, Lay hold and handle Me, and see that I am not a demon without body.’ Cf. Lk 24%, On the question whether this saying had a place in ‘the Gospel according to the Hebrews,’ see Lightfoot in loco. (2) ‘2 Clem.’ 5, ‘The Lord saith, Ye shall be as lambs in the midst of wolves. But Peter answered and said unto Him, What then if the wolves should tear the lambs? Jesus said unto Peter, Let not the lambs fear the wolves after they are dead,’ ete. Cf. Mt 10%, Lk 12+, See Lightfoot’s note. (3) ‘The Gospel according to the Hebrews’ (ap. Jerome, adv. Pelag. iii. 2), ‘Si peccauerit, inquit, fra- ter tuus in uerbo et satis tibi fecerit, septies in die suscipe eum. Dixit illi Simon discipulus eius, Septies in die? Respondit Dominus et dixit ei, Etiam ego dico tibi, Usque septuagies septies.’ Cf. Mt 18", Lk 174. See Westeott, Introduction p. 456; Hilgenfeld, NT extra Canon. iv. ῬΡ. 16, 23. (4) ‘The Gospel according to the Hebrews’ (ap. Origen in Matth. tom. xv. 14), ‘Conuersus dixit Simoni discipulo suo sedenti apud se, Simon fili Johanne, facilius est camelum intrare per fora- men acus, quam diuitem in regnum celorum.’ Cf. Mt 19'%. See Westcott p. 463; Hilgenfeld p. 16. (5) ‘The Gospel of the Ebionites’ (ap. Epiph. Her. xxx. 13), ‘ And when He came to Capernaum, He entered into the house of Simon, surnamed Peter ; and He opened His mouth and said, As I passed along the Lake of Tiberias I chose John and James, sons of Zebedee, and Simon and Andrew . . . you then I wish to be twelve apostles for a testimony to Israel.’ See Westcott p. 466; Hilgenfeld pp. 33, 36. On the Gospel and the Apocalypse of Peter see below, p. 776 f.
2. St. Peter in connexion with the Syrian Antioch.—According to a very widespread tradi- tion, St. Peter was the founder and organizer of the Church in Antioch. The Clementine Romance, which must date back at least to the beginning of the 3rd cent., makes the apostle’s entry into An- tioch and his success there the happy conclusion of the story (Hom, xx. 23; Recog. x. 68 ff.). Baseless as most of its details are, in such a matter as this it would be likely to reflect current tradition, especially as it probably originated in Syria (see below). Origen (Hom. vi. in Luc., ed. Lomm. v. Ῥ. 104) calls Ignatius ‘the second Bishop of Antioch after the blessed Peter.’ This statement was not improbably derived from an earlier list of Antio- chene bishops. Such a list Lipsius (p. 25, ef. Lightfoot, Clementi. p. 333f.) thinks can be assigned to the time of Victor of Rome. Other important notices of St. Peter’s connexion with the Church of aintioch preserved in Christian literature are: (1) Greek: (a) Apost. Const. vii. 46 ; (b) Euseb. HE 11. xxxvi. 2, Chron. (see below); (c) Chrys. Hom. in Ign. Mart. (Migne, Pat. Gr. |. 591); (α) Theodoret, Dial. Immut. (Migne, Pat. Gr. \xxxiii. 81); (e) Chron. Paschale (Migne, Pat. Gr. xcii. 557). Inthe last document we are told that in the fourth year after the Ascension Peter went to Antioch, that at the request of the Jewish Christians he enthroned himself as bishop, that he did not receive or regard any Gentile Christians, and that so leaving them to themselves he departed thence—a story which must be derived from some early Ebionite romance cognate to the Letter of Peter to James prefixed to the Clem. Homilies. (2) Latin: (a) Jerome, de Virr. Illustr. 1 ; (Ὁ) Leo, Epp. 106, 119 (Migne, Pat. Lat. liv. 1007, 1042) ; (c) Tiber Pontificalis (in all the several forms, ed. Duchesne pp. 50 f., 118), see