Justifying Death

There was no single tradition about the deaths of Peter and Paul. Instead, there existed a cluster of traditions with some overlap on basic points, but much variety on other details. This chapter explores the explanations for the apostles’ deaths. In some sources Peter rouses the ire of the emperor through his preaching on chastity (Acts of Peter), while Paul is viewed as a political revolutionary (Acts of Paul). However, other, typically later authors emphasize the joint martyrdom tradition and link their deaths to the conflict with Simon Magus. This chapter analyzes texts reflecting each explanation and demonstrates that none can be read at face value, because each is a product of its particular social and political context.