Simonians
<p >The <b>Simonians</b> were a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnostic" title="Gnostic" class="mw-redirect" >Gnostic</a> sect of the 2nd century which regarded <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Magus" title="Simon Magus" >Simon Magus</a> as its founder and traced its doctrines, known as <b>Simonianism</b>, back to him. The sect flourished in Syria, in various districts of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia_Minor" title="Asia Minor" class="mw-redirect" >Asia Minor</a>and at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome" title="Rome" >Rome</a>. In the 3rd century remnants of it still existed,<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simonians#cite_note-1" >[1]</a></sup> which survived until the 4th century.
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Martyr" title="Justin Martyr" >Justin Martyr</a> wrote in his Apology [152 AD], the sect of the Simonians appears to have been formidable, for he speaks four times of their founder, Simon.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simonians#cite_note-2" >[2]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simonians#cite_note-3" >[3]</a></sup>
The Simonians are mentioned by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hegesippus" title="Hegesippus" class="mw-disambig" >Hegesippus</a>;<sup class="plainlinks noprint Inline-Template" >[<i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://toolserver.org/dispenser/cgi-bin/dab_solver.py?page=Simonians&editintro=Template:Disambiguation_needed/editintro&client=Template:Dn" >disambiguation needed</a></i>]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simonians#cite_note-4" >[4]</a></sup> their doctrines are quoted and opposed in connection with Simon Magus by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irenaeus" title="Irenaeus" >Irenaeus</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simonians#cite_note-5" >[5]</a></sup> by the <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophumena" title="Philosophumena" class="mw-redirect" >Philosophumena</a></i>,<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simonians#cite_note-6" >[6]</a></sup> and later by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphanius_of_Salamis" title="Epiphanius of Salamis" >Epiphanius of Salamis</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simonians#cite_note-7" >[7]</a></sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origen" title="Origen" >Origen</a> also mentions that some of the sect were called Heleniani.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simonians#cite_note-8" >[8]</a></sup></p>