[Woodkirk]

Eusebius's Ecclesiastical History, p 137 and p 143
Hasting's Dictionary of the Apostolic Church , Vol 2, pp514 -566
Dictionary of Christian Biography, Vol 4, p 682
The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge
Anna Jameson: Sacred and Legendary Art
The Catholic Encyclopedia
The Bible -- Book of Acts

-- to name a few. Any encyclopedia or book on magic,
the occult, gnosticism usually always includes him.

[RobbyS]

Was this Simon Magus in Rome pretending to be Peter the Apostle, who if he had been there, would have spent his time in the Jewish community, which would have placed him at odds with the Romans and their emperor.

Is it possible that Simon Magus has been confused with Simon Peter and that he and not Peter was the one who established the office of Roman Pontiff ?

It may be that the story of a 25 year reign as "bishop"is in error. But "Cephas" was the usual name of the leader of the Twelve , and historically his close association with the city of Rome comes from his martyrdom under Nero. Peter, of course, was not a "Pontiff," since that is a Roman title assumed by the popes many years later, after they displaced pagan leaders in that position.