SincetheReformation, the early history of the Romanprimacy has beena matter ofemotional debate as well as ofearneststudy. Certain textshave been theobjectof intensescrutinyin the process. Among

of contention. His viewof the role of Peter and his use of thephrase "the chair of Peter" inparticular have fascinated generationsof scholars andpolemicists alike. In this essay, I willargue thatCyprian's view ofPeter as the source and font ofunity in the Churchis stillbasic to theecclesiology of the fourthcentury Africanauthor, Optatusof Milevis,and is stilloperative,albeit in a more vestigialfashion,inthe

The lists ofbishops foundin certainearlyChristian documentshave beenof interestfor severalreasons. Thoseinvestigating theorigins of the monarchicalepiscopate seek to determine if the namesgivenare historical. They tryto clarify the functions of those calledepiskopoiat the end of the firstcentury. Theidea ofsuccessionpreoccupies others. Succession listsfurnished one ofthe cornerstones forEusebius incon-

structing his Church History.It is clear that in the secondcentury,the monarchicalepiscopate,joined withthe claimtoapostolicfoundation for certainsees, became akey elementinelaborating adefenceagainst Gnosticism.

Though Hegesippus spokeof making a diadoche of thebishops of Rome,whenhis text was citedby Eusebius, no listwasgiven. It was left to Irenaeustopass on the earliest list still extant. Hearguedthat some- oneseeking to knowtheteaching of Jesus shouldgo, not to theGnostic

masters,but to the Christiancommunitieshistoricallyfounded in the firstcenturybytheApostles. Hestressedthat while there wereagood number of suchcommunities,especiallyinthe east, for the sake of

brevity, he would give onlythe list of thebishops of the outstanding communityof apostolicfoundation,Rome.The significanceofhis argumentas well as of the list itself havelongbeen debated.Apartfrom

thelist,themeaningsof certainwords such asprincipalitashave been
the occasionfor muchresearch.In recentdecadesprincipalitashas been
widelyacceptedas linkedto the idea of"nobilityorprestigeof origin",
referring,ofcourse,to thefoundingof the RomanchurchbyPeter and
Pauland notsimplyan indicationofpriority,historicalor hierarchical.'
Irenaeus'work inturnisusuallyconsideredtohavebeentheforemost
influenceon Tertullianas the latterformulatedhis attackagainstheresy

Seekersaftertruth, such as the Gnosticsclaimedtobe, are invitedto makebetteruse of their time and curiosityby consultingtheirlocal see of apostolicorigin.Whileherefers

Tertullian,unlike Irenaeus,
did notactuallygive any.Hedid, however,introducethe notion of the
"chair" of theApostles, a term thatwill become more vital in the

arguingseemsto be the beliefon thepartof some that Peter functioned astherepresentativeof the Church.What he receivedfrom Christwas meant for theChurch, of whichPeter was thesymbol.3

The nextgreat Africanauthor after Tertullianw asCyprian.Today, mostscholarsagreewith the conclusionsof MauriceBevenot4thatin chapterfour of the Deunitateecclesiae,Peter, becausehe istemporally

thefirstto receivetheauthoritythat ChristgivestohisChurch,becomes forCyprianthesymbolof theunity of the Church.The Churchisand must remainone becauseof the oneness of Peter at itsorigin."...Ut unitatemmanifestaret,unitatis eiusdemoriginemabuno incipientem

quality of God and thus should be characteristicofeverything associatedwith God. "Deus unus est et Christusunus et una ecclesiaet cathedra unasuper Petrum Domini vocefundata."Throughout

ratio.But that the words are not confinedsolely to anecclesiological
contextcan be seen from a remarkin his treatiseagainstDemetrianus:
"...Comites tibipluresradicisadqueoriginistuaepullulationefecisti."6
In letter 48 toCornelius,Cyprianmentionsthat he hasurged those

matricemet radicemagnoscerentac tenerent." The matrix and radix here do not refer to the Roman church as such but the "womb and root" are the CatholicChurch.Since there is a schismin the Christian

communityofRome, it is vital forCarthaginianCatholicsto enterinto communionwith the Catholiccommunitythere. This is thecommunity ledbyCornelius,thebishop ofthe CatholicChurchinRome, not that ofNovatian, theleader of aschismaticgroup.7

bishops hold the"rationisacveritatisfirmitatem."Later in the same letter,hereiterates: "NamPetroprimumDominus, super quem aedificavitecclesiamet undeunitatisorigineminstituitet ostendit..." In the Latintranslationof his letter toCyprian, Firmilianof Caesarea

reditur,nec caput quaeritur..." This is stated at the end ofchapter three. He thenproceedsat thebeginningof the followingchaptertocite theprobatiofacilisforthis claim. Theproof is none other than the text Matt 16:18-19.8