Simon of Cyrene

Life and work

Simon was from Cyrene, a city in North Africa (modern-day Libya) with a significant Jewish population. All three synoptic Gospels record that as Jesus, weakened from the beating, struggled toward the execution site, Roman soldiers seized Simon — who was simply passing by, in from the countryside — and forced him to carry the cross the rest of the way (Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26).

Mark's Gospel adds an unusual detail: it identifies Simon as "the father of Alexander and Rufus." Since Mark doesn't explain who these two men were, most scholars take this as a sign that Simon's sons were known, perhaps prominent, members of the early Christian community Mark was writing for — a small aside suggesting that the man forced into this moment of humiliation and grace became a lasting part of the story, with his family remembered by name in the church decades later. Some have further speculated this Rufus is the same Rufus greeted by Paul in Romans 16:13, though that connection can't be proven.

Extra-biblical evidence

No extra-biblical record of Simon of Cyrene survives outside the Gospels.

Scripture references

• Matthew 27:32 — Forced to carry the cross
• Mark 15:21 — Identified as the father of Alexander and Rufus
• Luke 23:26 — Seized as he came in from the country