While surviving the shipwreck and the viper bite in Acts 28.1–6 have often been recognised as symbolic assertions of Paul's innocence, the viper may hold further symbolic significance. Following his act of matricide in 59 ce, Nero was linked to Aeschylus’ portrayal of Orestes, who, in turn, was linked to a tradition that understood a viper's birth as matricidal. Thus, through his encounter with the viper, Paul symbolically ‘appears before’ the emperor Nero—something that is anticipated yet never happens overtly in the narrative of Acts itself.

中文翻译：

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尼坎德里亚尼禄？使徒行传 28.1-6 中毒蛇的象征意义

虽然使徒行传 28.1-6 中的海难幸存和毒蛇咬伤通常被认为是保罗清白的象征性断言，但毒蛇可能具有进一步的象征意义。继59年的弑母行为之后CE尼禄与埃斯库罗斯对俄瑞斯忒斯的描绘有关，而俄瑞斯忒斯又与将毒蛇的诞生视为弑母的传统有关。因此，通过与毒蛇的相遇，保罗象征性地“出现在”尼禄皇帝面前——这是预料之中的事情，但在使徒行传本身的叙述中从未公开发生过。