Dionysius the Areopagite

Saint Dionysius the Areopagite
Greek icon of St. Dionysius
Hieromartyr
Born	around 1st century A.C.
Died	around 1st century A.C.
Venerated in	Roman Catholicism Eastern Orthodoxy
Feast	3 October
Attributes	Vested as a bishop, holding a Gospel Book
Patronage	Lawyers

Dionysius the Areopagite (Greek Διονύσιος ὁ Ἀρεοπαγίτης) was a judge of the Areopagus who, as related in the Acts of the Apostles, (Acts 17:34), was converted to Christianity by the preaching of the Apostle Paul during the Areopagus sermon. According to Dionysius of Corinth, quoted by Eusebius, this Dionysius then became the first Bishop of Athens.^[1]

Historic confusions

In the early 6th century, a series of famous writings of a mystical nature, employing Neoplatonic language to elucidate Christian theological and mystical ideas, was ascribed to the Areopagite.^[2] They have long been recognized as pseudepigrapha, and their author is now called "Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite".

Dionysius is believed to be misidentified with the martyr of Gaul, Dionysius, the first Bishop of Paris, Saint Denis. However, this mistake by a ninth century writer is ignored and each saint is commemorated on his respective day.^[3]

See also

• St. Dionysus Institute in Paris
• Early centers of Christianity#Greece

References

1. ^ Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiae III: iv
2. ^ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy on the confusion between Dionysius and Pseudo-Dionysius
3. ^

Sources

• Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite entry by Kevin Corrigan and Michael Harrington in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

External links

• Works written by or about Dionysius the Areopagite at Wikisource
• Hieromartyr Dionysius the Areopagite the Bishop of Athens Orthodox icon and synaxarion