DIONYSITJS
11
DIONYSIUS
African Council of Carthage (419). — (c) Of another
bilingual version of Greek canons, undertaken at the
instance of Pope Hormisdas, only the preface has been
preserved. (2) A collection of papal Constitutions
'.Collectio decretonun Pontificum Romanorum) from
Siricius to Anastasius II (3S-1-498).
In chronology Dionysius has left liis mark con- spicuously, for it was he who introduced the use of the Christian Era (see Chronology) according to which dates are reckoned from the Incarnation, which he assigned to 125 March, in the year 754 from the founda- tion of Rome (a. u. c). By this method of computa- tion he intended to supersede the "Era of Diocletion" Ijreviously employed, being unwilling, as he tells us, that the name of an impious persecutor should be thus kept in memory. The Era of the Incarnation, often called the Dionysian Era, was soon much used in Italy and, to some extent, a little later in Spain ; during the eighth and ninth centuries it was adopted in England. Charlemagne is said to have been the first Christian ruler to employ it officially. It was not until the tenth century that it was employed in the papal chancery (Lersch, Chronologic, Freiburg, 1899, p. 23.'?). Diony- sius also gave attention to the calculation of Easter, which so greatly occupied the early Church. To this end he advocated the adoption of the Alexandrian Cycle of nineteen years, extending that of St. Cyril for a period of ninety-five years in advance. It was in this work that he adopted the Era of the Incarnation. Dionysius, works in F. L., LXVII. and the testimony of C,\sslODORUs. ibid,, LXX. See also Maasen, Quellen der Lit. des. can. Rechts im Abendlande (Graz, 1870): Bardenhewer, Gesch. der allkirch. Lit. (Freiburg im Br., 1902).
John Gerard.
Dionysius of Alexandria (bishop from 247-8 to 264-5), called "the Great" by Eusebius, St. Basil, and others, was undoubtedly, after St. Cyprian, the most eminent bishop of the third century. Like St. Cyp- rian he was less a great theologian than a great ad- ministrator. Like St. Cyprian his writings usually took the form of letters. Both saints were converts from paganism; both were engaged in the controver- sies as to the restoration of those who had lapsed in the Decian persecution, about Novatian, and with re- gard to the iteration of heretical baptism ; both corre- sponded with the popes of their day. Yet it is curi- ous that neither mentions the name of the other. A single letter of Dionysius has been preserved in Greek canon law. For the rest we are dependent on the many citations by Eusebius, and, for one phase, to the works of his great successor St. Athanasius.
Dionysius was an old man when he died, so that his birth will fall about 190, or earlier. He is said to have been of distinguished parentage. He became a Chris- tian when still young. At a later period, when he was warned Ijy a priest of the danger he ran in studying the books of heretics, a vision — so he infonns us — assured him that he was capable of proving all things, and that this faculty had in fact been the cause of his conver- sion. He studied under Origen. The latter was ban- ished by Demetrius about 231, and Heraclas took his place at the head of the catechetical school. On the death of Demetrius very soon afterwards, Heraclas became bishop, and Dionysius took the headship of the famous school. It is thought that he retained this office even when he himself had succeeded Hera- clas as bishop. In the last year of Philip, 249, although the emperor himself was reported to be a Christian, a riot at Alexandria, roused by a popular prophet and poet, had all the effect of a severe persecution. It is described by Dionysivis in a letter to Fabius of Anti- och. The mob first seized an old man named Metras, beat him with clubs when he would not deny his faith, pierced his eyes and face with reeds, dragged him out of the city, and stoned him. Then a woman named Quinta, who would not sacrifice, was drawn along the rough pavement by the feet, dashed against mill-
stones, scourged, and finally stoned in the same sub-
urb. The houses of the faithful were plundered.
Not one, so far as the bishop knew, apostatized. The
aged virgin, ApoUonia, after her teeth had been
knocked out, sprang of her own accord into the fire
prejiared for her rather than utter blasphemies. Sera-
pion had all his limbs broken, and was dashed down
from the upper story of his own house. It was impos-
sible for any Christian to go into the streets, even at
night, for the mob was shouting that all who would
not blaspheme should be burnt. The riot was stopped
by the civil war, but the new Emperor Decius insti-
tuted a legal persecution in January, 250. St. Cyprian
describes how at Carthage the Christians rushed to
sacrifice, or at least to obtain false certificates of hav-
ing done so. Similarly Dionysius tells us that at
Alexantlria many conformed through fear, others on
account of official position, or persuaded by friends;
some pale and trembling at their act, others boldly as-
serting that they had never been Christians. Some
endured imprisonment for a time; others abjured only
at the sight of tortures ; others held out until the tortures
conquered their resolution. But there were noble in-
stances of constancy. Julian and Kronion were
scourged through the city on camels, and then burnt
to death. A soldier, Besas, who protected them from
the insults of the people, was beheaded. Macar, a
Libyan, was burnt alive. Epimachus and Alexander,
after long imprisonment and many tortures, were also
burnt, with four women. The virgin Ammonarion
also was long tortured. The aged Mercuria and Dio-
nysia, a mother of many children, suffered by the
sword. Heron, Ater, and Isidore, Egyptians, after
many tortures were given to the flames. A boy of
fifteen, Dioscorus, who stood firm under torture, was
dismissed by the judge for very shame. Nemesion
was tortured and scourged, and then burnt between
two robbers. A number of soldiers, and with them an
old man named Ingenuus, made indignant signs to one
who was on his trial and about to apostatize. When
called to order they cried out that they were Christians
with such boldness that the governor and his assessors
were taken aback; they suffered a glorious martyr-
dom. Numbers were martyred in the cities and vil-
lages. A steward named Ischyrion was pierced
through the stomach by his master with a large stake
because he refused to sacrifice. Many fled, wandered
in the deserts and the mountains, and were cut off by
hunger, thirst, cold, sickness, robbers, or wild beasts.
A bishop named Chferemon escaped with his <rv/j.(iiot
(wife?) to the Arabian mountain, and was no more
heard of. Many were carried off as slaves by the Sara-
cens and some of these were later ransomed for large
sums.
Some of the lapsed had been readmitted to Christian fellowship by the martyrs. Dionysius urged upon Fabius, BLshop of Antioch, who was inclined to join Novatian, that it was right to respect tliis judi^nicnt delivered by blessed martyrs " now seated with ( 'hrist, and sharers in His Kingdom and assessors in His judgment". He adds the story of an old man, Sera- pion, who after a long and blameless life had sacrificed, and could obtain absolution from no one. On his death-bed he sent his grandson to fetch a priest. The priest was ill, but he gave a particle of the Eucharist to the child, telling him to moisten it and place it in the old man's mouth. Serapion received it with joy, and immediately expired. Sabinus, the prefect, sent a frumentarius (detective) to search for Dionysius di- rectly the decree was published; he looked everywhere but in Dionysitis's own house, where the saint had quietly remained. On the fourth day he was inspired to depart, and he left at night, with his domestics and certain brethren. But it seems that he was soon made prisoner, for soldiers escorted the whole party to Ta- i)Osiris in the Mareotis. A certain Tiraotheus, who nad not been taken with the others, informed a passing
