Dionysius (Hastings' Dictionary)
Dionysius, designated the Areo- pagite (6 'ApewraylT-qs), is mentioned as one of the few converts made by St. Paul at Athens (Ac 17'*). He is probably thus specially named as having been a member of the Council of Areopagus (see Areo- TAGUS). Nothing further is known of him. It has been suggested that St. I.uke, who apparently was not at Athens, may have owed to Dionysius his report of the speech on Mars' hill. According to Dionysius of (^lorinth (in Euseb. HE in.
4) he became the first bishop of the church at Athens ; accordin"; to one account (Niceph. IIE iii. 11) he suflered martyrdom at Athens under Domitian ; according to another {Martyr. Rum.), having come to Rome, he was sent by Clemens I. (about 95) to Paris, and there beheaded on the Martyrs' Monnt (Montmartre) ; and no small con- troversy has arisen in France over his title to be regarded as St. Denys, the patron saint of France.
Various mystical writings, circulated in the Middle Ages under his name, are still extant ; but they have long been regarded as non-genuine, and are now generally supposed to have been put into circulation about the 5th century. William P. Dickson.
This topic also has an entry in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Both articles offer independent scholarly perspectives.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Dionysius
Dionysius di-o-nish'-i-us (Dionusios, surnamed "the Areopagite"): One of the few Athenians converted by Paul (Ac 17:34). We know nothing further about him (see AREOPAGUS). According to one account he was the first bishop of the church at Athens; according to another he suffered martyrdom in that city under Domitian. We are even told that he migrated to Rome and was sent to Paris, where he was beheaded on Montmartre (Mount of the Martyr). The patron saint of France is Denys; compare the French "Denys d'Halicarnasse" (Dionysius of Halicarnassus). The mystical writings which were circulated in the Middle Ages and are still extant, are pronounced by the best authorities to be forgeries, and date from a period not earlier than the 5th century. ⇒See a list of verses on DIONYSIUS in the Bible. J. E. Harry ⇒See also the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia.
Smith's Bible Dictionary on Dionysius
(devoted to Dionysus, i.e., Bacchus) the Areop’agite, (Acts 17:34) an eminent Athenian, converted to Christianity by the preaching of St. Paul. (A.D. 52.) He is said to have been first bishop of Athens. The writings which were once attributed to him are now confessed to be the production of some neo-Platonists of the sixth century.
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia