The Life and Legacy of Dionysius the Areopagite, Athens’ Patron Saint

Plaka, Athens. Credit: George E. Koronaios / CC BY-SA 4.0/ Wikipedia

Saint Dionysius the Areopagite, the patron saint of the city of Athens, is besides known arsenic the protector of judges and the judiciary. The Greek Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast Day of Saint Dionysius connected October 3rd.

Born during the archetypal period AD, Dionysius grew up successful a affluent Athenian family. Before his conversion to Christianity, helium was known to person studied extensively, some successful Greece and abroad.

According to written sources, Dionysius was married, and helium and his woman and had respective children.

His wide cognition and the large occurrence helium had successful his studies allowed him to articulation ancient Greece’s astir prestigious tribunal of law, that of the Areopagus.

“Dionysius the Areopagite Converting the Pagan Philosophers,” Oil connected sheet by Antoine Caron, 1521 – 1599. Credit: Public Domain

At the clip of Jesus’ crucifixion, Dionysius was successful Egypt successful a municipality called Heliopolis (the City of the Sun) adjacent today’s superior of Cairo.

According to Christian tradition, connected Good Friday, the precise time Jesus Christ died, ”darkness came implicit each the land.”

Dionysius noticed that time that the prima had disappeared and wrote down the nonstop hr that this peculiar improvement had occurred.

Tradition says that Dionysius was truthful amazed and disturbed by the sun’s disappearance that helium uttered the words ”God suffers, oregon everything is lost.”

His conversion to Christianity

The elevation of the Areopagus successful Athens, adjacent to the Acropolis, arsenic it is seen today. Credit: Wikimedia Commons/ Public Domain.

However, for years aft this phenomenon, Dionysius didn’t cognize for definite what the abrupt eclipse meant, and whether oregon not it was really a motion from heaven.

But years later, helium heard a antheral named Paul preaching connected Athens’ Areopagus Hill, adjacent to the Acropolis and adjacent to wherever his tribunal was located.

Mosaic of Saint Dionysius successful Hosios Loukas monastery successful Boeotia. Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain

Dionysius heard St. Paul explaining that erstwhile Jesus died, the daylight wholly disappeared and acheronian embraced the world. This instantly reminded him of the peculiar improvement helium had noticed and recorded successful Egypt, respective years prior.

Convinced that Paul was telling the information and that his teaching was that of the existent faith, Dionysius decided to go baptized successful 54 AD.

Dionysius was truthful passionate astir Christ and His revolutionary connection that helium yet abandoned his household and judicial vocation and dedicated himself wholly to God.

When the erstwhile justice learned that the parent of Jesus was inactive live and surviving successful Jerusalem, helium decided to sojourn her there.

Dionysius so met Mary determination successful the Holy Land, and enjoyed galore discussions with her. He was besides determination erstwhile she yet passed away, a witnesser to her Dormition.

The erstwhile Greek justice adjacent attended her funeral.

Years later, Dionysius wrote a publication successful which helium explained his content that the pistillate helium had met and spoken with had so been the Mother of God, thing that helium believed was definite lone by the mode she had appeared.

In the meantime, Saint Paul had named Dionysius the archetypal Bishop of Athens, which successful effect boldly established Christianity arsenic an entity successful the precise halfway of the pagan world’s idolatry.

The courageous martyrdom of Dionysius the Areopagite

When Dionysius learned the quality that Saint Paul had been executed by beheading extracurricular Rome, helium wholeheartedly desired to sacrifice his ain beingness to grant Jesus.

Along with his friends Eleutherius and Rusticus, Dionysius made the courageous determination to spell and preach Jesus’ Gospel openly successful public.

After managing to person galore pagans to Christianity, Dionysius, the erstwhile judge, on with Eleutherius and Rusticus, was successful the extremity beheaded during the reign of Emperor Domitian, successful 96 AD.

Some judge that the Greek St. Dionysius really died successful Paris, but successful each likelihood, that was different martyr, from Gaul, who had the aforesaid name, and each St. Dionysius is commemorated connected the time of their martyrdom.

The Veneration of St. Dionysius

The interior of the Catholic Cathedral of Athens, dedicated to Saint Dionysius the Areopagite. Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Public domain

Saint Dionysius the Areopagite is venerated by some the Orthodox and the Catholic Christian Churches.

The Orthodox Church honors his memory connected October 3 each year, portion the Catholic Church does truthful connected October 9.

Additionally, the Greek Orthodox Church besides celebrates his representation connected October 12, the time erstwhile each the Athenian saints are celebrated together.

The Catholic Cathedral of Athens is dedicated to Saint Dionysius the Areopagite and an Orthodox religion dedicated to his representation besides inactive stands successful Kolonaki, downtown Athens.

The operation of the Catholic shrine began successful the mid 1840s and it was consecrated successful 1853. The Orthodox religion dedicated to the saint was consecrated 78 years later, successful 1931, aft 8 years of construction.

Before that, a smaller and much humble church, besides dedicated to the aforesaid saint, stood astatine the nonstop spot wherever the caller temple stands. It was primitively built astatine astir the aforesaid clip arsenic the Catholic cathedral of St. Dionysius.