Dionysius of Corinth

Dionysius ( Greek: Διονύσιος ; Latin: Dionysios ; II century ) - Bishop of Corinth , Christian writer. Dionysius is revered as a saint in the Catholic Church , commemorated on April 8 and March 22 ; and in the Orthodox Church commemorated November 29 .

Jerome Stridon in his book “On Famous Men” devotes chapter 27 to Dionysius. Eusebius of Caesarea narrates in more detail about Dionysius in his book Church History .

Dionysius was a bishop of the city of Corinth, distinguished by eloquence and industriousness, the greatest flowering of his activity was during the reign of Emperors Mark Antonin Vera and Lucius Aurelius Commodus . Dionysius is the author of several letters. These are the messages:

1. to the Lacedaemonians , instructing in faith and persuading to preserve peace and unity;
2. to the Athenians , in which the author calls Christians to faith and to live the gospel; the author mentions and praises the works and martyrdom of the bishops of Athens: Dionysius the Areopagite , Publius and Kodrath ;
3. to the Nicomedians , in which the author refutes the heresy of Marcion ;
4. to the church in Gortina and to the Christians of the churches in Crete , in which the author praises Bishop Philip Gortinsky and warns Christians to beware of heretical infection;
5. to the church in Amastrid and to the Christians of Pontus , he recalls Bacchillides and Elpistus, who asked him to write this Epistle; in which the author interprets the Divine Scripture , mentions the bishop of the Amastrid Palm and gives a lot of advice regarding marriage and chastity; writes that it is necessary to take into fellowship those who have fallen, sinned, even those who have committed heretical error, if they have repented (the message was written at the request of Bacchilis and Elpist);
6. to the inhabitants of Knossos , in which the author convinces their bishop Pinit not to forcibly impose on the brothers the heavy burden of chastity and to reckon with the fact that many are weak; in the message, the author tells of the good qualities of Pinit: faith, concern for the benefit of his subjects, education and understanding of the Divine.
7. to the Romans , addressed to Bishop Soter , in which the author praises the customs of Roman Christians: to show mercy and comfort to all those in need;
8. to the deeply believing sister Christopher, in which the author gives Christopher spiritual instructions.

The writings of Dionysius were not preserved, only a small fragment of the Epistle of Dionysius to the Romans is cited by Eusebius of Caesarea in his book Church History . Not Eusebius, not Jerome, not a word is written about the martyrdom of Dionysius. The first information about the martyrdom of Dionysius appeared only from the XI century by the Greek authors George Kedrin and Michael Glika . In Western martyrology there is no information about the martyrdom of Dionysius.

The first mention of the relics of Dionysius of Corinth is the beginning of the 13th century. Peter the Capuan after the Fourth Crusade brought the relics to Rome . After the death of Peter in 1209, the relics were at the disposal of Pope Innocent III . During the Fourth Lateran Council, Innocent III transferred the relics of Dionysius to the prior of the abbey of Saint-Denis Emerich, who arrived in Rome at the Cathedral. On March 24, 1216, the relics were solemnly brought into the main church of the abbey and placed in the apse in front of the altar, where they were laid as the relics of Dionysius the Areopagite . The legend about the transfer of relics, written shortly after the event, has survived. Bull Innocent III was attached to the legend, in which the pope identifies the relics of Dionysius the Areopagite with the relics of Dionysius of Corinth. This mistake was the result of the previous misconception of the Hon . Misfortune the Venerable enjoyed great authority and considered Dionysius the Areopagite and Dionysius of Corinth one and the same person. Pierre Abelard , who died in 1142 , refuted this misconception of the Venerable Bad, but Innocent accepted the misconception of the Venerable Bad.