ORTHODOX OBSERVER
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OCTOBER 2000
Saint Dionysios the Areopagite: Athens’ First Christian by Eva M. Economou-Economy
Imagine the earth blanketed in total darkness. Imagine not knowing why or how. Imagine this haunting enigma looming over you for years. Dionysios the Areopagite didn t imagine this horrific episode but lived through it while visiting Heliopolis, Egypt. In time, some two decades later, this mystery would be revealed: St. Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles, would eventually come to Dionysios and illumine the reason for the black sun. An esteemed thinker and philosopher, Dionysios the Areopagite, lived in the first century AD. He belonged to the the Areopagus, a tribunal of nine men, named after the slippery Mars Hill, wedged between the Athenian acropolis and the agora where the group would convene. The Areopagus of antiquity was a bastion of democracy, akin to the U.S. Supreme Court, where cases of murder and treason were heard. Dionysios served as chief justice of the Areopagus. History, however, would celebrate him for different reasons. In the first century AD, the Greek world belonged to Rome. Fortunately, St. Paul had been a Roman citizen and could freely spread the message of the Gospel throughout the empire. In 51 AD, his journey led him to the illustrious city of Athens where he preached his famous Sermon to an Unknown God, (Acts: 17: 2234), and where Dionysios would listen attentively as St. Paul addressed the Areopagus: Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering objects of your worship, I even found an altar with the inscription: To the Unknown God. Therefore, the One whom you worship, without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made of hands Truly these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has appointed a
SAINT DIONYSIOS THE AREOPAGITE
day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the Dead. Many listened to St. Paul and mocked him, but Dionysios was riveted. St. Paul explained that when Christ was crucified for man s salvation, the sun, unable to bear the suffering of its creator, was darkened and refused to shed its light on the world for three hours.
THE SAINTS
Alas! The epiphany that Dionysios had longed for was made manifest through St. Paul. Dionysios realized the black sun that he had witnessed some two decades earlier occurred on the day of Christ s Crucifixion. On that auspicious evening, St. Dionysios became a Christian, and the first Athenian to convert to Christianity. He subsequently became the first bishop of Athens, contributing greatly to the growth of the Athenian Church During his ministry, he used his gifts of rhetoric, wisdom, and eloquence, to spread the message of the Gospel, traveling extensively throughout the Roman Empire. He also was able to hear the preaching of the Twelve Apostles and was with them at the falling asleep of the Virgin Mary in 55 AD. What s more, Dionysios was willing to suffer martyrdom for his faith. After leaving Athens for Rome, he was greeted by St. Clement, then the Bishop of Rome. He sent Dionysios to Gaul, modern-day France, where he converted many to Christianity. Realizing the breadth of Dionysios influence, Emperor Domitian set out to have him recant his beliefs. Dionysios, meanwhile, asserted the following: Although my body, as you can see is already aged, my faith blossoms with youth; and my confession ever gives birth in Christ to new children. Subsequently, Dionysios was disrobed and whipped mercilessly, but continued to thank Christ for the opportunity to suffer for Him. Dionysios was then imprisoned and on the following morning, his body was stretched over a bed of hot iron, thrown to wild animals and then into a fire. He remained faithful and was unscathed. He was imprisoned a second time and then beheaded. Dionysios, the Areopagite, bearing a classic pagan name was martyred for Christ. He died in Paris in 95 AD at the age of 90. The Orthodox Church commemorates the feast day of the holy hieromartyr, Dionysios the Areopagite, whose memory is most sacred in the city of Athens, on October 3rd.