Fragments of the Letters · §5 · Dionysius of Corinth

Catalogue of Dionysius's letters

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Eusebius is cataloguing the surviving letters of Dionysius of Corinth, summarizing the occasion and content of each.

First, then, we must speak about Dionysius: he had been entrusted with the throne of the office of bishop of the church in Corinth, and he shared his inspired diligence generously not only with those under him but already with those in foreign lands as well. He made himself most useful to all through the catholic letters he composed to the churches. Among these is the one to the Lacedaemonians, catechetical of orthodoxy and urging peace and unity.

The one to the Athenians stirs up faith and the conduct according to the gospel. He rebukes them for having neglected this, since they had almost fallen away from the word after their leader Publius happened to be martyred during the persecutions of that time. He mentions that Quadratus became their bishop after Publius was martyred, testifying that through his zeal they were gathered together and received a rekindling of faith. He also makes clear that Dionysius the Areopagite, having been turned to the faith by the apostle Paul according to what is shown in the Acts, was the first to be entrusted with the office of bishop of the church in Athens.

Another letter of his is addressed to the people of Nicomedia, in which he fights against the heresy of Marcion and stands by the standard of truth.

Writing also to the church that sojourns in Gortyn together with the rest of the churches in Crete, he accepts Philip their bishop, since the church under him is testified to for very many deeds of courage. He also reminds them to guard against the distortion of the heretics.

Writing to the church that sojourns in Amastris together with the churches in Pontus, he mentions Bacchylides and Elpistus as having urged him to write. He sets out explanations of the divine writings and indicates their bishop by the name of Palmas. He gives much advice to them about marriage and purity, and he commands them to welcome those who turn back from any fall whatever, whether from transgression or from heretical error.

Among these is included another letter to the people of Cnossus, in which he urges Pinytus, bishop of the church, not to impose a heavy burden of compulsory purity on the brethren, but to take into account the weakness of the many.

And another letter of Dionysius besides these is preserved, written to Chrysophora, a most faithful sister. Writing to her what was fitting, he gave her a share of the spiritual food that was proper for her as well.

Greek

Καὶ πρῶτόν γε περὶ Διονυσίου φατέον· ὅτι τε τῆς ἐν Κορίνθῳ παροικίας τὸν τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς ἐγκεχείριστο θρόνον· καὶ ὡς τῆς ἐνθέου φιλοπονίας οὐ μόνον τοῖς ὑπ᾿ αὐτὸν, ἀλλ᾿ ἤδη καὶ τοῖς ἐπὶ τῆς ἀλλοδαπῆς ἀφθόνως ἐκοινώνει· χρησιμώτατον ἅποσιν ἑαυτὸν καθιστὰς, ἐν αἷς ὑπετυποῦτο καθολικαῖς πρὸς τὰς ἐκκλησίας ἐπιστολαῖς. ὧν ἐστιν, Ἡ ΜΕΝ ΠΡΟΣ ΛΑΚΕΔΑIΜΟΝΙΟΥΣ, ὀρθοδοξίας κατηχητικὴ, εἰρήνης τε καὶ ἑνώσεως ὑποθετική.

Ἡ ΔΕ ΠΡΟΣ ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΥΣ, διεγερτικὴ πίστεως καὶ τῆς κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον πολιτείας· ἧς ὀλιγωρήσαντας ἐλέγχει, ὡς ἂν μικροῦ δεῖν ἀποστάντας τοῦ λόγου, ἐξ οὗπερ τὸν προεστῶτα αὐτῶν Πούπλιον μαρτυρῆσαι κατὰ τοὺς τότε συνέβη διωγμούς. Κοδράτου δὲ μετὰ τὸν μαρτυρήσαντα Πούπλιον καταστάντος αὐτῶν ἐπισκόπου μέμνηται· ἐπιμαρτυρῶν, ὡς ἂν διὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ σπουδῆς ἐπισυναχθέντων, καὶ τῆς πίστεως ἀναζωπύρησιν εἰληχότων· δηλοῖ δ᾿ ἐπὶ τούτοις, ὡς καὶ Διονύσιος ὁ Ἀρεοπαγίτης ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀποστόλου Παύλου προτραπεὶς ἐπὶ τὴν πίστιν κατὰ τὰ ἐν ταῖς πράξεσι δεδηλωμένα, πρῶτος τῆς ἐν Ἀθήναις παροικίας τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν ἐγκεχείριστο.

Ἄλλη δ᾿ ἐπιστολή τις αὐτοῦ ΠΡΟΣ ΝΙΚΟΜΗΔΕΑΣ φέρεται· ἐν τὴν Μαρκίωνος αἵρεσιν πολεμῶν, τῷ τῆς ἀληθείας παρίσταται κανόνι.

Καὶ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ δὲ τῇ παροικούσῃ ΓΟΡΤΥΝΑΝ ἉΜΑ ΤΑΙΣ ΛΟΙΠΑΙΣ ΚΑΤΑ ΚΡΗΤΗΝ ΠΑΡΟΙΚΙΑΙΣ ἐπιστείλας, Φίλιππον ἐπίσκοπον αὐτῶν ἀποδέχεται, ἅτε δὴ ἐπὶ πλείσταις μαρτυρουμένης ἀνδραγαθίαις τῆς ὑπ᾿ αὐτὸν ἐκκλησίας· τήν τε τῶν αἱρετικῶν διαστροφὴν ὑπομιμνήσκει φυλάττεσθαι.

Καὶ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ δὲ τῇ παροικούσῃ ΑΜΑΣΤΡΙΝ ἉΜΑ ΤΑΙΣ ΚΑΤΑ ΠΟΝΤΟΝ ἐπιστείλας, Βακχυλίδου μὲν καὶ Ἐλπίστου, ὡς ἂν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸ γράψαι προτρεψάντων μέμνηται· γραφῶν τε θείων ἐξηγήσεις παρατέθειται· ἐπίσκοπον αὐτῶν ὀνόματι Πάλμαν ὑποσημαίνων· πολλὰ δὲ περὶ γάμου καὶ ἁγνείας τοῖς αὐτοῖς παραινεῖ. καὶ τοὺς ἐξ οἵας δ᾿ οὖν ἀποπτώσεως, εἴτε πλημμελείας, εἴτε μὴν αἱρετικῆς πλάνης ἐπιστρέφοντας, δεξιοῦσθαι προστάττει.

Ταύταις ἄλλη ἐγκατείλεκται ΠΡΟΣ ΚΝΩΣΣΙΟΥΣ ἐπιστολὴ, ἐν ᾗ Πινυτὸν τῆς παροικίας ἐπίσκοπον παρακαλεῖ, μὴ βαρὺ φορτίον ἐπάναγκες τὸ περὶ ἁγνείας τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἐπιτιθέναι, τῆς δὲ τῶν πολλῶν καταστοχάζεσθαι ἀσθενείας.—

Καὶ ἄλλη δέ τις παρὰ ταύτας ἐπιστολὴ τοῦ Διονυσίου φέρεται, ΧΡΥΣΟΦΟΡΑ πιστοτάτῃ ἀδελφῇ ἐπιστείλαντος. ᾗ τὰ κατάλληλα γράφων, τῆς προσηκούσης καὶ αὐτῇ μετεδίδου λογικῆς τροφῆς.

About this text

Fragments of letters from Dionysius, bishop of Corinth, to churches across the Greek world, quoted by Eusebius.

Dionysius was bishop of Corinth in the mid-second century. He wrote pastoral letters to churches and individuals across the Greek-speaking world, including Rome, Sparta, Athens, Nicomedia, Gortyn in Crete, Amastris in Pontus, Cnossus, and a Christian woman named Chrysophora. He wrote to address local needs, encourage sound teaching, and respond to requests from fellow believers.

The letters survive only in fragments quoted by the church historian Eusebius. Dionysius wrote in a period when his letters carried enough authority that heretical groups tried to alter them by adding or removing material. He himself warns that his writings had been corrupted by agents of the devil. The fragments show his wide pastoral concern for orthodoxy, peace, and moral discipline across many churches.

A reader will meet Soter, bishop of Rome, praised for his generosity in sending aid to needy churches and to Christians condemned to forced labor in the mines. Dionysius recalls reading the Romans' letter publicly on the Lord's day and says the Corinthians will keep reading it, just as they do the earlier letter written through Clement. He praises the Romans and Corinthians for blending together the planting made by the apostles Peter and Paul, who taught together in Italy and were martyred at the same time. He also mentions Publius, a leader of the Athenian church who was martyred, and Quadratus, bishop of Athens after him. Dionysius the Areopagite, a member of the Athenian council converted by Paul according to the Acts of the Apostles, appears as the first bishop of Athens. Other figures include Philip, bishop of Gortyn, and Pinytus, bishop of Cnossus, whom Dionysius urged not to impose too heavy a burden of purity on the brethren. Bacchylides and Elpistus are two men who urged Dionysius to write to the church at Amastris. The fragments also refer to the heresy of Marcion, a false teaching judged by the standard of truth.

New English from the Greek base text; no published English used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from Reliquiae sacrae Martin Joseph Routh Dionysius Corinthius Oxford University Press Oxford 1846 (Greek)

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