On Dionysius the Areopagite and the Writings Supposedly Attributed to Him Against Gottfried Arnold

Dionysius of Alexandria, specifically in the year 269. L. Jac. à S. Carolo in Bibl. Pontif. Book II, p. 62 also attributes not a few writings to him.

III.

In the 6th Century follows a certain DIONYSIUS, a Scythian by nation, a monk by profession, and a Roman abbot surnamed EXIGUUS the Short. To him, besides other writings made public by the learned everywhere, we owe the Collection of Ecclesiastical Canons and Pontifical Decretals, which exist in almost all collections of Councils, especially in the Library of Ancient Canon Law collected by Henr. Justel and Guil. Voël (Paris, 1661, 2 vols.), and also edited separately by Christoph. Justel (Paris, 1628). See especially Gerb. von Mastricht, History of Ecclesiastical and Pontifical Law, no. 73, p. 42.

IV.

The 15th Century also presents a certain DIONYSIUS, surnamed after his native town RICKEL, a Carthusian monk who died in 1471 A.D. He is famous for various learned works, in addition to his commentaries on the works of Dionysius the Areopagite. You may find an index of these in summary in Valer. André, Belgian Library, p. 186, and in Franc. Sweertius, Athenae Belgicae, p. 215, who seems to have copied this not without suspicion of plagiarism.

V.

Finally, the one who should have been named in the first place by order of age: DIONYSIUS, an Athenian by birth, formerly a philosopher and judge and assessor of the highest tribunal in Athens, which they called the Areopagus (or Areopagus, the District of Mars, or Mars' Hill—the name comes from pagos, district, and Ares, Mars; though Jo. Frid. Herwart in Admir. Theol. Eth. Ch. 37 seems to give another reason for the name; compare Jo. Meursius, On the Areopagus, or the Areopagite Senate, Lugd. Bat. 1624, whence he is also called DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGITE), a Christian proselyte and disciple of Paul, by whom he had been initiated into the sacred mysteries, of whom mention is made in Acts 17:34. Suidas in the entry for Dionysius calls him an "ἀνὴρ ἐλλογιμώτατος καὶ τῆς ἑλληνικῆς παιδείας εἰς ἄκρον ἐληλακώς," a most learned man and one who had advanced to the summit of Greek discipline.