Dikaios ( Greek: δίκαιος, lit. 'righteous, just'; sometimes romanised as ''Dicaeus'') is a title first used by

Hellenistic In classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Greek history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BC, which was followed by the ascendancy of the R ...

Greek rulers, and later also given to holy men and women of the

Old Testament The Old Testament (OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew and occasionally Aramaic writings by the Isr ...

in Eastern Christianity.

Etymology

The term is derived from the Greek word δίκη (''díkē'', “custom, justice”) and the suffix -ιος (''-ios'', an adjective-forming suffix). This is also related to the name of the goddess of justice, Dike.

Usage

The word ''dikaios'' was mainly used as an epithet in the titles of Hellenized dynasts in regions such as Bactria Parthia, Cappadocia, and Pontus.Hildegard Temporini, Wolfgang Haase (1981), ''Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt'', p. 868. Walter de Gruyter, ISBN 3-11-008556-9. In Eastern Christianity, ''dikaios'' distinguishes these individuals from saints recognized in the Christian era. These righteous individuals, known as ''dikaioi'', are celebrated with their own feast days in the liturgical year. Notably, figures like the Maccabees are commemorated akin to Christian martyrs, and even Pontius Pilate is honored as one of the Righteous in the Coptic Orthodox Church.

Facts

* Eastern Christianity uses ''dikaios'' to distinguish pre-Christian era righteous individuals from saints recognized after Christ's time. * Celebrated with their own feast days, these righteous figures, known as ''dikaioi'', include the Maccabees and even Pontius Pilate in some traditions. * Apart from its religious usage, ''dikaios'' was a common epithet in the titles of hellenized dynasts in various regions.

References

Eastern Christianity Titles {{EasternCatholic-stub

Etymology

Usage

Facts

See also

References