The name Dionysius (; el, Διονύσιος ''Dionysios'', "of

Dionysus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; grc, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity, and theatre. The Roma ...

"; la, Dionysius) was common in classical and post-classical times. Etymologically it is a nominalized adjective formed with a -ios suffix from the stem Dionys- of the name of the Greek god,

, parallel to Apollon-ios from Apollon, with meanings of Dionysos' and Apollo's, etc. The exact beliefs attendant on the original assignment of such names remain unknown. Regardless of the language of origin of Dionysos and Apollon, the -ios/-ius suffix is associated with a full range of endings of the first and second

declension In linguistics, declension (verb: ''to decline'') is the changing of the form of a word, generally to express its syntactic function in the sentence, by way of some inflection. Declensions may apply to nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, and ...

in the Greek and Latin languages. The names may thus appear in ancient writing in any of their cases. Dionysios itself refers only to males. The feminine version of the name is Dionysia, nominative case, in both Greek and Latin. The name of the plant and the festival, Dionysia, is the neuter plural nominative, which looks the same in English from both languages. Dionysiou is the masculine and neuter genitive case of the Greek second declension. Dionysias is not the -ios suffix. Although in most cases transmuted, the name remains in many modern languages, such as English '' Dennis'' (''Denys'', ''Denis'', ''Denise''). The latter names have lost the suffix altogether, using Old French methods of marking the feminine, Denise. The modern Greek (closest to the original) is Dionysios or Dionysis. The Spanish is Dionisio. The Italian is Dionigi and last name, Dionisi. Like Caesar in secular contexts, Dionysius sometimes became a title in religious contexts; for example, Dionysius was the episcopal title of the primates of Malankara Church (founded by Apostle Thomas in India) from 1765 until the amalgamation of that title with Catholicos of the East in 1934.

People named Dionysius

Secular classical contexts

Athletics

* Dionysius of Alexandria (athlete), fl. 129 AD, last winner of the stadion race at the Olympic Games of the times

Science and philosophy

* Dionysius of Chalcedon, fl. 320 BC, philosopher of Megarian school * Dionysius of Cyrene, Stoic philosopher and mathematician, c. 150 BC * Dionysius of Lamptrai, 3rd century BC, an Epicurean philosopher and head of the "Garden" *

Dionysius Periegetes Dionysius Periegetes ( grc-gre, Διονύσιος ὁ Περιηγητής, literally Dionysius the Voyager or Traveller, often Latinized to ''Dionysius Periegeta''), also known as Dionysius of Alexandria or Dionysius the African,''Encyclopædia ...

, Greek geographer, 2nd or 3rd century *

Dionysius the Renegade Dionysius the Renegade ( el, Διονύσιος ὁ Μεταθέμενος; c. 330 BC – c. 250 BC), also known as Dionysius of Heraclea, was a Stoic philosopher and pupil of Zeno of Citium who, late in life, abandoned Stoicism when he became a ...

, Stoic philosopher from Heraclea who became a Cyrenaic, c. 300 BC

Letters

* Cassius Dionysius, 2nd cent. BC, Greek agricultural writer *

Aelius Dionysius Aelius Dionysius ( grc-gre, Αἴλιος Διονύσιος) was a Greek rhetorician from Halicarnassus, who lived in the time of the emperor Hadrian. He was a very skillful musician, and wrote several works on music and its history. Suda, ''s ...

, a Greek rhetorician from Halicarnassus (fl. early 2nd century) * Dionysius Chalcus, Athenian elegiac poet, 5th century BC * Dionysius of Halicarnassus (c. 60 BC – after 7 BC), Greek historian of the Roman period *

Dionysius of Miletus Dionysius of Miletus ( el, Διονύσιος, translit=Dionýsios) was an ancient Greek ethnographer and historian. He may have lived in the 5th century BC and was a contemporary of Hecataeus of Miletus according to the '' Suda'' (a tenth century ...

, Greek ethnographer and historian (fl. perhaps in the 5th century BC) *

Dionysius Thrax Dionysius Thrax ( grc-gre, Διονύσιος ὁ Θρᾷξ ''Dionýsios ho Thrâix'', 170–90 BC) was a Greek grammarian and a pupil of Aristarchus of Samothrace. He was long considered to be the author of the earliest grammatical text on the G ...

, Greek grammarian, 2nd century BC

Politics

* Dion of Syracuse, 408-354 BC, tyrant of Syracuse *

Dionysius (ambassador) Dionysius ( grc, Διονύσιος) was a Greek of the 3rd century BCE, who was sent by Ptolemy Philadelphus of Egypt as ambassador to the court of the Maurya empire, in the reign of either Bindusara or Ashoka. Dionysius is mentioned in a passag ...

, 3rd century BC, ambassador to the court of the Indian ruler Ashoka * Dionysius (Athenian Commander), an Athenian naval commander during the Corinthian War *

Dionysius I of Syracuse Dionysius I or Dionysius the Elder ( 432 – 367 BC) was a Greek tyrant of Syracuse, in Sicily. He conquered several cities in Sicily and southern Italy, opposed Carthage's influence in Sicily and made Syracuse the most powerful of the Western Gre ...

(c. 432 – 367 BC), also called Dionysius the Elder, ruler of Syracuse in Sicily *

Dionysius II of Syracuse Dionysius the Younger ( el, Διονύσιος ὁ Νεώτερος, 343 BC), or Dionysius II, was a Greek politician who ruled Syracuse, Sicily from 367 BC to 357 BC and again from 346 BC to 344 BC. Biography Dionysius II of Syracuse was the s ...

(c. 397 BC – 343 BC), also called Dionysius the Younger, son of the preceding *

Dionysius of Heraclea Dionysius (, ''Dionysios'') was a tyrant of Heraclea Pontica on the Euxine (the Black Sea). He was a son of Clearchus, who had assumed the tyranny in his place of birth. When Clearchus died (353/352 BC), he was first succeeded by his brother Saty ...

, tyrant of Heraclea Pontica, 4th century BC *

Dionysius of Phocaea Dionysius the Phocaean or Dionysius of Phocaea ( el, Διονύσιος) ( fl. 494 BC) was a Phocaean admiral of ancient Greece during the Persian Wars of 5th century BC, and was the commander of the Ionian fleet at the Battle of Lade in 494 BC. A ...

, commander of the Ionian fleet at the Battle of Lade, 494 BC *

Lucius Aelius Helvius Dionysius Lucius Aelius Helvius Dionysius was a Roman statesman who served as the Proconsul of Africa from 296 to 300 and as the ''Praefectus urbi'' from 301 to 302."Proconsuls of Africa, 337-392", ''Phoenix'', 39 (1985), pp. 144-153 References Further r ...

, 4th century, Roman Proconsul and Praefectus Urbi *

Dionysios Soter Dionysius Soter ( grc, Διονύσιος Σωτήρ, Dionysios Sōtēr; epithet means "the Saviour") was an Indo-Greek king in the area of eastern Punjab. Reign According to Osmund Bopearachchi, he reigned c. 65–55 BCE and inherited the easte ...

, r. 65-55 BC, Indo-Greek king in the area of eastern Punjab

Christian contexts

Before 1000 AD

Dionysius the Areopagite Dionysius the Areopagite (; grc-gre, Διονύσιος ὁ Ἀρεοπαγίτης ''Dionysios ho Areopagitēs'') was an Athenian judge at the Areopagus Court in Athens, who lived in the first century. A convert to Christianity, he is venerate ...

, Athenian judge who was converted by Paul of Tarsus and became Bishop of Athens *

Dionysius of Vienne Dionysius was Bishop of Vienne. He was among the ten missionaries sent by Pope St. Sixtus I with St. Peregrinus to Gaul. Dionysius later succeeded St. Justus as Bishop of Vienne, in Dauphiné The Dauphiné (, ) is a former province in Sout ...

, d. 193, Bishop of Vienne, Gaul *

Dionysius, Bishop of Corinth Dionysius of Corinth, also known as Saint Dionysius, was the bishop of Corinth in about the year 171. His feast day is commemoration (liturgy), commemorated on April 8. Date The date is established by the fact that he wrote to Pope Soter. Eusebi ...

, 2nd-century bishop *

Faustus, Abibus and Dionysius of Alexandria Faustus, Abibus and Dionysius of Alexandria (died 250) were Christian martyrs put to death under Decius in 250. Faustus was a priest, Abibus was a deacon, and Dionysius was a lector. They were executed with several others, who include: *Andronic ...

, d. 250, three Christian martyrs * Dionysius, 3rd-century Christian martyr and saint, noted in Theodore, Philippa and companions *

Pope Dionysius of Alexandria Dionysius the Great ( grc, Διονύσιος Ἀλεξανδρείας) was the 14th Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria from 28 December 248 until his death on 22 March 264. Most information known about him comes from his large surviving correspo ...

, 3rd-century Egyptian bishop *

Pope Dionysius Pope Dionysius was the bishop of Rome from 22 July 259 to his death on 26 December 268. His task was to reorganize the Roman church, after the persecutions of Emperor Valerian I and the edict of toleration by his successor Gallienus. He also h ...

, 259–268 * Dionysius (bishop of Milan), also called Dionysius of Milan, bishop of Milan 349-355, saint *

Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (or Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite) was a Greek author, Christian theologian and Neoplatonic philosopher of the late 5th to early 6th century, who wrote a set of works known as the ''Corpus Areopagiticum'' o ...

(5th century), name claimed by a pseudonymous writer, identified by some with Georgian theologian

Peter the Iberian Peter the Iberian ( ka, პეტრე იბერი, tr) (c. 417-491) was a Georgian royal prince, theologian and philosopher who was a prominent figure in early Christianity and one of the founders of Christian Neoplatonism. Some have claime ...

(411–491), author of ''Corpus Areopagiticum'' *

Dionysius Exiguus Dionysius Exiguus (Latin for "Dionysius the Humble", Greek: Διονύσιος; – ) was a 6th-century Eastern Roman monk born in Scythia Minor. He was a member of a community of Scythian monks concentrated in Tomis (present day Constanța ...

(c. 470–c. 540), monk from Scythia Minor who invented the Anno Domini era * Dionysius I Telmaharoyo (d. 848), Syriac Orthodox patriarch of Antioch * Dionysius II of Antioch (d. 908/909), Syriac Orthodox patriarch of Antioch

1000 AD to before 1600 AD

* Dionysius (Zbyruyskyy), d. 1603, first Ukrainian Catholic bishop * Dionysius (Archdeacon of Aghadoe), 12th cent., first recorded Archdeacon of Aghadoe * Jacob Bar-Salibi also known as Dionysius Bar-salibi, member of Syrian Jacobite Church in the 12th century, best known for his commentary on biblical texts * Dionysius bar Masih, d. 1204, illegitimate Maphrian of the East of the Syriac Orthodox Church *

Dionysius, Metropolitan of Kiev Saint Dionysius I (russian: Дионисий); secular name: David (1300? – 15 October 1385) was a Russian Orthodox metropolitan in 1384–1385. A native of the Duchy of Kiev as a young man David entered the Kyiv Caves Lavra, where he was ton ...

(c. 1300–1385), 14th century orthodox prelate * Dionysius (Dean of Armagh), Irish cleric, Dean of Armagh 1301–1330 * Dionysius I of Constantinople, Saint, reigned from 1466 to 1471 and from 1488 to 1490 *

Dionisius Dionisius (russian: Диони́сий, variously transliterated as ''Dionisy'' or ''Dionysiy''; also Dionisius the Wise; c. 1440 – 1502) was acknowledged as a head of the Moscow school of icon painters at the turn of the 15th and 16th ...

(late 15th century–early 16th century), also called Dionysius the Wise, Russian medieval icon-painter *

Dionysios Skylosophos Dionysios Philosophos (Διονύσιος ο Φιλόσοφος, Dionysios the Philosopher) or Skylosophos ( el, Διονύσιος ο Σκυλόσοφος; c. 1541–1611), "the Dog-Philosopher" or "Dogwise" ("skylosophist"), as called by his r ...

(1560 AD–1611 AD), Epirotian Greek monk who led two farmer revolts against the Ottoman Turks * Dionysius Ó Donnchadha, 1441-1478, Bishop of Kilmacduagh * Dionysius Ó Mórdha, d. 1534, Bishop of Clonfert, Ireland * Dionysius Part, d. 1475, auxiliary Bishop of Mainz * Dionysius II of Constantinople, reigned from 1546 to 1556 * Saint Dionysios of Zakynthos, 15th century Orthodox Christian Archbishop of Aegina

1600 AD and after

* Blessed

Dionysius of the Nativity Pierre Berthelot, OCD (known in religion as Denis of the Nativity, or Dionysius; 12 December 1600, in Honfleur – 27 November 1638, in Sumatra) was a French sailor and cartographer in the service of the king of Portugal, and later Discalced Carme ...

, French sailor, Portuguese knight, and Carmelite martyr *

Dionysius of Fourna Dionysius of Fourna ( el, Διονύσιος ο εκ Φουρνά; c. 1670 – after 1744) was an author, educator, painter, and monk. He was one of the most influential painters of the 18th century. He was a monk on the isolated self-autonomous ...

, 1670-1744, Christian monk and author * Dionysios Mantoukas, 1648-1751, the Greek Orthodox bishop of Kastoria, Western Macedonia, modern Greece, from 1694 to 1719 *

Mar Dionysius I Mar Dionysius I (Mar Thoma VI) (died 8 April 1808), was the 6th Metropolitan of the Malankara Syrian Church from 1765 until his death. A member of the Pakalomattom family (Thazhmon, Ayroor) he appealed to outside authorities to assert his positi ...

(died 1808), also known as Mar Dionysius the Great or Marthoma VI, Metropolitan of the Malankara Church (in India) *

Pulikkottil Joseph Mar Dionysious II Pulikkottil Joseph Mar Dionysious II (Mar Dionysious V) (12 November 1833 – 11 July 1909) was the Malankara Metropolitan of the Malankara Church, was born into the family of Pulikkottil (Kunnamkulam). He was the 14th Malankara Metropolitan ...

, 1833-1909, Malankara Metropolitan * Geevarghese Mar Dionysius of Vattasseril (1858-1934), also known as Mar Dionysius VI, Metropolitan of Malankara Church (in India), Saint * Dionysius Kfoury, 1879-1965, bishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Alexandria * Dionysios Bairaktaris, 1927-2011, Greek Orthodox metropolitan bishop of Chios, Psara, and Inousses * Dionysios Mantalos, 1952-, current Metropolitan bishop of Corinth

Modern contexts

Athletics

* Dionisis Angelopoulos, 1992-, Greek rower *

Dionysios Dimou Dionysios Dimou is a Greek sailor. He competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to ...

, Olympic sailor * Dionysios Georgakopoulos, 1963-, Greek sport shooter * Dionysios Iliadis, Greek judoka, or Judo competitor * Dionysios Kasdaglis, 1872-1931, Greek-Egyptian tennis player * Dionysios Vasilopoulos, 1902-1964, Greek swimmer *

Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka (born 22 October 1988) is a retired Indonesian badminton player. He is a men's singles specialist from PB. Djarum, a badminton club in Kudus, Central Java and has joined the club since 2005. He retired in 2018 due to lo ...

, 1988-, Indonesian badminton player * Dionysius Sebwe, 1969-, retired Liberian athlete

Fine arts

* Dionysio Miseroni, 1607-1661, Bohemian jeweler and stonecutter * Dionysios Demetis, Greek composer *

Dionysios Solomos Dionysios Solomos (; el, Διονύσιος Σολωμός ; 8 April 1798 – 9 February 1857) was a Greek poet from Zakynthos, who is considered to be Greece's national poet. He is best known for writing the ''Hymn to Liberty'' ( el, Ὕμ� ...

, 1798-1857, author of Greek ''Hymn to Liberty''. *

Dionysios Tsokos Dionysios Tsokos (Greek: Διονύσιος Τσόκος; c. 1814/1820 in Zakynthos – 1862 in Athens) was a Greek painter; one of the first to gain recognition in the post-Ottoman period. He is mostly known for portraits and historical scenes ...

, 1814-1862, Greek painter * Dionysios Vegias, 1810-1884, Greek painter of the later Heptanese School * Dionysis Makris, Greek singer *

Dionysis Papagiannopoulos Dionysis Papagiannopoulos ( el, Διονύσης Παπαγιαννόπουλος; 12 July 1912 – 17 April 1984) was a Greek actor. He was born in Diakopto in the northeastern part of Achaea in 1912. He studied at the Drama School of the Natio ...

, Greek actor *

Dionysis Savvopoulos Dionysis Savvopoulos ( el, Διονύσης Σαββόπουλος) (born 2 December 1944) is a prominent Greek singer-songwriter. Career Savvopoulos was born in the city of Thessaloniki, Greece (December 1944) in a middle-class family. He pass ...

, Greek songwriter, lyricist and singer * Dionysius Rodotheatos, 1849-1892, Greek conductor and composer *

Georg Dionysius Ehret Georg Dionysius Ehret (30 January 1708 – 9 September 1770) was a German botanist and entomologist known for his botanical illustrations. Life Ehret was born in Germany to Ferdinand Christian Ehret, a gardener and competent draughtsman, a ...

, 1708-1770, botanical illustrator * Stratos Dionysiou, 1935-1990, a Greek laika and elafro-laika singer

Letters

* B. R. Dionysius, 1969-, Australian poet, editor, arts administrator and educator *

Benjamin Musaphia Benjamin ben Immanuel Musaphia (c. 1606 – 1675), also called Benjamin Musaphia or Mussafia and Dionysius, was a Jewish doctor, scholar and kabbalist. Musaphia was probably born in Spain. He married Sara Abigail da Silva, daughter of Semuel da S ...

(1606–1675), Jewish doctor, scholar, and kabbalist, who sometimes called himself Dionysius * Dionysios Kokkinos, 1884-1967, Greek historian and writer *

(1798–1857), Greek poet *

Dionysios Zakythinos Dionysios A. Zakythinos or Zakythenos ( el, Διονύσιος Α. Ζακυθηνός; 1905 in Lixouri, Kefalonia – 18 January 1993, in Athens) was a leading Greek Byzantinist. Zakythinos was born in Kefalonia in 1905. After graduating from the ...

, 1905-1993, Greek Byzantinist * Dionysius Andreas Freher, 1649-1728, commentator on Jacob Boehme * Dionysius Godefridus van der Keessel, 1738-1816, Dutch jurist and educator to the royal house *

Dionysius Lardner Professor Dionysius Lardner FRS FRSE (3 April 179329 April 1859) was an Irish scientific writer who popularised science and technology, and edited the 133-volume '' Cabinet Cyclopædia''. Early life in Dublin He was born in Dublin on 3 Apr ...

(1793–1859), Irish scientific writer *

Dionysius Vossius The name Dionysius (; el, Διονύσιος ''Dionysios'', "of Dionysus"; la, Dionysius) was common in classical and post-classical times. Etymologically it is a nominalized adjective formed with a -ios suffix from the stem Dionys- of the name ...

, 1612-1635, Dutch translator

Science

* Dionysios Ikkos, 1921-1993, Greek endocrinologist

Politics

* Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou (born 1975), Greek lawyer and politician *

Dionysius Adrianus Petrus Norbertus Koolen Dionysius Adrianus Petrus Norbertus Koolen (21 January 1871 – 24 March 1945) was a Dutch politician of the defunct Roman Catholic State Party (RKSP), later formed to the Catholic People's Party (KVP) now merged into the Christian Democratic ...

, 1871-1945, Dutch politician * Dionysis Diakos, Greek revolutionary leader in the Greek War of Independence * Dionysius Wakering (born 1617), English Parliamentarian

References

External links

* * {{Given name Given names of Greek language origin Latin masculine given names

People named Dionysius

Secular classical contexts

Athletics

Science and philosophy

Letters

Politics

Christian contexts

Before 1000 AD

1000 AD to before 1600 AD

1600 AD and after

Modern contexts

Athletics

Fine arts

Letters

Science

Politics

See also

References

External links