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

Dionysus In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, Dionysus (; ) is the god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus ( or ; ...

"; ) was common in classical and post-classical times. Etymologically it is a

nominalized adjective A nominalized adjective is an adjective that has undergone nominalization, and is thus used as a noun. In ''the rich and the poor'', the adjectives ''rich'' and ''poor'' function as nouns denoting people who are rich and poor respectively. In Eng ...

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 an inflection. Declension may apply to nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, and det ...

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 Dennis or Denis is a first or last name from the Greco-Roman name Dionysius, via one of the Christian saints named Dionysius. The name came from Dionysus, the Greek god of ecstatic states, particularly those produced by wine, which is some ...

'' (''Denis'', ''Denys'', ''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 the 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 Catholicos of the East may refer to: * Patriarch of the Church of the East * Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan * Catholicos of India * Maphrian See also * List of patriarchs of the Church of the East {{OrientalOrthodoxy-st ...

in 1934.

People named Dionysius

Secular classical contexts

Athletics

Dionysius of Alexandria (athlete) The following is a list of winners of the Stadion race at the Olympic Games from 776 BC to 225 AD. It is based on the list given by Eusebius of Caesarea using a compilation by Sextus Julius Africanus. The Stadion race was the first and most import ...

, 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 Dionysius of Cyrene (), lived c. 150 BC, was a Stoic philosopher and mathematician. He was a pupil of Diogenes of Babylon and Antipater of Tarsus. He was famed as a mathematician, and he is probably the Dionysius whose arguments are attacked ...

, Stoic philosopher and mathematician, c. 150 BC * Dionysius of Lamptrai, 3rd century BC, an Epicurean philosopher and head of the "Garden" * Dionysius Periegetes, Greek geographer, 2nd or 3rd century * Dionysius the Renegade, Stoic philosopher from Heraclea who became a Cyrenaic, c. 300 BC

Letters

Aelius Dionysius Aelius Dionysius () 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.v.'' It is commonly supposed that he was a ...

, Greek rhetorician from Halicarnassus (fl. early 2nd century) * Cassius Dionysius, Greek agricultural writer (2nd cent. BC) * Dionysius Chalcus, Athenian elegiac poet (5th century BC) *

Dionysius of Byzantium Dionysius of Byzantium ( Greek ∆ιονύσιος Βυζάντιος, Dionysios Byzantios Latin Dionysius Byzantinus) was a Greek geographer of the 2nd century CE. He is known for his Ανάπλους Βοσπόρου ''Anaplous Bosporou'' ''Voy ...

, Greek geographer (2nd century CE) *

Dionysius of Halicarnassus Dionysius of Halicarnassus (, ; – after 7 BC) was a Greek historian and teacher of rhetoric, who flourished during the reign of Emperor Augustus. His literary style was ''atticistic'' – imitating Classical Attic Greek in its prime. ...

, Greek historian of the Roman period (c. 60 BC – after 7 BC) * Dionysius of Miletus, Greek ethnographer and historian (fl. perhaps in the 5th century BC) *

Dionysius Thrax Dionysius Thrax ( ''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 Greek language, one that was used as a st ...

, Greek grammarian (2nd century BC)

Politics

Dionysius (ambassador) Dionysius () 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 passage of Pliny the Elder ...

, 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, 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 ...

(c. 432 – 367 BC), also called Dionysius the Elder, ruler of Syracuse in Sicily * Dionysius II of Syracuse (c. 397 BC – 343 BC), also called Dionysius the Younger, son of the preceding * Dionysius of Heraclea, tyrant of Heraclea Pontica, 4th century BC * Dionysius of Phocaea, commander of the Ionian fleet at the Battle of Lade, 494 BC *

Lucius Aelius Helvius Dionysius Lucius Aelius Helvius Dionysius was a Roman Empire, Roman Politician, statesman who served as the Africa Province#Known governors of Roman Africa, Proconsul of Africa from 296 to 300 and as the ''Praefectus urbi'' from 301 to 302."Proconsuls of Afri ...

, 4th century, Roman Proconsul and Praefectus Urbi * Dionysios Soter, r. 65-55 BC, Indo-Greek king in the area of eastern Punjab

Christian contexts

Before 1000 AD

Dionysius the Areopagite Dionysius the Areopagite (; ''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 venerated as a saint by multiple denominations. Life As rel ...

, Athenian judge who was converted by Paul of Tarsus and became Bishop of Athens * Dionysius of Vienne, d. 193, Bishop of Vienne, Gaul * Dionysius, Bishop of Corinth, 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, 3rd-century Egyptian bishop *

Pope Dionysius Pope Dionysius (Greek language, Greek: Διονύσιος) was the bishop of Rome from 22 July 259 AD to his death on 26 December 268. His task was to reorganise the Catholic Church, after the persecutions of Roman emperor, Emperor Valerian I, a ...

, 259–268 *

Dionysius (bishop of Milan) Dionysius () was bishop of Milan from 349 to 355. He is honoured as a Saint in the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches and his feast day is 25 May. Life Almost nothing is known about the life of Dionysius before his election as bishop of Mil ...

, 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'' ...

(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 Georgians, Georgian royal prince, theologian and philosopher who was a prominent figure in early Christianity and one of the founders of Neoplatonism and Christianity, ...

(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 Constanț ...

(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 Dionysius bar Salibi (died 1171) was a Syriac Orthodox writer and bishop, who served as metropolitan bishop, metropolitan of Amid, in Upper Mesopotamia, from 1166 to 1171. He was one of the most prominent and prolific writers within the Syriac Ort ...

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 (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 (late 15th century–early 16th century), also called Dionysius the Wise, Russian medieval icon-painter * Dionysios Skylosophos (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 Dionysius II of Constantinople (; died July 1556) was list of Ecumenical Patriarchs of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1546 to 1556. Life Dionysius was born in Galata (now part of Istanbul). In 1516 he was appointe ...

, 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, French sailor, Portuguese knight, and Carmelite martyr * Dionysius of Fourna, 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 (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 Dionysious Joseph II, also known as Dionysious V (12 November 1833 – 11 July 1909), was the Traditionalist claimant to the Metropolitanate of the Malankara Church from 1865 to 1889, and undisputed 14th Metropolitan from 1889 unti ...

, 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, 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, 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 (; ; 8 April 1798 – 9 February 1857) was a Greeks, Greek poet from Zakynthos, who is considered to be Greece's national poet. He is best known for writing the ''Hymn to Liberty'' (, ''Ýmnos eis tīn Eleutherían''), whic ...

, 1798-1857, author of Greek ''Hymn to Liberty''. * Dionysios Tsokos, 1814-1862, Greek painter *

Dionysios Vegias Dionysios Vegias (, 1810–84) was a Greek painter of the later Heptanese School of painting. Life Dionysios Vegias was born in 1810 in Cephalonia. He was a pupil of the sculptor Pavlos Prosalentis (1784–1837), then received a scholarship ...

, 1810-1884, Greek painter of the later Heptanese School * Dionysis Makris, Greek singer *

Dionysis Papagiannopoulos Dionysis Papagiannopoulos (; 12 July 1912 – 13 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 National Theatre of Greece (Ethniko Theatro) in Athens and ...

, Greek actor * Dionysis Savvopoulos, Greek songwriter, lyricist and singer * Dionysius Rodotheatos, 1849-1892, Greek conductor and composer * Georg Dionysius Ehret, 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, Binyamin Moussafia or Mussafia and Dionysius, was a Jewish doctor, scholar and Kabbalah, kabbalist. Musaphia was probably born in Spain. He married Sara Abigail da ...

(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, 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 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 April 1793 th ...

(1793–1859), Irish scientific writer *

Dionysius Vossius Dionies Vos (1612 – 25 October 1633), often known by his Latin name Dionysius Vossius, was a Dutch translator. He was the son of Gerardus Vossius and the brother of Isaac Vossius. Born in Dordrecht, he studied Ancient Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Syria ...

, 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, 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 Masculine given names Theophoric names Dionysus