The Ante-Nicene Church · AD 180–313
Dionysia of Alexandria
d. AD 250 (killed by the sword) · Mother of many children · Martyr · Alexandria
The Ante-Nicene Church
Who Dionysia of Alexandria was
Killed by the sword with Ammonarium and Mercuria. The single clause Dionysius allows her is the whole of her character: a mother of many children who did not love her own children above the Lord. Her name is one letter from that of the bishop reporting her death, and the two must never be allowed to collapse into each other.
Named once in Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History; no other ancient source names her.
Also listed in martyrs, women and the decian persecution.
Common questions
When did Dionysia die?
Dionysia of Alexandria is dated d. AD 250 (killed by the sword) in the archive, which places Dionysia in the Ante-Nicene Church (AD 180–313).
Which early sources mention Dionysia?
Dionysia of Alexandria is named in 1 primary-source passage catalogued here, drawn from Dionysius of Alexandria. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Dionysia from?
The archive associates Dionysia of Alexandria with Alexandria.
Who were Dionysia’s contemporaries?
The archive links Dionysia of Alexandria to 3 other figures, including Ammonarium, Mercuria and Dionysius the Great. Each connection is drawn from a source that places them together, not from inference.
Primary-source mentions (1)
Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Letter to Fabius of Antioch, VI.41.18 — transmitted in Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History (c. 325)
c. AD 251…and Dionysia, the mother of many children, who did not love her own children above the Lord.Dionysius of Alexandria · Ecclesiastical History VI.41.18 · source text
Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- AD 180 · The Scillitan martyrs, AD 180
- AD 190 · The Quartodeciman controversy, AD 190
- AD 202 · Perpetua and Felicity martyred, AD 202
- AD 235 · Maximinus Thrax targets the clergy, AD 235
- AD 250 · The Decian persecution, AD 250
Place
Places served
The one place the sources put Dionysia.