The Ante-Nicene Church · AD 180–313
Dionysius of Rome
d. c. 268 · Bishop of Rome · Theologian of the Trinity · Rome
The Ante-Nicene Church
Who Dionysius of Rome was
Bishop of Rome (259–268) who rebuilt the church battered by the Valerian persecution and sent money to ransom the Christians of Cappadocia enslaved by barbarian raids. A theologian in his own right, he intervened in a dispute over the doctrine of his namesake Dionysius of Alexandria, issuing a letter that carefully balanced the language of the Trinity — condemning both those who divided the Godhead into three separate beings and those (the Sabellians) who confounded the persons. This exchange between the two Dionysii is one of the most important pre-Nicene discussions of the relation of Father and Son.
Also listed in the bishops of Rome.
Common questions
When did Dionysius die?
Dionysius of Rome is dated d. c. 268 in the archive, which places Dionysius in the Ante-Nicene Church (AD 180–313). The dating is traditional and approximate; the archive marks it as uncertain rather than fixing a year the sources do not give.
What did Dionysius write?
Dionysius of Rome has 1 catalogued writing in the archive: Against the Sabellians (excerpt).
Which early sources mention Dionysius?
Dionysius of Rome is named in 3 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from Eusebius of Caesarea, Athanasius of Alexandria and The chronographer of 354. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Dionysius from?
The archive associates Dionysius of Rome with Rome.
Writings (1)
Against the Sabellians (excerpt)
The Roman ruling on the Divine Monarchy, preserved by AthanasiusNext, I may reasonably turn to those who divide and cut to pieces and destroy that most sacred doctrine of the Church of God, the Divine Monarchy.Read the interlinear source text →
Primary-source mentions (3)
Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Ecclesiastical History VII.27 (the succession) and VII.7.6 (as presbyter, correspondent of Alexandria)
c. AD 325Athanasius, On the Decrees / Eusebius VII
c. AD 350Dionysius bishop of Rome wrote… ‘Neither must we divide the marvellous and divine Monad into three Godheads, nor diminish the dignity and exceeding majesty of the Lord by the name of creation.’Athanasius of Alexandria · source text
Liberian Catalogue (Chronography of 354)
c. AD 354Connected in the archive
People
Named alongside Dionysius in the sources
This figure is placed with Dionysius by the record — in a council roll, a martyr-act, a letter or a history — without Dionysius naming them in return.
Events in this lifetime
- AD 202 · Perpetua and Felicity martyred, AD 202
- AD 235 · Maximinus Thrax targets the clergy, AD 235
- AD 250 · The Decian persecution, AD 250
- AD 251 · The Novatianist schism, AD 251
- AD 257 · The Valerian persecution, AD 257
- AD 260 · Gallienus’ edict of toleration, AD 260
- AD 268 · Antioch deposes Paul of Samosata, AD 268
Place
Places served
The one place the sources put Dionysius.
- 1Rome