On the Divine Names

Dionysius the Areopagite

On the Divine Names

Dionysius the Areopagite

Περὶ θείων ὀνομάτων

On the Divine Names (De divinis nominibus) is the chief theological treatise of the Christian Neoplatonist writing under the name Dionysius the Areopagite, probably in the late fifth or early sixth century. Addressed to Timothy, it unfolds the names predicated of God — Good, Light, Beauty, Love, Being, Life, Wisdom, Power, Justice, and the rest — through thirteen chapters, grounding each name in Scripture and in the tradition of Hierotheus. Its account of divine procession, participation, and the beautiful-and-good became foundational for Byzantine and medieval Latin theology, and it is among the authorities Aquinas cites most. Schola presents the Greek text with the Latin translation of Balthasar Corderius and the English translation of John Parker (1897).


CAPUT I. Quis libri finis, et quae e divinis nominibus prodita tandem esse, et ex rebus sensibilibus non posse cognosci

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Τούτοις ἑπόμενοι τοῖς θεαρχικοῖς ζυγοῖς, οἳ καὶ τὰς ὅλας διακυβερνῶσι τῶν ὑπερουρανίων τάξεων ἁγίας διακοσμήσεις, τὸ μὲν ὑπὲρ νοῦν καὶ οὐσίαν, τῆς θεαρχίας κρύφιον ἀνεξερευνήτοις καὶ ἱεραῖς νοὸς εὐλαβείαις, τὰ δὲ ἄῤῥητα σώφρονι σιγῇ τιμῶντες, ἐπὶ τὰς ἐλλαμπούσας ἡμῖν ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς λογίοις αὐγὰς ἀνατεινόμεθα, καὶ πρὸς αὐτῶν φωταγωγούμεθα πρὸς τοὺς θεαρχικοὺς ὕμνους, ὑπ' αὐτῶν ὑπερκοσμίως φωτιζόμενοι, καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἱερὰς ὑμνολογίας τυπούμενοι, πρὸς τὸ καὶ ὁρᾷν τὰ συμμέτρως ἡμῖν δι' αὐτῶν δωρούμενα θεαρχικὰ φῶτα, καὶ τὴν ἀγαθοδότιν ἀρχὴν ἁπάσης ἱερᾶς φωτοφανείας ὑμνεῖν, ὡς αὐτὴ περὶ ἑαυτῆς ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς λογίοις παραδέδωκεν. Οἷον, ὅτι πάντων ἐστὶν αἰτία, καὶ ἀρχὴ, καὶ οὐσία, καὶ ζωή· καὶ τῶν μὲν ἀποπιπτόντων αὐτῆς ἀνάκλησις τε καὶ ἀνά- στασις, τῶν δὲ πρὸς τὸ τοῦ θεοειδοῦς παραφθαρτικὸν ἀπολισθησάντων ἀνακαινισμὸς καὶ ἀναμόρφωσις. τῶν δὲ κατὰ τινα σάλον ἀνίερον παρακινουμένων ἵδρυσις ἱερὰ, καὶ τῶν ἑστηκότων ἀσφάλεια, καὶ τῶν ἐπ᾽ αὐτὴν ἀναγομένων ἀνατατικὴ χειραγωγία, καὶ τῶν φωτιζομένων ἔλλαμψις, καὶ τῶν τελουμένων τελεταρχία, καὶ τῶν θεουμένων θεαρχία, καὶ τῶν ἀπλουμένων ἀπλότης, καὶ τῶν ἑνιζομένων ἑνότης ἀρχῆς ἁπάσης ὑπερουσίως ὑπεράρχιος ἀρχὴ, καὶ τοῦ κρυφίου κατὰ τὸ θεμιτὸν ἀγαθὴ μεταδότις, καὶ ἀπλῶς εἰπεῖν, ἡ τῶν ζώντων ζωὴ, καὶ τῶν ὄντων οὐσία, πάσης ζωῆς καὶ οὐσίας ἀρχὴ καὶ αἰτία, διὰ τὴν αὐτῆς εἰς τὸ εἶναι τὰ ὄντα παρακτικὴν καὶ συνοχικὴν ἀγαθότητα.

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§ VIII

CAPUT II. unio et distinctio.

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§ XI

CAPUT III. Quae sit vis orationis, et de beato Hierotheo, de religione et conscriptione theologica.

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CAPUT IV. De bono, luce, pulchro, amore, exstasi, zelo; et quod malum neque ens sit, neque ex entibus, neque in entibus.

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§ XIII

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§ XVI

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§ XIX

§ XX

§ XXI

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§ XXIV

§ XXV

§ XXVI

§ XXVII

§ XXVIII

§ XXIX

§ XXX

§ XXXI

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§ XXXIV

§ XXXV

CAPUT V. De ente, in quo etiam de exemplaribus.

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CAPUT VI. De vita.

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CAPUT VII. De sapientia, mente, ratione, veritate, fide.

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CAPUT VIII. De potentia, justitia, salute, redemptione; ubi etiam de inaequalitate.

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CAPUT IX. De magno, parvo, eodem, alio, simili, dissimili, statu, motu, aequalitate.

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CAPUT X. De omnitenente, antiquo dierum; in quo etiam de aevo seu aeternitate et tempore.

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CAPUT XI. De pace, quidque sibi velit ipsum per se esse, quae sit per se vita, quae vis ipsa per se, et quae illa coordinat atque conciliat, et quinam sint ejus effectus.

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CAPUT XII. De Sancto sanctorum, Rege regum, Domino dominantium, Deo deorum.

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CAPUT XIII. De perfecto et uno.

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