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

§ I

§ II

§ III

§ IV

§ V

§ VI

§ VII

§ VIII

CAPUT II. unio et distinctio.

§ I

§ II

§ III

§ IV

§ V

§ VI

§ VII

§ VIII

§ IX

§ X

§ XI

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

§ I

§ II

§ III

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

§ I

§ II

§ III

§ IV

§ V

§ VI

§ VII

§ VIII

§ IX

§ X

§ XI

§ XII

§ XIII

§ XIV

§ XV

§ XVI

§ XVII

§ XVIII

§ XIX

§ XX

§ XXI

§ XXII

§ XXIII

§ XXIV

§ XXV

§ XXVI

§ XXVII

§ XXVIII

§ XXIX

§ XXX

§ XXXI

§ XXXII

§ XXXIII

§ XXXIV

§ XXXV

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

§ I

§ II

Ταύτας οὖν ὁ λόγος ὑμνῆσαι ποθεῖ τὰς τῆς προνοίας ἐκφαντορικὰς θεωνυμίας· οὐ γὰρ ἐκφράσαι τὴν αὐτοϋπερούσιον ἀγαθότητα, καὶ οὐσίαν, καὶ ζωὴν, καὶ σοφίαν τῆς αὐτοϋπερουσίου θεότητος ἐπαγγέλλεται, τῆς ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν ἀγαθότητα, καὶ θεότητα, καὶ οὐσίαν, καὶ σοφίαν, καὶ ζωὴν, ἐν ἀποκρύφοις, ὡς τὰ λόγιά φησιν, ὑπεριδρυμένης· ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐκπεφασμένην ἀγαθοποιὸν πρόνοιαν ὑπεροχικῶς ἀγαθότητα, καὶ πάντων ἀγαθῶν αἰτίαν ὑμνεῖ, καὶ ὂν, καὶ ζωήν, καὶ σοφίαν, τὴν οὐσιοποιὸν, καὶ ζωοποιὸν, καὶ σοφοδότιν αἰτίαν, τῶν οὐσίας, καὶ ζωῆς, καὶ νοῦ, καὶ λόγου, καὶ αἰσθήσεως μετειληφότων. Οὐκ ἄλλο δὲ εἶναι τἀγαθόν φησι, καὶ ἄλλο τὸ ὂν, καὶ ἄλλο τὴν ζωὴν ἢ τὴν σοφίαν, οὐδὲ πολλὰ τὰ αἴτια καὶ ἄλλων ἄλλας παρακτικὰς θεότητος, ὑπερεχούσας καὶ ὑφειμένας, ἀλλ' ἑνὸς Θεοῦ τὰς ὅλας ἀγαθὰς προόδους, καὶ τὰς παρ' ἡμῶν ἐξυμνουμένας θεωνυμίας· καὶ τὴν μὲν εἶναι τῆς παντελοῦς τοῦ ἑνὸς Θεοῦ προνοίας ἐκφαντικήν, τὰς δὲ τῶν ὁλικωτέρων τοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ μερικωτέρων.

§ III

§ IV

§ V

§ VI

§ VII

§ VIII

§ IX

§ X

CAPUT VI. De vita.

§ I

§ II

§ III

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

§ I

§ II

§ III

§ IV

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

§ I

§ II

§ III

§ IV

§ V

§ VI

§ VII

§ VIII

§ IX

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

§ I

§ II

§ III

§ IV

§ V

§ VI

§ VII

§ VIII

§ IX

§ X

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

§ I

§ II

§ III

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.

§ I

§ II

§ III

§ IV

§ V

§ VI

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

§ I

§ II

§ III

§ IV

CAPUT XIII. De perfecto et uno.

§ I

§ II

§ III

§ IV

↑ Top of work