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

§ III

§ IV

§ V

§ VI

§ VII

§ VIII

§ IX

§ X

CAPUT VI. De vita.

Περὶ ζωῆς.

§ I

Νῦν δὲ ὑμνητέον ἡμῖν τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον, ἐξ ἧς ἡ αὐτοζωὴ, καὶ πᾶσα ζωὴ, καὶ ὑφ' ἧς εἰς πρέπει τὰ ὁπωσοῦν ζωῆς μετέχοντα τὸ ζῆν οἰκείως ἑκάστῳ διασπείρεται. Καὶ γοῦν ἡ τῶν ἀθανάτων ἀγγέλων ζωὴ, καὶ ἡ ἀθανασία, καὶ τὸ ἀνώλεθρον αὐτὸ τῆς ἀγγελικῆς ἀεικινησίας. ἐξ αὐτῆς, καὶ δι' αὐτὴν, καὶ ἔστι καὶ ὑφέστηκε· διὸ καὶ ζῶντες ἀεὶ καὶ ἀθάνατοι λέγονται, καὶ οὐκ ἀθάνατοι πάλιν, ὅτι μὴ παρ' ἑαυτῶν ἔχουσι τὸ ἀθάνατον εἶναι καὶ αἰωνίως ζῆν, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς ζωοποιοῦ καὶ πάσης ζωῆς ποιητικῆς καὶ συνοχικῆς αἰτίας. Καὶ ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὄντος ἐλέγομεν, ὅτι καὶ τοῦ αὐτοεἶναι ἐστὶν αἴτιον, οὕτω καὶ ἐνθάδε πάλιν, ὅτι καὶ τῆς αὐτοζωῆς ἐστιν ἡ ὑπὲρ ζωὴν ἡ θεία ζωὴ, ζωτικὴ, καὶ ὑποστατική, καὶ πᾶσα ζωὴ, καὶ ζωτικὴ κίνησις ἐκ τῆς ζωῆς, τῆς ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν ζωὴν καὶ πᾶ- σαν ἀρχὴν πάσης ζωῆς. Ἐξ αὐτῆς καὶ αἱ ψυχαὶ τὸ ἀνώλεθρον ἔχουσι, καὶ ζῶα πάντα καὶ φυτὰ κατ᾽ ἔσχατον ἀπήχημα τῆς ζωῆς ἔχουσι τὸ ζῆν. Τῆς ἀναιρουμένης, κατὰ τὸ Λόγιον, ἐκλείπει πᾶσα ζωή, καὶ πρὸς ἣν καὶ τὰ ἐκλελοιπότα τῇ πρὸς τὸ μετέχειν αὐτῆς ἀσθενείᾳ, πάλιν ἐπιστρεφόμενα, πάλιν ζῶα γίνεται.

§ II

Καὶ διωρεῖται μὲν πρῶτα τῇ αὐτοζωῇ τὸ εἶναι ζωὴν, καὶ πάσῃ ζωῇ, καὶ τῇ καθ᾽ ἕκαστα τὸ εἶναι εἰκείως ἑκάστην ὃ εἶναι πέφυκε· καὶ ταῖς μὲν ὑπερουρανίοις ζωαῖς τὴν ἄϋλον, καὶ θεοειδῆ, καὶ ἀναλλοίωτον ἀθανασίαν, καὶ τὴν ἀρθετὴν καὶ ἀπαρέγκλιστον ἀεικινησίαν, ὑπερεκτεινομένη διὰ περιουσίαν ἀγαθότητος, καὶ εἰς τὴν δαιμονίαν ζωὴν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐκείνη τὸ εἶναι παρ᾽ ἄλλης αἰτίας, ἀλλ᾽ ἐξ αὐτῆς καὶ τὸ εἶναι ζωὴ, καὶ τὴν διαμονὴν ἔχει. Δωρουμένη δὲ καὶ ἀνδράσι τὴν, ὡς συμμίκτοις, ἐνδεχομένην ἀγγελοειδῆ ζωὴν, καὶ ὑπερβλύσει φιλανθρωπίας, καὶ ἀποφοιτῶντας ἡμᾶς εἰς ἑαυτὴν ἐπιστρέφουσα καὶ ἀνακαλουμένη, καὶ (τὸ δὴ θειότερον) ὅτι καὶ ὅλους ἡμᾶς, ψυχὰς φημι καὶ τὰ συζυγῆ σώματα, πρὸς παντελῆ ζωὴν καὶ ἀθανασίαν ἐπήγγελται μεταθήσειν· πρᾶγμα τῇ παλαιότητι μὲν ἴσως παρὰ φύσιν δοκοῦν, ἐμοὶ δὲ καὶ σοὶ καὶ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ καὶ θεῖον καὶ ὑπὲρ φύσιν. Ὑπὲρ φύσιν δὲ τὴν καθ' ἡμᾶς φημι τὴν δρωμένην, οὐ τὴν πανσθενῆ τῆς θείας ζωῆς· αὐτὴ γὰρ ὡς πασῶν οὖση τῶν ζωῶν φύσει, καὶ μάλιστα τῶν θειοτέρων, οὐδεμία ζωὴ παρὰ φύσιν ἢ ὑπὲρ φύσιν. Ὥστε οἱ περὶ τούτου τῆς παρανοίας Σίμωνος ἀντιῤῥητικοὶ λόγοι πόρρω θείου χοροῦ, καὶ τῆς σῆς ἱερᾶς ψυχῆς ἀπεληλάσθωσαν. Ἔλαθε γὰρ αὐτὸν, ὡς οἶμαι, καὶ ταῦτα σοφὸν οἰόμενον εἶναι, τὸ μὴ δεῖν τὸν εὐφρονοῦντα τῷ προφανεῖ τῆς αἰσθήσεως λόγῳ συμμάχῳ χρῆσθαι κατὰ τῆς πάντων ἀφανοῦς αἰτίας. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι ῥητέον αὐτῷ, τὸ παρὰ φύσιν εἰπεῖν· αὐτῇ γὰρ οὐδὲν ἐναντίον.

§ III

Ἐξ αὐτῆς ζωοῦται καὶ περιθάλπεται καὶ ζῷα πάντα καὶ φυτά. Καὶ εἴτε νοερὰν εἴποις, εἴτε λογικὴν, εἴτε αἰσθητικὴν, εἴτε θρεπτικὴν, καὶ αὐξητικὴν, εἴτε ὁποιαν ποτὲ ζωὴν, ἢ ζωῆς ἀρχὴν, ἢ ζωῆς οὐσίαν, ἐξ αὐτῆς καὶ ζῇ καὶ ζωοῖ τῆς ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν ζωὴν, καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ κατ' αἰτίαν ἐνoειδῶς προϋφέστηκε. Ἡ γὰρ ὑπέρζωος καὶ ζωαρχικὴ ζωὴ καὶ πάσης ζωῆς ἐστιν αἰτία, καὶ ζωογόνος, καὶ ἀποπληρωτικὴ, καὶ διαιρετικὴ ζωῆς· καὶ ἐκ πάσης ζωῆς ὑμνητέα, κατὰ τὴν πολυγονίαν τῶν πασῶν ζωῶν, ὡς παντοδαπὴ, καὶ πάσῃ ζωῇ θεωρουμένη καὶ ὑμνουμένη, καὶ ὡς ἀνενδεὴς, μᾶλλον δὲ ὑπερπλήρης ζωῆς, ἢ αὐτόζωος, καὶ ὡς ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν ζωὴν ζωοποιὸς καὶ ὑπερζώης, ἢ ὅπως ἄν τις τὴν ζωὴν τὴν ἄφθεγκτον ἀνθρωπικῶς ἀνυμνήσειε.

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