The Celestial Hierarchy

Dionysius the Areopagite

The Celestial Hierarchy

Dionysius the Areopagite

The Celestial Hierarchy (De caelesti hierarchia) is the principal angelological treatise of the Christian Neoplatonist writing under the name Dionysius the Areopagite, probably in the late fifth or early sixth century. It interprets biblical images of heavenly beings as a graded economy of purification, illumination, and perfection, famously arranging nine angelic orders in three triads. Through its Greek and Latin transmission, its vocabulary of hierarchy and participation became enormously influential in Byzantine and medieval Latin theology, including the angelology of Aquinas and later commentators. Schola presents the work in Latin and English.

CAPITULUM PRIMUM. Quomodo omnis divina illuminatio secundum bonitatem varie in praevisa proveniens manet simpla, et non hoc solum sed et unificat illuminata.

CAPITULUM II. Quam pulchre divina et caelestia etiam per dissimilia symbola manifestantur.

CAPITULUM III. Quid sit Ierarchia, et quae per Ierarchiam utilitas.

CAPITULUM IV. Quid significet angelorum cognominatio.

CAPITULUM V. Quare omnes caelestes essentiae communiter angeli dicuntur.

CAPITULUM VI. Quae prima caelestium essentiarum dispositio, quae media, quae ultima.

CAPITULUM VII. De Seraphim et Cherubim et Thronis et de prima eorum Ierarchia.

CAPITULUM VIII. De Dominationibus et Virtutibus et Potestatibus, et de media earum Ierarchia.

CAPITULUM IX. De Principibus et Archangelis et Angelis et de ultimo eorum Ierarchia.

CAPITULUM X. Repetitio et congregatio angelicae ordinationis

CAPITULUM XI. Quare omnes caelestes essentiae communiter Virtutes caelestes vocentur

CAPITULUM XII. Quare secundum homines Ierarchae angeli vocentur.

CAPITULUM XIII. Quare a Seraphim dicatur purgatus fuisse propheta Isaias.

CAPITULUM XIV. Quid significet traditus angelicus numerus.

And this also, as I judge, is worthy of intellectual understanding: that the Scriptural tradition concerning the angels says that they are “thousands of thousands” and “ten thousand times ten thousand.” It takes the highest numbers known among us, turns them back upon themselves, and multiplies them; and through these it plainly signifies the innumerable orders of the heavenly essences.

For many are the blessed armies of the supermundane intellects. They surpass the weak and restricted measure of material numbers as we possess them, and they are defined only by the knowing and heavenly understanding granted to them. This knowledge is given to them most richly, according to the supermundane and celestial intelligence and science proper to them, by the divine soundness of much wisdom-giving knowledge.

And this knowledge comes from the superessential Principle of all things that are: the substance-making Cause, the containing Power, and the encompassing Consummation of all things.

CAPITULUM XV. Quae sint formativae angelicarum virtutum imagines.

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