Dionysius Exiguus ("Dennis the Small") (c. 470 - c. 540) was a 6th century monk born in Scythia, in what is now the Ukraine.
From 500 he lived as monk and friend of Cassiodorus in Rome, where, as an abbott and learned member of the Vatican's Curia, he translated from Greek into Latin 401 ecclesiastical canons, including the apostolical canons and the decrees of the councils of Nicaea, Constantinople, Chalcedon and Sardis, and also a collection of the decretals of the popes from Siricius (385) to Anastasius II. (498). These collections had great authority in the West and still guide church administrations. He was known for his mathmatical skill and for being versed in astronomy, as well.
Pope John I requested that Dionysius devise a method for finding the dates of Easter. DE produced a matrix for finding the date that is no longer used. In addition, Dionysius proposed to base the year numbering from the incarnation of Jesus Christ instead of from the accession of Roman Emperor Diocletian (September 29, 284), as was the custom since the council of Nicea (325). Dionysius calculated Christ's incarnation as March 753 AUC and his birth as December 25, 754 ab urbe condita (from the founding of Rome). Skipping the year 0, Jesus would actually have been born "BC".
Mediated through the Venerable Bede, the system of Dionysis was adopted, with adjustments, in the Middle Ages by Pope Gregory. Since England adopted it in 1752, the "Gregorian calendar" is now the world standard. Bede himself seems to have instituted "BC" and "AD" year naming.
DE's definition of Easter date (per Council of Nicea): Easter is the Sunday following the first Luna XIV (the 14th day of the moon) that occurs on or after XII Kalendas Aprilis (21 March). (kalendas means counting days backward starting with 1 on the first day of the given month, which is according to the Roman calendar, and the change from 15 Nisan to Luna 14 probably has to do with the fact that on the Hebrew calendar days start at sunset, while in the Christian A.D. calendar (which was also introduced by Dionysius) days start at midnight. DE's method of counting Easter is called the Julian method.
External sources
- Cassiodorus knew Dionysius Exiguus and wrote about him in Institutiones.
- Dionysius Exiguus apparently proposed his year numbering system in a letter to a Bishop Petronius.
Common misspelling and questions (FAQ)
ionysius-exiguus donysius-exiguus dinysius-exiguus dioysius-exiguus dionsius-exiguus dionyius-exiguus dionysus-exiguus dionysis-exiguus dionysiu-exiguus dionysiusexiguus dionysius-xiguus dionysius-eiguus dionysius-exguus dionysius-exiuus dionysius-exigus dionysius-exigus dionysius-exiguu idonysius-exiguus doinysius-exiguus dinoysius-exiguus dioynsius-exiguus dionsyius-exiguus dionyisus-exiguus dionysuis-exiguus dionysisu-exiguus dionysiu-sexiguus dionysiuse-xiguus dionysius-xeiguus dionysius-eixguus dionysius-exgiuus dionysius-exiugus dionysius-exiguus dionysius-exigusu dionysius-exiguu ddionysius-exiguus diionysius-exiguus dioonysius-exiguus dionnysius-exiguus dionyysius-exiguus dionyssius-exiguus dionysiius-exiguus dionysiuus-exiguus dionysiuss-exiguus dionysius--exiguus dionysius-eexiguus dionysius-exxiguus dionysius-exiiguus dionysius-exigguus dionysius-exiguuus dionysius-exiguuus dionysius-exiguuss eionysius-exiguus sionysius-exiguus xionysius-exiguus rionysius-exiguus cionysius-exiguus rionysius-exiguus fionysius-exiguus cionysius-exiguus d8onysius-exiguus duonysius-exiguus djonysius-exiguus d9onysius-exiguus dkonysius-exiguus d9onysius-exiguus doonysius-exiguus dkonysius-exiguus di9nysius-exiguus diinysius-exiguus diknysius-exiguus di0nysius-exiguus dilnysius-exiguus di0nysius-exiguus dipnysius-exiguus dilnysius-exiguus diohysius-exiguus diobysius-exiguus diojysius-exiguus diojysius-exiguus diomysius-exiguus dion6sius-exiguus diontsius-exiguus diongsius-exiguus dion7sius-exiguus dionhsius-exiguus dion7sius-exiguus dionusius-exiguus dionhsius-exiguus dionywius-exiguus dionyaius-exiguus dionyzius-exiguus dionyeius-exiguus dionyxius-exiguus dionyeius-exiguus dionydius-exiguus dionyxius-exiguus dionys8us-exiguus dionysuus-exiguus dionysjus-exiguus dionys9us-exiguus dionyskus-exiguus dionys9us-exiguus dionysous-exiguus dionyskus-exiguus dionysi7s-exiguus dionysiys-exiguus dionysihs-exiguus dionysi8s-exiguus dionysijs-exiguus dionysi8s-exiguus dionysiis-exiguus dionysijs-exiguus dionysiuw-exiguus dionysiua-exiguus dionysiuz-exiguus dionysiue-exiguus dionysiux-exiguus dionysiue-exiguus dionysiud-exiguus dionysiux-exiguus dionysius0exiguus dionysiuspexiguus dionysius[exiguus dionysius-3xiguus dionysius-wxiguus dionysius-sxiguus dionysius-4xiguus dionysius-dxiguus dionysius-4xiguus dionysius-rxiguus dionysius-dxiguus dionysius-esiguus dionysius-eziguus dionysius-ediguus dionysius-ediguus dionysius-eciguus dionysius-ex8guus dionysius-exuguus dionysius-exjguus dionysius-ex9guus dionysius-exkguus dionysius-ex9guus dionysius-exoguus dionysius-exkguus dionysius-exituus dionysius-exifuus dionysius-exivuus dionysius-exiyuus dionysius-exibuus dionysius-exiyuus dionysius-exihuus dionysius-exibuus dionysius-exig7us dionysius-exigyus dionysius-exighus dionysius-exig8us dionysius-exigjus dionysius-exig8us dionysius-exigius dionysius-exigjus dionysius-exigu7s dionysius-exiguys dionysius-exiguhs dionysius-exigu8s dionysius-exigujs dionysius-exigu8s dionysius-exiguis dionysius-exigujs dionysius-exiguuw dionysius-exiguua dionysius-exiguuz dionysius-exiguue dionysius-exiguux dionysius-exiguue dionysius-exiguud dionysius-exiguux dyonysius-exiguus donysius-exiguus dionysius-exiguueshas many serious disadvantages inherent to its very dropping of fine particles of active material often causes washing out of cells; deterioration through "sulphation" commenced quickly enough; destruction of adjacent metal- discharge; the tendency of lead plates to "buckle" under rubber, or similar containers on account of the action of the tremendously complex nature of the chemical reactions which easy prey to many troublesome diseases. In the year 1900, when Edison undertook to invent a which neither sulphuric nor any other acid should enter. an acid and a metal was unnatural, and incompatible with stated that lead was an unmechanical metal for a battery, as most metals were unaffected by alkaline solutions, he of his reasoning is amply justified by the perfection of results name, and now to be described. The essential technical details of this battery are fully staff, Walter E. Holland, who for many years has been The article was published in the Electrical World, New from will afford an intelligent comprehension of this invention: "The `A' type Edison cell is the outcome of nine years of inventor and his associates.... "The Edison invention involves the use of an entirely new .