Damaris
Encyclopedia
Damaris is the name of a woman mentioned in Acts of the Apostles
(17:34).
(17:34), Damaris lived in Athens in the mid 1st century. She embraced the Christian faith following the speech of Paul of Tarsus
, given in front of the Athenian Areopagus
. She might have been of high social status because only such women were allowed to assist the Areopagus
meetings. This may be the reason why her name has been especially recorded.
According to Christian
tradition she was Dionysius the Areopagite
´s wife, and she is remembered to be his faithful assistant in organizing the incipient church when her husband became Bishop of Athens.
Apparently, for Luke the Evangelist
, having such elite citizens converted to the new faith was very important because it served as an example of sacrificing luxury and wealth in order to serve Christ
.
, Saint Damaris of Athens is celebrated on October 3. together with Saint Dionysius
, but for the Old Calendarists
who follow the Julian calendar
this feast currently falls on October 16.
In modern Athens
, Saint Damaris is also honoured by having a street named after her -Odos Damareos- siding the Profitis Ilias Square, which is one of the main urban open space
s in the Pagkrati
neighborhood.
of the Celtic name Damara, the goddess of fertility. With the subsequent invasion of the Gauls to Asia Minor and their permanent establishment in the Galatia
region, the intermixing of both Greek
and Celt
ic cultures may have given birth to the "Graeco-Celtic" form Damaris.
A parallel of this supposed origin of the name may be found in Artemis of Ephesus, which had been a Celtic deity assimilated with a local goddess of fertility..
Alternatively, the name may be of pure Hellenic origin of the name, a contraction of the classical name Damarete, like Theron of Acragas
's daughter who became the wife of Gelo
of Syracuse, or perhaps from damalis "heifer".
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles , usually referred to simply as Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament; Acts outlines the history of the Apostolic Age...
(17:34).
Life
According to Acts of the ApostlesActs of the Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles , usually referred to simply as Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament; Acts outlines the history of the Apostolic Age...
(17:34), Damaris lived in Athens in the mid 1st century. She embraced the Christian faith following the speech of Paul of Tarsus
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
, given in front of the Athenian Areopagus
Areopagus
The Areopagus or Areios Pagos is the "Rock of Ares", north-west of the Acropolis, which in classical times functioned as the high Court of Appeal for criminal and civil cases in Athens. Ares was supposed to have been tried here by the gods for the murder of Poseidon's son Alirrothios .The origin...
. She might have been of high social status because only such women were allowed to assist the Areopagus
Areopagus
The Areopagus or Areios Pagos is the "Rock of Ares", north-west of the Acropolis, which in classical times functioned as the high Court of Appeal for criminal and civil cases in Athens. Ares was supposed to have been tried here by the gods for the murder of Poseidon's son Alirrothios .The origin...
meetings. This may be the reason why her name has been especially recorded.
According to Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
tradition she was Dionysius the Areopagite
Dionysius the Areopagite
Dionysius the Areopagite was a judge of the Areopagus who, as related in the Acts of the Apostles, , was converted to Christianity by the preaching of the Apostle Paul during the Areopagus sermon...
´s wife, and she is remembered to be his faithful assistant in organizing the incipient church when her husband became Bishop of Athens.
Apparently, for Luke the Evangelist
Luke the Evangelist
Luke the Evangelist was an Early Christian writer whom Church Fathers such as Jerome and Eusebius said was the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles...
, having such elite citizens converted to the new faith was very important because it served as an example of sacrificing luxury and wealth in order to serve Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
.
Veneration as a saint
In the Eastern Orthodox ChurchEastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
, Saint Damaris of Athens is celebrated on October 3. together with Saint Dionysius
Dionysius the Areopagite
Dionysius the Areopagite was a judge of the Areopagus who, as related in the Acts of the Apostles, , was converted to Christianity by the preaching of the Apostle Paul during the Areopagus sermon...
, but for the Old Calendarists
Old calendarists
The term Old Calendarist refers to any Orthodox Christian or any Orthodox Church body which uses the historic Julian calendar , and whose Church body is not in communion with the Orthodox Churches that use the New Calendar...
who follow the Julian calendar
Julian calendar
The Julian calendar began in 45 BC as a reform of the Roman calendar by Julius Caesar. It was chosen after consultation with the astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria and was probably designed to approximate the tropical year .The Julian calendar has a regular year of 365 days divided into 12 months...
this feast currently falls on October 16.
In modern Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Saint Damaris is also honoured by having a street named after her -Odos Damareos- siding the Profitis Ilias Square, which is one of the main urban open space
Urban open space
In land use planning, urban open space is open space areas for “parks”, “green spaces”, and other open areas. The landscape of urban open spaces can range from playing fields to highly maintained environments to relatively natural landscapes. They are commonly open to public access, however, urban...
s in the Pagkrati
Pagkrati
Pangrati or Pagkrati is a neighborhood in the Municipality of Athens, Greece. It is bordered by the Kolonaki neighborhood to the north, the Kaisariani Municipality to the east, the Vyronas Municipality to the south, and the Mets neighborhood to the west. It is not to be confused as a separate...
neighborhood.
Name
There is no universal consensus about the meaning of her name. Apparently it is the HellenizationHellenization
Hellenization is a term used to describe the spread of ancient Greek culture, and, to a lesser extent, language. It is mainly used to describe the spread of Hellenistic civilization during the Hellenistic period following the campaigns of Alexander the Great of Macedon...
of the Celtic name Damara, the goddess of fertility. With the subsequent invasion of the Gauls to Asia Minor and their permanent establishment in the Galatia
Galatia
Ancient Galatia was an area in the highlands of central Anatolia in modern Turkey. Galatia was named for the immigrant Gauls from Thrace , who settled here and became its ruling caste in the 3rd century BC, following the Gallic invasion of the Balkans in 279 BC. It has been called the "Gallia" of...
region, the intermixing of both Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
and Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic cultures may have given birth to the "Graeco-Celtic" form Damaris.
A parallel of this supposed origin of the name may be found in Artemis of Ephesus, which had been a Celtic deity assimilated with a local goddess of fertility..
Alternatively, the name may be of pure Hellenic origin of the name, a contraction of the classical name Damarete, like Theron of Acragas
Theron of Acragas
Theron , son of Aenesidamus, was a Greek tyrant of the town of Acragas in Sicily from 488 BC. He soon became an ally of Gelo, who at that time controlled Gela, and from 485 BC Syracuse. Gelo later became Theron's son-in-law....
's daughter who became the wife of Gelo
Gelo
Gelo , son of Deinomenes, was a 5th century BC ruler of Gela and Syracuse and first of the Deinomenid rulers.- Early life :...
of Syracuse, or perhaps from damalis "heifer".