Section III.
But they also depict them under the likeness
of men ^, on account of the intellectual faculty,
and their having powers of looking upwards, and
8 Gen. xxxii. 24.
58 Dionysius the Areopagite
their straight and erect form, and their innate faculty
of ruling and guiding, and whilst being least, in
physical strength as compared with the other powers
of irrational creatures, yet ruling over all by their
superior power of mind, and by their dominion in
consequence of rational science, and their innate
unslavishness and indomitableness of soul. It is
possible, then, I think, to find within each of the
many parts of our body harmonious images of the
Heavenly Powers, by affirming that the powers of
vision ** denote the most transparent elevation to-
wards the Divine lights, and again, the tender,
and liquid, and not repellent, but sensitive, and
pure, and unfolded, reception, free from all passion,
of the supremely Divine illuminations.
Now the discriminating powers of the nostrils
denote the being able to receive, as far as attainable,
the sweet-smelling largess beyond conception, and
to distinguish accurately things which are not such,
and to entirely reject".
The powers of the ears denote the participation
and conscious reception of the supremely Divine
inspiration.
The powers of taste denote the fulness of the
intelligible nourishments, and the reception of the
Divine and nourishing streams ^.
The powers of touch denote the skilful discrimi- nation of that which is suitable or injurious y.
* Ezek. i. 18 ; Ibid. ix. 5. " Gen. viii. 21.
* Ibid. xix. 3. y Ibid, xxxii. 25.
on the Heavenly Hierarchy. 59
The eyelids and eyebrows denote the guarding of the conceptions which see God.
The figures of manhood and youth denote the perpetual bloom and vigour of life '.
The teeth denote the dividing of the nourishing
perfection given to us ; for each intellectual Being
divides and multiplies, by a provident faculty, the
unified conception given to it by the more Divine
for the proportionate elevation of the inferior.
The shoulders and elbows % and further, the
hands ^ denote the power of making, and operating,
and accomplishing.
The heart again is a symbol of the Godlike life,
dispersing its own life-giving power to the objects
of its forethought, as beseems the good.
The chest again denotes the invincible and pro-
tective faculty of the life-giving distribution, as being
placed above the heart.
The back, the holding together the whole pro- ductive powers ^ of life.
The feet** denote the moving and quickness, and
skilfulness of the perpetual movement advancing
towards Divine things. Wherefore also the Word
of God arranged the feet of the holy Minds under
their wings ® ; for the wing displays the elevating
quickness and the heavenly progress towards higher
things, and the superiority to every grovelling thing
by reason of the ascending, and the lightness of
the wings denotes their being in no respect earthly,
z Mark xvi. 5. a Dan. x. 6. ^ Ibid. 10.
c Ibid. 5. d Isaiah vi. 2. « Ezek. i. 6.
6o Dionysius the Areopagite
but undefiledly and lightly raised to the sublime ;
and the naked and unshod denotes the unfettered,
agile, and unrestrained, and free from all external
superfluity, and assimilation to the Divine simplicity,
as far as attainable.
Section IV.
But since again the simple and variegated wis-
dom^ both clothes the naked, and distributes cer-
tain implements to them to carry, come, let us
unfold, according to our power, the sacred garments
and implements of the celestial Minds. The shining
and glowing raiment, I think, signifies the Divine
likeness after the image of fire, and their enlighten-
ing &, in consequence of their repose in Heaven,
where is the Light, and their complete illuminating
intelligibly, and their being illuminated intellec-
tually^; and the sacerdotal robe denotes their con-
ducting to Divine and mystical visions, and the
consecration of their whole life^ And the girdles
signify the guard over their productive powers, and
the collected habit of being turned uniformly to
It, and being drawn around Itself by an unbroken
identity, in a weil-ordered circle.
Section V.
The rods signify the kingly and directing faculty,
making all things straight. The spears'' and the
battle-axes denote the dividing of things unhke,
' Eph. iii. lo. K John xx. 12. ^ See Maximus D.N.
c. 4- s. I. 1 Dan. x. 5. ^ Gen. iii. 24.
on the Heavenly Hierarchy. 6i
and the sharp and energetic and drastic operation
of the discriminating powers. The geometrical*
and technical™ articles denote the founding, and
building, and completing, and whatever else belongs
to the elevating and guiding forethought for the
subordinate Orders. But sometimes the implements
assigned to the holy Angels are the symbols of
God's judgments to ourselves; some, representing
His correcting ° instruction or avenging righteous-
ness **, others, freedom from peril, or end of edu-
cation, or resumption of former well-being, or
addition of other gifts, small or great, sensible or
intelligible P. Nor would a discriminating mind, in
any case whatever, have any difficulty in properly
adapting things visible to things invisible.
Section VI.
But the fact that they are named winds ^ denotes
their rapid action, passing almost instantaneously to
all things, and their transporting movement in pass-
ing from above to below, and again from below to
above, their elevating the second to the height
above, and moving the first to a common and pro-
vident advance of the inferior Orders. But perhaps
some one would say that the appellation of wind,
to the aerial spirit, also denotes the Divine likeness
of the Heavenly Minds ; for this also bears a like-
ness and type of the supremely Divine energy (as
* Ezek. xi. 3. ™ Amos vii. 7. ° Num. xxii. 31.
o 2 Kings xxiv. 16. P Zech. iii. 9. ^ Ps. civ. 3 ;
Dan. vii. 2.
62 Dionysius the Areopagite
we have demonstrated more fully in the symbolic
theology, in our explanation of the four elements)
in accordance with the moving and life-producing,
and the rapid and resistless development of Nature,
and the Hiddenness of the moving sources and ter-
minations to us unknown and invisible. For He
says, "Thou knovvest not whence it cometh '" nor
whither it goeth." But also the Word of God attri-
butes to them the appearance of a cloud ^, signifying,
through this, that the holy minds are filled super-
mundanely with the hidden Light, receiving the
first manifestation without boasting over it as such,
which they distribute ungrudgingly to the second,
as a secondary manifestation, and in proportion to
capacity ; yea, further, that the productive, and life-
producing, and increasing, and perfecting power is
enshrined in them, after the fashion of the intel-
ligible production of showers *, which summons the
receptive womb of the earth, by fruitful rains, to
the life-giving pangs of birth.
Section VII.
Also, the Word of God attributes to the Heavenly
Beings a likeness to Brass '^, Electron*, and many-
coloured stones. Electron, as being partly like gold,
partly like silver, denotes the incorruptible, as in
gold, and unexpended, and undiminished, and spot-
less briUiancy, and the brightness, as in silver, and
a luminous and heavenly radiance. But to the
"^ John iii. 8. ^ Ezek. lO. 4. * vor\Ty\v 6iA.^po(TKiay,
" Ezek. xi. 3. ^ Ibid, viii, 2.
on the Heavenly Hierarchy. 63
Brass, according to the reasons assigned, must be attributed either the Hkeness of fire or that of gold.
We must consider that the many-coloured appear-
ances of stones denote either as white, the luminous ;
or as red, the fiery ; or as yellow, the golden ; or as
green, the youthful and the full grown ; and within
each likeness you will find an explanation which
teaches the inner meaning of the typical images.
But since, I think, according to our power, this
has been sufficiently said, let us pass to the sacred
explanation of the Divine representations of the
Heavenly Minds through wild beasts y. We must
consider that the shape of a Lion ^ signifies the
leading, and robust, and indomitable, and the assi-
milation, as far as possible, to the unutterable God-
head, by the concealment of the intellectual foot-
prints % and by the mystically modest covering of
the path, leading to It, during Divine illumination.
Section VIII.
The Image of the Ox ^ denotes the strong and the
mature, turning up the intellectual furrows for the
reception of the heavenly and productive showers ;
and the Horns, the guarding and indomitable.
The representation of the Eagle ^ denotes the
kingly, and soaring, and swift in flight, and quick-
ness in search of the nourishment which makes
y Ezek. i. 10. z Ibid.
^.* The Lion was said to erase his footsteps by his tail. ^ Ezek. i, 10. c Ibid.
64 D tony sins the Areopagite
strong, and wariness, and agility, and cleverness ;
and the unimpeded, straight, and unflinching gaze
towards the bounteous and brilliant splendour of the
Divine rays of the sun, with the robust extension
of the visual powers.
That of Horses represents obedience and docility,
and of those who are white, brilliancy, and as espe-
cially congenial to the Divine Light; but of those
who are dark blue, the Hidden ; and of those red,
the fiery and vigorous ; and of the piebald, the
uniting of the extremes by the power passing through
them, and joining the first to the second, and the
second to the first, reciprocally and considerately.
Now if we did not consult the proportion of our
discourse, we might, not inappropriately, adapt the
particular characteristics of the aforesaid living crea-
tures, and all their bodily representations to the
Heavenly Powers, upon the principle of dissimilar
similitudes ; for instance, their appearance of anger,
to intellectual manliness, of which anger is the re-
motest echo, and their desire, to the Divine love ;
and to speak summarily, referring all the sensible
perceptions, and many parts of irrational beings, to
the immaterial conceptions and unified Powers of
the Heavenly Beings. Now not only^is this suffi-
cient for the wise, but even an explanation of one
of the dissimilar representations would be sufficient
for the accurate description of similar things, after
the same fashion.
, on the Heavenly Hiei-archy. 6^'
Section IX.
But we must examine the fact that rivers^ are,
spoken of, and Wheels*^ and Chariots^ attached to.
the Heavenly Beings. The rivers of fire signify the
supremely Divine streams furnishing to them an
ungrudging and incessant flow, and nourishing the
productive powers of life ; the chariots, the con-
joined communion of those of the same rank; the
wheels being winged, and advancing without turning
and without deviation, the power of their advancing
energy within a straight and direct path, towards
the same unflinching and straight swoop ^ of their
every intellectual track, supermundanely straight and.
direct way. Also it is possible to explain, after an-
other mystical meaning, the sacred description of
the intellectual wheels ; for the name Gel, Gel, is
given to them, as the theologian says. This shews,
according to the Hebrew tongue, revolutions and
revelations. For the Empyrean and Godlike wheels
have revolutions, indeed, by their perpetual move-
ment around the Good Itself; but revelations, by
the manifestation of things hidden, and by the ele-
vation of things at our feet, and by the descending
procession of the sublime illuminations to things
below. There remains for accurate^ explanation,
the statement respecting the rejoicing of the Hea-
venly Orders^'; for they are utterly incapable of
our impassioned pleasure. Now they are said to
d Dan. vii. lo. e Ezek. x. 9. ^2 Kings ii. 11.
g oT^o (?). ii Luke XV. 10.
66 Dionysius the Areopagite^ ^'c.
rejoice with God over the discovery of what was
lost, as befits their Divine good nature, and that
Godhke and ungrudging rejoicing over the care and
salvation of those who are turned to God ; and that
joy, beyond description, of which also holy men often
partake, whilst the deifying illuminations of the Deity
rest upon them. Let it suffice, then, to have said this
much concerning the Divine representations, which,
no doubt, falls short of their accurate explanation,
but which will prevent us, I think, from being ser-
vilely entangled in the resemblance of the types.
But if you should say that we have not mentioned
in order the whole Angelic Powers, or operations,
or likenesses, depicted in the Oracles, we answer in
truth, that we do not possess the supermundane
science of some ; and further, in regard to them,
we have need of another to conduct to light and to
reveal. Other things, however, as being parallel
to the things said, we have omitted, out of regard
to the symmetry of the discourse ; and the hidden-
ness, beyond our capacity, we have honoured by
silence.
St. Michael and All Angels^ 1 898 .
ECCLESIASTICAL HIERARCHY.
CAPUT I.
To MY Fellow Presbyter Timothy.
DiONYSIUS THE PrESBYTER.
What is the traditional view of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy and what is its purpose /
Section I.
We must, then, most pious of pious sons, demon-
strate from the supermundane and most sacred
Oracles and traditions, that ours is a Hierarchy
of the inspired and Divine and Deifying science,
and of operation, and of consecration, for those
who have been initiated with the initiation of the
sacred revelation derived from the hierarchical mys-
teries. See, however, that you do not put to scorn
things most holy (Holy of Holies^); but rather
treat them reverently, and you will honour the
things of the hidden God by intellectual and obscure
researches, carefully guarding them from the par-
ticipation and defilement of the uninitiated, and
reverently sharing holy things with the holy alone,
by a holy enlightenment. For thus, as the Word
of God^ has taught us who feast at His Banquet,
even Jesus Himself — the most supremely Divine