Damaris

Dam´aris, a woman of Athens, who was led to embrace Christianity by the preaching of St. Paul (Act 17:34). Some suppose she was the wife of Dionysius the Areopagite, who is mentioned before her; but the construction in the Greek will not sanction this conclusion.

An Athenian lady, honorably distinguished as one of the few who embraced Christianity at Athens under the preaching of Paul, Mal 17:34 .\par

Dam’aris. (a heifer). An Athenian woman converted to Christianity, by St. Paul’s preaching. Act 17:34. (A.D 48). Chrysostom and others held her to have been the wife of Dionysius, the Areopagite.

An Athenian woman converted by Paul’s preaching (Act 17:34.). When most "mocked" or deferred, she and Dionysius the Areopagite "clave unto Paul and believed."

(Δάμαρις) an Athenian woman converted to Christianity by Paul’s preaching (Act 17:34), A.D. 48. Chrysostom (de Sacerdotio, 4:7) and others held her to have been the wife of Dionysius the Areopagite, but apparently for no other reason than that she is mentioned together with him in this passage. Grotius and Hemsterhuis think the name should be Damalis, Δάμαλις (signifying heifer), which is frequently found as a woman’s name; but the permutation of λ and ρ was not uncommon both in pronunciation and writing (Lobeck on Phrynichus, p. 652).

[Dam’aris]

A woman at Athens who believed the gospel preached by Paul. Act 17:34.

DAMARIS.—A convert at Athens (Act 17:34). As women of the upper classes were kept more in the background there than in Macedonia or Asia Minor, she was probably not of noble birth (cf. Act 17:4; Act 17:12). The name is perhaps a corruption of Damalis, ‘a heifer.’ The Bezan MS omits it.

A. J. Maclean.

dam´a-ris (Δάμαρις, Dámaris, possibly a corruption of δάμαλις, dámalis, “a heifer”): The name of a female Christian of Athens, converted by Paul’s preaching (Act 17:34). The fact that she is mentioned in this passage together with Dionysius the Areopagite has led some, most probably in error, to regard her as his wife. The singling out of her name with that of Dionysius may indicate some personal or social distinction. Compare Act 17:12.

Damaris was converted by the preaching of St. Paul at Athens (Act_17:34). The name is probably a corruption of Damalis (‘heifer’), a popular name among the Greeks. St. Chrysostom (de Sacerd. iv. 7) makes Damaris the wife of Dionysius the Areopagite, as does the Latin of Codex E (‘cum uxore suo’), though the Greek has only ‘a woman.’ W. M. Ramsay (St. Paul, 1895, p. 252) suggests that she was one of the educated ἑôáßñáé. She seems to have been a person of some importance, since her name is mentioned, and it is open to doubt whether a prominent Athenian woman would have been present. Codex Bezae omits all reference to her.

Literature.-F. Blass, Com. in loc.; W. M. Ramsay, The Church in the Roman Empire, London, 1892 p. 161; J. Felten, Apostelgeschichte, Freiburg i. B., 1892, p. 337.

F. W. Worsley.

- see Dionysius & Damaris