Book VII — Historical footnotes

1890 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

This letter seems to have been written shortly before Easter of the year 263; for the festal epistle to Hierax, quoted in the last chapter, was written while the war was still in progress (i.e. in 262), this one after its close. It does not seem to have been a regular festal epistle so-called, for in §11, below, we are told that Dionysius wrote a regular festal letter (ἑορταστικὴν γραφήν) to the brethren in Egypt, and that apparently in connection with this same Easter of the year 263.

Editorial footnote · Book VII, Chapter XXII.—The Pestilence which came upon them.; original source section: Chapter 22, editorial note cite_note-1 · Original source

1890 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

καὶ ὄφελόν γε, with the majority of the mss., followed by Valesius, Schwegler, and Heinichen. Stroth, Burton, and Zimmermann, upon the authority of two mss., read καὶ ὄφελόν γε εἷς (“and would that there were but one!”), a reading which Valesius approves in his notes. The weight of ms. authority, however, is with the former, and it alone justifies the γ€ρ of the following sentence.

Editorial footnote · Book VII, Chapter XXII.—The Pestilence which came upon them.; original source section: Chapter 22, editorial note cite_note-5 · Original source

1890 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

The connection into which this festal epistle is brought with the letter just quoted would seem to indicate that it was written not a whole year, but very soon after that one. We may, therefore, look upon it as Dionysius’ festal epistle of the year 263 (see above, note 1). Neither this nor the “several others” spoken of just below is now extant.

Editorial footnote · Book VII, Chapter XXII.—The Pestilence which came upon them.; original source section: Chapter 22, editorial note cite_note-7 · Original source

1890 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

This and the next epistle are no longer extant, and we know neither the time of their composition nor the persons to whom they were addressed.

Editorial footnote · Book VII, Chapter XXII.—The Pestilence which came upon them.; original source section: Chapter 22, editorial note cite_note-8 · Original source

1890 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

On Hermammon and the epistle addressed to him, see above, chap. 1, note 3. An extract from this same epistle is given in that chapter and also in chap. 10.

Editorial footnote · Book VII, Chapter XXII.—The Pestilence which came upon them.; original source section: Chapter 22, editorial note cite_note-9 · Original source

1890 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

i.e. there is no time when heathen can fitly rejoice.

Editorial footnote · Book VII, Chapter XXII.—The Pestilence which came upon them.; original source section: Chapter 22, editorial note cite_note-3 · Original source

1890 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

i.e. to the heathen.

Editorial footnote · Book VII, Chapter XXII.—The Pestilence which came upon them.; original source section: Chapter 22, editorial note cite_note-2 · Original source