Dionysius Exiguus, On Easter, or, the Paschal Cycle (2003)
Preface (translated by Roger Pearse; incomplete)
Paschal Cycle (translated by Michael Deckers)
Dionysius Exiguus to the most blessed and very dear father, Petronius, bishop.
The reasoning of the feast of Easter, which many have frequently and urgently asked us, with the help of your prayers, we have now proceeded to set forth. Following in all things the venerable 318 pontiffs, who came together at Nicaea, a city of Bithynia, against the madness of Arius, and besides [gave] a perfect and true opinion on this matter; who having observed 14 months of Easter through 19 years always returning in a cycle to the same position, fixed it stable and immoveable, which in all ages is repeated in the same way, as a beginning, without going off into an excursion of various things. However they sanctioned this rule of the aforementioned cycle, not so much from secular knowledge as by the illumination of the Holy Spirit, and as if determined to have assigned a firm and stable anchor to this reasoning of the lunar calculation. As after a while some, whether despising from arrogance or crossing over from ignorance, were influenced by Jewish fables, they handed down a different and contrary form of the only festival. And because without solidity of foundation no structure can stand, for a long time they were inclined to work out differently the Lord's Easter and the computation of the moon, ordaining unordained cycles; which not only has no stability, indeed also they prefer a notable direction in error.
But at the city of Alexandria the archbishop, blessed Athanasius, who also was involved in the Nicene Council, at that time as deacon of the holy pontiff Alexander and [his] helper in all things, and then the venerable Theophilus and Cyril, departed very little from the worshipful decision of the synod. Indeed rather sollicitously retaining the same 19-year cycle, which in a Greek word is called enneacaidecaeteris , they are shown to have not interpolated the paschal cycle with any changes. Then Pope Theophilus, dedicating the 100th course of the years to the emperor Theodosius the Elder, and St. Cyril, compiling a cycle of time of 95 years, preserved through everything this tradition of the holy council of the importance of observing 14 paschal months. And because -- the students also having been seeking to know what is true -- we must hold fast to the rule of his cycle more firmly, we believe that we must give it after our preface.
Therefore we hurried to set out this cycle of 95 years, in which study we have succeeded, preferring in our work this [cycle], the last one of the same blessed Cyril, that is the 5th cycle, because 6 years of it remain; and thereafter we profess that we laid out 5 others according to the pattern of the same pontiff, or rather of the often mentioned Nicene Council. But because St. Cyril began his first cycle from the 153rd year of Diocletian, and besides ended in the 247th, we, starting from the 248th [year] of the same tyrant -- a better [word] than prince -- do not wish to bind to our circles the memory of this impious man and persecutor, but choose rather to count the time of the years from the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that the beginning of our hope will appear better known to us, and the cause of the restoration of mankind, i.e. the passion of our Redeemer, may shine forth more clearly.
In addition we think that this reader should be reminded that that cycle of 95 years, which we make, when, its time being up, begins to repeat, not through everything may he support firmness .
For it is allowed ... the years of our Lord Jesus Christ ... his/its order ... for the continued series .... that they may preserve ... , and they might run through the accustomed indictions through 15 years, also the epacts, as the Greeks call them, i.e the additions ... 11 annual months ... which 30 of days up to in itself they return, ....
...however they are unable to protect a similar movement of constancy concurrent days of the week, and the day(s) of the Lord's Pasch and the month of the dominical day itself. However the reason of the concurrency of the week, which comes from the course of the sun, it is concluded in a continual circuit of seven years. In which you will take care to enumerate through the years each one; only in that year in which it will have been a leap year, you will add two. Which cause also makes that not through the whole 95 years does that circle seem to harmonize with its recursion. For when in other years it does not deviate, in this alone, in which the leap year is inserted, the Pasch of the churches with its month occurs in various ways of reason (rationis). ....
... (To be completed)
End of the preface
NINETEEN YEAR CYCLE OF DIONYSIUS ( CYCLUS DECEMNOVENNALIS DIONYSII)
[Translated by Michael Deckers]
The following translation is as literal as I could do it in order to reflect the style and diction of the original. Subsequent comments contain a translation of the calendrical content into modern algebraic notation.
The Latin text has been transcribed and edited by Rodolphe Audette ("http://hermes.ulaval.ca/~sitrau/calgreg/denys.html").
I have profited from the learned comments and helpful suggestions by Joe Kress, A R Tom Peters, and Robert H van Gent. Any typos in the Latin text and errors in the translation and the comments are mine. [ http://the-light.com/cal/DionysiusArgumenta.txt ]
CYCLUS DECEMNOVENNALIS DIONYSII
NINETEEN YEAR CYCLE OF DIONYSIUS
Incipit cyclus decemnovennalis, quem Graeci Enneacaidecaeterida vocant, constitutus a sanctis Patribus, in quo quartas decimas paschales omni tempore sine ulla reperies falsitate; tantum memineris annis singulis, qui cyclus lunae et qui decemnovennalis existat. In praesenti namque tertia indictio est, consulatu Probi junioris, tertius decimus circulus decemnovennalis, decimus lunaris est.
The nineteen year cycle begins, which the Greek call Enneakaidekaeterida (nineteen yearly), established by the holy [Church] Fathers, in which you shall find fourteen paschal[ moon]s each time without error; you shall just bear in mind, in each of the years, which cycle of the moon and which nineteen year [cycle] prevails. In the present [year], in the consulship of Probus Junior, it is the thirteenth of the nineteen year cycle, and the tenth lunar one.
ANNI
DIOCLE
TIANI
quae sint