Hierotheos the Thesmothete ( el, Ἱερόθεος ὁ Θεσμοθέτης) is the reputed first head and

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or offic ...

of the Christian Athenians. The title '' thesmothete'' means ruler, or junior

archon ''Archon'' ( gr, ἄρχων, árchōn, plural: ἄρχοντες, ''árchontes'') is a Greek word that means "ruler", frequently used as the title of a specific public office. It is the masculine present participle of the verb stem αρχ-, mean ...

, of

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

(literally "rule-setter").

Biography

Little is known of Hierotheos (Ἰερόθεος "sanctified by God"); church tradition holds that he was one of the learned men in the city of

. He was instructed in Christianity by the Apostle Paul, who

baptized Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost in ...

and

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

him around the year 52 AD. Hierotheos frequently visited and instructed St Dionysius the Areopagite. There is disagreement as to whether Hierotheos was actually a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...

or bishop; some traditions describe Dionysius as the first bishop of Athens. According to Dionysius (''On the Divine Names'', 3:2), Hierotheos was an accomplished hymnographer: :"He was wholly transported, wholly outside himself and was so deeply absorbed in communion with the sacred things he celebrated in hymnology, that to all who heard him and saw him and knew him, and yet knew him not, he seemed to be inspired of God, a divine hymnographer." In more recent years, some have pointed that the name 'Hierotheos' is unique in Greek literature, nor is included in the extremely wide list of proper name known from papyri. The only record of this name is found in a Greek inscription from Athens.

Hierotheos and the Dormition of the Theotokos

Hierotheos stood in the midst of the

apostles An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...

and comforted them with spiritual songs and

hymns A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...

which he sang accompanied with musical instruments.

References

Doctors of the Church 1st-century bishops in Roman Achaea 1st-century Christian saints Bishops of Athens Eastern Catholic saints Clergy from Athens {{EasternCatholic-bio-stub

Biography

Hierotheos and the Dormition of the Theotokos

See also

References