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Life

Damaris is a woman mentioned in the New Testament, living around 55 AD in Athens, Greece. As per the Acts of the Apostles (17:34), she embraced the Christian faith following the speech of Paul of Tarsus, given in front of the Athenian Areopagus. She might have been of high social status because only such women were allowed to assist the Areopagus meetings. This may be the reason why her name has been especially recorded.^[1]

According to Christian tradition she was Dionysius the Areopagite´s wife, and she is remembered to be his faithful assistant in organizing the incipient church when her husband became Bishop of Athens. Apparently, for Luke the Evangelist, having such elite citizens converted to the new faith was very important because it served as an example of depriving luxury and wealth to serve Christ.

Name

There is no universal consensus about the meaning of her name. Apparently it is the Hellenization of the Celtic name Damara, the goddess of fertility. With the subsequent invasions of the Gauls to Asia Minor and their permanent establishment in the Galatia region, the intermixing of both Greek and Celtic cultures may have given birth to the "Graeco-Celtic" name Damaris.

This was very common in the Hellenistic culture developed by Alexander the Great and his successors. Following this pattern, Artemis of Ephesus, which had previously been assimilated with an ancient local goddess of fertility^[2] happens to be the exact parallel with the Celtic deity.

On the contrary, those who support the pure Hellenic origin of the name, state that it is the "modern" Hellenistic form (or contraction) of the classical name Damarete,^[3] like Theron of Acragas's daughter who became the wife of Gelo of Syracuse. Others, instead, find it in the word "damalis" which in Greek language means "a heifer", hence the name.^[4]

What is not subject to discussion, is that the Indo-European root of the name comes from the word "dompt"^[5]meaning "dominant", so a suggested meaning would be "dominant woman".^[6]

Remembrance

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Saint Damaris of Athens is celebrated on October 3rd. together with Saint Dionysius^[7], but for the Old Calendarists who follow the Julian calendar this feast currently falls on October 16th.

In modern Athens, Saint Damaris is also honoured by having a street named after her -Odos Damareos- siding the Profitis Ilias Square, which is one of the main urban open spaces in the Pagkrati neighborhood.

Notes

^ "Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Dictionary", Review and Herald Publ.Assn, 1979
^ P.Grimal, "Dictionaire de la Mythologie Grecque et Romaine", Presses Universitaires de France, Paris, 1979
^ http://www.damarete.com/englishversion.htm
^ "Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary", Vol.VI, Review and Herald Publ. Assn., 1988
^ G.Mpampiniotis, "Lexikon tis Neas Ellinikis Glossas me scholia gia ti sosti chrisi ton lexeon", Kentro Lexikologias E.P.E., Athens 1998
^ R.Graves, "The Greek Myths" Vol. II, Alianza Editorial (Madrid), 1985
^ Church of Greece

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[1] "Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Dictionary", Review and Herald Publ.Assn, 1979

[2] P.Grimal, "Dictionaire de la Mythologie Grecque et Romaine", Presses Universitaires de France, Paris, 1979

[3] ttp://www.damarete.com/englishversion.htm

[4] "Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary", Vol.VI, Review and Herald Publ. Assn., 1988

[5] G.Mpampiniotis, "Lexikon tis Neas Ellinikis Glossas me scholia gia ti sosti chrisi ton lexeon", Kentro Lexikologias E.P.E., Athens 1998

[6] R.Graves, "The Greek Myths" Vol. II, Alianza Editorial (Madrid), 1985

[7] Church of Greece

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 {{about|the Biblical Figure|the Patrick Wolf Single|Damaris (song)|the Peruvian Folk singer|Damaris (singer)}}
-'''Damaris''' is the name of a woman mentioned in  [[Acts of the Apostles]] (17:34).
 == Life ==
-According to  [[Acts of the Apostles]] (17:34), Damaris  lived in [[Ancient Athens|Athens]] in the mid 1st century. She embraced the Christian faith following the speech of [[Paul of Tarsus]], given in front of the Athenian [[Areopagus]]. She might have been of high social status because only such women were allowed to assist the [[Areopagus]] meetings. This may be the reason why her name has been especially recorded.<ref>"Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Dictionary", Review and Herald Publ.Assn, 1979</ref>
+'''Damaris''' is a woman mentioned in the [[New Testament]], living around 55 AD in [[Athens, Greece]]. As per the [[Acts of the Apostles]] (17:34), she embraced the Christian faith following the speech of [[Paul of Tarsus]], given in front of the Athenian [[Areopagus]]. She might have been of high social status because only such women were allowed to assist the [[Areopagus]] meetings. This may be the reason why her name has been especially recorded.<ref>"Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Dictionary", Review and Herald Publ.Assn, 1979</ref>
-According to [[Christian]] tradition she was [[Dionysius the Areopagite]]´s wife, and she is remembered to be his faithful assistant in organizing the incipient church when her husband became [[Bishop of Athens]].{{cn|date=October 2011}}
-Apparently, for [[Luke the Evangelist]], having such elite citizens converted to the new faith was very important because it served as an example of sacrificing luxury and wealth in order to serve [[Christ]].{{cn|date=October 2011}}
+According to [[Christian]] tradition she was [[Dionysius the Areopagite]]´s wife, and she is remembered to be his faithful assistant in organizing the incipient church when her husband became [[Bishop of Athens]]. Apparently, for [[Luke the Evangelist]], having such elite citizens converted to the new faith was very important because it served as an example of depriving luxury and wealth to serve [[Christ]].
-== Veneration as a saint ==
-In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], '''Saint Damaris of Athens''' is celebrated on October 3. together with [[Dionysius the Areopagite|Saint Dionysius]]<ref>[http://www.ecclesia.gr/greek/synaxaire/synaxari.asp?minas=10&id=33 Church of Greece]</ref>, but for the [[Old Calendarists]] who follow the [[Julian calendar]] this feast currently falls on October 16.
-In modern [[Athens]], Saint Damaris is also honoured by having a street named after her -'''Odos Damareos'''- siding the Profitis Ilias Square, which is one of the main [[urban open space]]s in the [[Pagkrati]] neighborhood.
 == Name ==
-There is no universal consensus about the meaning of her name. Apparently it is the [[Hellenization]] of the [[Celtic name]] [[Damara (goddess)|Damara]], the [[Celtic deities|goddess]] of fertility.  With the subsequent [[invasion of the Gauls to Asia Minor]] and their permanent establishment in the [[Galatia]] region, the intermixing of both [[Greeks|Greek]] and [[Celt]]ic cultures may have given birth to the "Graeco-Celtic" form ''Damaris''.
-A parallel of this supposed origin of the name may be found in  [[Artemis of Ephesus]], which had been a Celtic deity assimilated with a local goddess of fertility.{{dubious|date=October 2011}}.<ref>P.Grimal, "Dictionaire de la Mythologie Grecque et Romaine", Presses Universitaires de France, Paris, 1979</ref>
+There is no universal consensus about the meaning of her name. Apparently it is the [[Hellenization]] of the [[Celt]]ic name [[Damara (goddess)|Damara]], the [[goddess]] of fertility.  With the subsequent invasions of the [[Gauls]] to [[Asia Minor]] and their permanent establishment in the [[Galatia]] region, the intermixing of both [[Greeks|Greek]] and [[Celt]]ic cultures may have given birth to the '''"Graeco-Celtic"''' name '''Damaris'''.
-Alternatively, the name may be of pure Hellenic origin of the name, a contraction of the classical name '''Damarete''',<ref>http://www.damarete.com/englishversion.htm</ref> like [[Theron of Acragas]]'s daughter who became the wife of [[Gelo]] of [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]], or perhaps from ''damalis'' "heifer".<ref>"Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary", Vol.VI, Review and Herald Publ. Assn., 1988</ref>
+This was very common in the [[Hellenistic]] culture developed by [[Alexander the Great]] and his successors. Following this pattern, [[Artemis]] of [[Ephesus]], which had previously been assimilated with an ancient local goddess of fertility<ref>P.Grimal, "Dictionaire de la Mythologie Grecque et Romaine", Presses Universitaires de France, Paris, 1979</ref> happens to be the exact parallel with the [[Celtic mythology|Celtic deity]].
+On the contrary, those who support the pure Hellenic origin of the name, state that it is the "modern" Hellenistic form (or contraction) of the classical name '''Damarete''',<ref>http://www.damarete.com/englishversion.htm</ref> like [[Theron of Acragas]]'s daughter who became the wife of [[Gelo]] of [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]]. Others, instead, find it in the word '''"damalis"''' which in [[Greek language]] means "a heifer", hence the name.<ref>"Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary", Vol.VI, Review and Herald Publ. Assn., 1988</ref>
+What is not subject to discussion, is that the [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] root of the name comes from the word '''"dompt"'''<ref>G.Mpampiniotis, "Lexikon tis Neas Ellinikis Glossas me scholia gia ti sosti chrisi ton lexeon", Kentro Lexikologias E.P.E., Athens 1998</ref>meaning "[[wiktionary:Dominant|dominant]]", so a suggested meaning would be '''"dominant woman".'''<ref>R.Graves, "The Greek Myths" Vol. II, Alianza Editorial (Madrid), 1985</ref>
+== Remembrance ==
+In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], '''Saint Damaris of Athens''' is celebrated on October 3rd. together with [[Dionysius the Areopagite|Saint Dionysius]]<ref>[http://www.ecclesia.gr/greek/synaxaire/synaxari.asp?minas=10&id=33 Church of Greece]</ref>, but for the [[Old Calendarists]] who follow the [[Julian calendar]] this feast currently falls on October 16th.
+In modern [[Athens]], Saint Damaris is also honoured by having a street named after her -'''Odos Damareos'''- siding the Profitis Ilias Square, which is one of the main [[urban open space]]s in the [[Pagkrati]] neighborhood.
 == Notes ==
 <references/>
 [[Category:Saints of Roman Athens]]
 [[Category:Roman-era Athenian women]]
+{{christianity-bio-stub}}
 [[de:Damaris (Bibel)]]