Talk:Dionysian era

Not the Era of the Martyrs
The Dionysian Era is not the same thing as Anno Domini. There is nothing to be gained by linking to an irrelevant article. Richard75 (talk) 17:44, 31 May 2019 (UTC)


 * I do not believe Richard75's claim. Dionysius Exiguus is the inventor of the Anno Domini era and I would require citation of a very reliable source indeed to claim otherwise. Jc3s5h (talk) 18:01, 31 May 2019 (UTC)


 * I am adding support for the idea that the Era of the Martyrs is different from the Dionysian era, from The Oxford Companion to the Year by Bonnie Blackburn and Leofranc Holford-Strevens (Oxford University Press, 1st ed., reprinted with corrections 2003).


 * The Era of Diocledian, or the Martyrs: Roman Egypt was administratively apart from Rome, and began their year on 1 Thoth (which is in August on the Julian calendar). Emperor Diocletian required that years begin on 1 January, but Egyptian astronomers continued to count from the years of Diocletian's regnal years, the first of which was AD 284/5. These Diocletian regnal years were used in Alexandrian Easter tables. "The connection with the notorious persecutor induced Dionysius Exiguus to calculate his Easter tables from the birth of Christ instead, but the Diocletianic era was retained by the Coptic Church and extended to general dating purposes; the hated name of Diocletian was replaced by 'the Martyrs'...." (p. 766–7). Blackurn & Holford-Strevens don't use the term "Dionysian Era" but do use a section sub-heading "The Spread of Dionysius' Era" (p. 779). Jc3s5h (talk) 19:57, 31 May 2019 (UTC)


 * My apologies, I got Dionysius and Diocletian mixed up. Richard75 (talk) 17:32, 1 June 2019 (UTC)