Zakynthian Association of Sydney and NSW

The Life of Saint Dionysios of Zakynthos

Saint Dionysios, widely known for the act of forgiving his brother’s murderer and as the "Walking Saint," was born in 1547 on the Greek island of Zakynthos. During his childhood years, public education in Zakynthos did not exist. However, St. Dionysios was educated at a school run by Orthodox priests on the island, where he began to learn Greek, Italian, and Latin. Upon completing his primary school education, he continued with his studies at home with private religious tutors and theologians who instructed him further in language and theological studies. By the age of twenty-one, St. Dionysios not only was fluent in several languages, but he was known as a theological scholar by all. Therefore, upon his parents’ deaths, it was no surprise that he decided to enter into the priesthood and to assume a life of monasticism. At this time, he was given the name of Daniel, and spent time in seclusion before being ordained to the priesthood in 1570.

Mythology and the founding of Zakynthos

According to mythology and the writings of Homer, the island was named after Zakynthos who was grandson of Zeus and Helectra and the son of Dardanos who founded Troy. The name Zakynthos - as it ends in 'nthos' shows that it is pre-mycanean or Pelasgian in orgin. Zakynthos was born on Phrygias and he sailed to Zakynthos in 1500 BC, where he occupied the island and gave it his name. Some accounts however feel that there was an older name of the island - Iria, a position that is supported by the traditional village of Gyri probably being a corruption of this name. The earliest written works that mention Zakynthos are by Homer who describes it as an island full of forests and claims that the settlers were from the Peloponnese area of Greece, in particular from Arcadia. There is evidence to support this, as the traditions of the Arcadians and Zakynthians are similar, their past worship of Apollo for instance, as are some of the names of the places.