Definition · Webster 1828 · Scriptures · Corruption · Roots · Usage · In the Text · Related
📖 Biblical Definition
Damaris is a woman convert at Athens, named in Acts 17:34: "Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them." The setting is Paul's famous Mars' Hill sermon (Acts 17:22-31) — his discourse to the Athenian philosophers in the Areopagus on the "unknown god" altar, the resurrection of Christ, and the day of judgment. The response was mixed: "some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter" (17:32). But "certain men clave unto him, and believed" — and the named converts were DIONYSIUS (a member of the Areopagus court, an intellectual of Athens) and DAMARIS (a woman). The naming of Damaris specifically is theologically significant: she is named ALONGSIDE Dionysius the Areopagite, suggesting she too was a woman of some prominence or learning. Some scholars suggest she may have been a hetaira (an educated companion-class woman) since respectable Athenian wives generally did not attend public philosophical lectures. Whatever her background, the gospel reached her at Mars' Hill, and Luke preserved her name in the canon. Modern parents naming a daughter Damaris connect her to a woman who heard the resurrection preached in the philosophical capital of the ancient world and believed.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Greek (uncertain origin, possibly "gentle"); a woman convert at Athens through Paul's Mars' Hill sermon (Acts 17:34).
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DAMARIS, proper noun. Greek Damaris (G1152) — of uncertain Greek origin, possibly "gentle" or "calf."
A woman convert at Athens through Paul's Mars' Hill sermon (Acts 17:34), named alongside Dionysius the Areopagite as one of the named believers.
📖 Key Scripture
Acts 17:34 — "Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them."
Acts 17:22-23 — "Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you."
Acts 17:32 — "And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter."
1 Corinthians 1:26-28 — "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Damaris is corrupted when she is dismissed as a minor name in the Athens narrative rather than received as one of the named Athenian converts whose presence in the canon dignifies women's reception of the gospel in the most intellectual setting of the ancient world.
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Athens-was-failure narrative. Some commentaries treat Paul's Athens visit as relatively unsuccessful — "some mocked, some delayed, only a few believed." Compared to the mass conversions of Acts 2 (Jerusalem) or the planted church of Acts 18 (Corinth), Athens looks small. But Luke names TWO converts specifically (Dionysius and Damaris) and adds "others with them." The gospel reached the intellectual capital of the ancient world; named individuals believed in the very Areopagus where Paul preached. To dismiss Athens as a failure is to miss the canonical preservation of Damaris and Dionysius as real fruit.
Background-speculation. Some commentaries speculate about Damaris's social background (hetaira, educated companion-class, etc.) to explain why a woman was at the philosophical lecture. This is interesting historical context but should not overshadow the canonical point: a woman heard the gospel in the most intellectual setting of the ancient world and believed. The text dignifies her by name without explaining her social background. Modern readers should do the same.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Greek Damaris (G1152) — of uncertain origin, possibly "gentle"; convert at Athens through Paul's Mars' Hill sermon.
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Greek Damaris (G1152) — of uncertain origin, possibly "gentle," "calf," or a name-form of dame
Named only at Acts 17:34 — convert at Athens through Paul's Mars' Hill sermon
Named alongside Dionysius the Areopagite as one of the named believers
Possibly a woman of philosophical or educated background, since she was present at the public discourse
Usage
"A woman named Damaris — preserved by Luke in the canon as one of Paul's Athenian converts."
"The gospel reached the philosophical capital of the ancient world, and Damaris believed."
"Named alongside Dionysius the Areopagite — a woman and a member of the Areopagus court, equally counted as believers."
📖 In the Text
Chapters of the reading Bible where this entry is linked.