Dionysius Exiguus' Easter table
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Dionysius Exiguus’ easter table is the easter table which was constructed about the year 520 by Dionysius Exiguus. He obtained his easter table (concerning the years 532 up to and including 626) by using an easter table attributed to patriarch Cyril of Alexandria. That easter table attributed to Cyril (concerning the years 437 up to and including 531) had been obtained around the year 440 by adjusting an easter table obtained by means of extrapolation from Alexandrian easter tables constructed around the year 300 to the Julian calendar. Dionysius Exiguus, for his part, obtained his easter table by means of extrapolation from the easter table attributed to Cyril. The great historical importance of Dionysius Exiguus’ easter table is bipartite: 1 from this very accurate easter table ultimately Beda Venerabilis’ easter cycle could be developed by means of which all future dates of Easter Sunday could be appointed (like in column G of Dionysius’ table); 2 with this easter table Dionysius Exiguus introduced in passing the Christian era (see column A of Dionysius’ table) which would be brought into use as a full system for dating historical events by Beda Venerabilis two centuries later.
