Abbot Dionysius made his calculations before the concept of year 0 was invented.

ECONOMIST: Late for the date

According to the Pope, Christ was born years earlier than Dionysius Exiguus - Dennis the Small in English - had thought.

BBC: Quiz of the week's news

It was in the sixth century that Dionysius Exiguus, now famous for creating the Christian millennium, turned the church's attention away from gazing at the crucifixion to pondering the birth of its victim.

BBC: Tall tales and pantomime