The darkness the engulfed the world at the time of the crucifixion was recorded by Apollophanes. He was a fellow student with Dionysius at Heliopolis and reported that, upon the occurrence of the unexpected (miraculous) solar eclipse Dionysius exclaimed "Either the God of nature is suffering, or the fabric of the world is breaking up."

History of the Christian Church by Philip Schaff, David Schley Schaff, page 600