An Anonymous Oracle Concerning Dæmons

[sdi]

Double are the daemons in man—and double are their
tribes: they wander over the ever-flourishing earth
to stand with human beings, by Zeus' rule.
Zeus indeed is the giver of all things, both good and bad—
he defines too the time of life for those being born,
mingling mortal bodies with things both foul and fair.​
Those daemons—whoever should associate with them by his wisdom,
and achieve an understanding of what deeds they take delight in—
he would surpass everyone in intelligence and noble deeds,
winning noble gifts from a noble giver and fleeing from the foul.

[John Lydus, De Mensibus IV ci, as translated by Mischa Hooker. Lydus attributes this verse to "the oracle," usually assumed to the Chaldean Oracles [cf. 215 in Majercik], but this is doubtful as the Chaldean Oracles are stylistically different; never call Zeus bad; and further call good dæmons, "angels," and bad dæmons, "dæmons."]

Comments

[sdi]

Lydus also summarizes the general Platonic teachings about dæmons in his discussion of the month of February:

"For the sublunar race of dæmons​ is divided into three parts, according to Iamblichus [cf. On the Mysteries II v]: The earthly part of it is punitive, the aerial part is purificatory, and the one near the orbit of the moon is salvific; we also know of this one as "heroic." It is said that this whole race is led by a certain very great dæmon—and this would pretty clearly be Pluto, as Iamblichus likewise says. [...] The Egyptian Hermes, in what is called his "Perfect Discourse"​ [e.g. the Asclepius] says that the punitive dæmons, being present in matter, exact vengeance from humanity in accordance with our deserts. The purificatory dæmons, being fixed in the air, purify the souls which are attempting after death to ascend, around the hail-filled and fiery zones of the air—which the poets (and Plato himself in the Phædo [cf. 112–4]) call Tartarus and Pyriphlegethon.​ And the salvific dæmons, being arrayed near the moon's region, save souls."