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WHAT IS THE MANNER OF DEMONIC ACTIVITY “But as many souls as do not have mastery of the coherent spirit, but for the most part are also mastered, for this reason are both led and carried away exceedingly, whenever the passions and desires of the spirit gain momentum; and these souls are themselves also daemons, 4.22.2 and would reasonably be called malevolent. And they are, all of them, both these and those of the opposing power, invisible and completely imperceptible to human senses. For they are not clothed in a solid body nor all in one form, but their forms, both impressing and characterizing their spirit in many shapes, at one time appear, and at another are unseen, 4.22.3 and sometimes even the worse ones change their forms. And the spirit, in so far as it is corporeal, is subject to passion and corruptible; but by being so bound by the souls that their form persists for a longer time, it is certainly not eternal; for it is likely that something of it flows off continuously and is changed. 4.22.4 Therefore, the things of the good ones are in symmetry, just as the bodies of visible things, but those of the evil-doers are asymmetrical, who, allotting more to the passionate part, inhabit the earthly region and attempt to do every evil thing. For having a character altogether violent and treacherous and deprived of the protection from the better daemon, for the most part they make their attacks intense and sudden, like ambushes, in some places trying to be unnoticed, in others using force.” 4.22.5 And he says next in order: “These and similar things they do, wishing to move us from the right conception of the gods and to turn us to themselves. For they themselves rejoice in all things that happen so discordantly and inappropriately, and as if putting on the masks of the other gods they take advantage of our folly, winning over the multitudes by kindling the desires of men with loves and longings for riches and dynasties and pleasures, and vainglory as well, 4.22.6 from which factions and wars arise, and things related to these. But the most terrible thing of all, they ascend from these things and persuade similar things even concerning the greatest gods, to the point of subjecting even the best god to these charges; by which indeed they say all things have been thrown upside down into confusion. But this has been suffered 4.22.7 not only by common people, but also by not a few of those engaged in philosophy. And the cause has come about through one another. For even of the philosophers, those not departing from the common trend have coincided in the same things as the multitudes; and again in turn the multitudes, hearing things from those reputed to be wise that were in accordance with their own opinions, were strengthened 4.22.8 to think such things concerning the gods even more. For the poetic art also further inflamed the assumptions of men by using phrasing crafted for astonishment and enchantment, able both to produce bewitchment and belief in the most impossible things, when it is necessary to be firmly persuaded that neither does the good ever harm nor the evil benefit. For it is not the property of heat, as Plato says, to cool, but of its opposite; nor of coldness to heat, but 4.22.9 of its opposite; so too it is not of the just to harm. And surely the most just by nature of all things is the divine, since otherwise it would not be divine. Therefore it is necessary to cut off this power and portion from the beneficent daemons. For that which is by nature able and willing to harm is opposite to the beneficent; and opposites could never come to be about the same thing.” 4.22.10 And again: “Indeed, through the opposites all sorcery is also accomplished; for these especially and their leader do they honor, those who practice evil things through sorceries. 4.22.11 For they are full of all illusion and able to deceive through wonder-working. Through these do the evil daemons prepare love-potions and charms; for all licentiousness and hope of riches and of glory comes through them, 4.22.12 and especially deceit. For falsehood is proper to them; for they wish to be gods, and their ruling power to seem to be the greatest god. These are they who rejoice “in libation and in savor,” through which things themselves their spiritual and bodily

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ΤΙΣ Ο ΤΡΟΠΟΣ ΤΗΣ ∆ΑΙΜΟΝΙΚΗΣ ΕΝΕΡΓΕΙΑΣ «Ὅσαι δὲ ψυχαὶ τοῦ συνεχοῦς πνεύματος οὐ κρατοῦσιν, ἀλλ' ὡς τὸ πολὺ καὶ κρατοῦνται, διὰ τοῦτο ἄγονταί τε καὶ φέρονται λίαν, ὅταν αἱ τοῦ πνεύματος ὀργαί τε καὶ ἐπιθυμίαι τὴν ὁρμὴν λάβωσιν· αὗται δὲ αἱ ψυχαὶ δαίμονες 4.22.2 μὲν καὶ αὐταί, κακοεργοὶ δ' ἂν εἰκότως λέγοιντο. καί εἰσιν οἱ σύμπαντες, οὗτοί τε καὶ οἱ τῆς ἐναντίας δυνάμεως, ἀόρατοι καὶ τελέως ἀναίσθητοι αἰσθήσεσιν ἀνθρωπίναις. οὐ γὰρ στερεὸν σῶμα περιβέβληνται οὐδὲ μορφὴν πάντες μίαν, ἀλλ' ἢ ἐν σχήμασιν πλείοσιν ἐκτυπούμεναί τε καὶ χαρακτηρίζουσαι τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτῶν αἱ μορφαὶ τοτὲ μὲν ἐπιφαίνονται, τοτὲ δὲ ἀφανεῖς 4.22.3 εἰσιν, ἐνίοτε δὲ καὶ μεταβάλλουσιν τὰς μορφὰς οἵ γε χείρους. τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα, ᾗ μέν ἐστι σωματικόν, παθητικόν ἐστιν καὶ φθαρτόν· τῷ δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ψυχῶν οὕτως δεδέσθαι, ὥστε τὸ εἶδος αὐτῶν διαμένειν πλείω χρόνον, οὐ μήν ἐστιν αἰώνιον· καὶ γὰρ ἀπορρεῖν αὐτοῦ τι συνεχῶς εἰκός ἐστι καὶ τρέπεσθαι. 4.22.4 ἐν συμμετρίᾳ μὲν οὖν τὰ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ὡς καὶ τὰ σώματα τῶν φαινομένων, τῶν δὲ κακοποιῶν ἀσύμμετρα, οἳ πλέον τῷ παθητικῷ νέμοντες τὸν περίγειον τόπον οὐδὲν ὅ τι τῶν κακῶν οὐκ ἐπιχειροῦσιν δρᾶν. βίαιον γὰρ ὅλως καὶ ὕπουλον ἔχοντες ἦθος ἐστερημένον τε τῆς φυλακῆς τῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ κρείττονος δαιμονίου, σφοδρὰς καὶ αἰφνιδίους, οἷον ἐνέδρας, ὡς τὸ πολὺ ποιοῦνται τὰς ἐμπτώσεις, πῆ μὲν λανθάνειν πειρώμενοι, πῆ δὲ βιαζόμενοι.» 4.22.5 Καὶ ἐπιλέγει ἑξῆς· «Ταῦτα δὲ καὶ τὰ ὅμοια ποιοῦσιν μεταστῆσαι ἡμᾶς ἐθέλοντες ἀπὸ τῆς ὀρθῆς ἐννοίας τῶν θεῶν καὶ ἐφ' ἑαυτοὺς ἐπιστρέψαι. πᾶσιν γὰρ τοῖς οὕτως ἀνομολόγως καὶ ἀκαταλλήλως γιγνομένοις αὐτοὶ χαίρουσιν καὶ ὥσπερ ὑποδύντες τὰ τῶν ἄλλων θεῶν πρόσωπα τῆς ἡμετέρας ἀβουλίας ἀπολαύουσιν, προσεταιριζόμενοι τὰ πλήθη διὰ τοῦ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐκκαίειν ἔρωσι καὶ πόθοις πλούτων καὶ δυναστειῶν καὶ ἡδονῶν κενοδοξίαις τε αὖ, 4.22.6 ἐξ ὧν στάσεις καὶ πόλεμοι φύονται καὶ τὰ συγγενῆ τούτων. τὸ δὲ πάντων δεινότατον, ἐπαναβαίνουσιν ἐκ τῶνδε καὶ τὰ ὅμοια ἀναπείθουσιν καὶ περὶ τῶν μεγίστων θεῶν, μέχρι τοῦ καὶ τὸν ἄριστον θεὸν τούτοις τοῖς ἐγκλήμασιν ὑπάγειν· ᾧ δὴ καὶ τεταράχθαι φασὶν πάντ' ἄνω κάτω. πεπόνθασιν δὲ τοῦτο 4.22.7 οὐκ ἰδιῶται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ διατριβόντων οὐκ ὀλίγοι. ἡ δ' αἰτία δι' ἀλλήλων γέγονεν. καὶ γὰρ τῶν φιλοσοφούντων οἱ μὴ ἀποστάντες τῆς κοινῆς φορᾶς εἰς τὰ αὐτὰ τοῖς πλήθεσιν συνέβησαν· καὶ πάλιν αὖ τὰ πλήθη σύμφωνα ταῖς αὑτῶν δόξαις παρὰ τῶν δοκούντων σοφῶν ἀκούοντα ἐπερρώ4.22.8 σθη φρονεῖν ἐπὶ μᾶλλον περὶ τῶν θεῶν τὰ τοιαῦτα. τὸ μὲν γὰρ ποιητικὸν καὶ προσεξέκαυσεν τὰς ὑπολήψεις τῶν ἀνθρώπων τῷ χρῆσθαι φράσει πρὸς ἔκπληξιν καὶ γοητείαν πεποιημένῃ κήλησίν τε ἐμποιῆσαι καὶ πίστιν περὶ τῶν ἀδυνατωτάτων δυναμένῃ, δέον ἐμπέδως πεπεῖσθαι ὅτι οὔτε τὸ ἀγαθὸν βλάπτει ποτὲ οὔτε τὸ κακὸν ὠφελεῖ. οὐ γὰρ θερμότητος, ὥς φησιν Πλάτων, τὸ ψύχειν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἐναντίου οὐδὲ ψυχρότητος τὸ θερμαίνειν, ἀλλὰ 4.22.9 τοῦ ἐναντίου· οὕτως οὐδὲ τοῦ δικαίου τὸ βλάπτειν. δικαιότατον δὲ δήπου φύσει πάντων τὸ θεῖον, ἐπεὶ οὐδ' ἂν ἦν θεῖον. οὐκοῦν ἀποτετμῆσθαι δεῖ ταύτην τὴν δύναμιν καὶ μοῖραν τῶν δαιμόνων τῶν ἀγαθοεργῶν. ἡ γὰρ βλάπτειν πεφυκυῖά τε καὶ βουλομένη ἐναντία τῇ ἀγαθοεργῷ· τὰ δ' ἐναντία περὶ τὸ αὐτὸ οὐκ ἄν ποτε γένοιτο.» 4.22.10 Καὶ αὖθις· «∆ιὰ μέντοι τῶν ἐναντίων καὶ ἡ πᾶσα γοητεία ἐπιτελεῖται· τούτους γὰρ μάλιστα καὶ τὸν προεστῶτα αὐτῶν ἐκτιμῶσιν οἱ τὰ κακὰ διὰ τῶν γοη4.22.11 τειῶν διαπραττόμενοι. πλήρεις γὰρ πάσης φαντασίας καὶ ἀπατῆσαι ἱκανοὶ διὰ τῆς τερατουργίας. διὰ τούτων φίλτρα καὶ ἐρωτικὰ κατασκευάζουσιν οἱ κακοδαίμονες· πᾶσα γὰρ ἀκολασία καὶ πλούτων ἐλπὶς καὶ δόξης διὰ τούτων, 4.22.12 καὶ μάλιστα ἡ ἀπάτη. τὸ γὰρ ψεῦδος τούτοις οἰκεῖον· βούλονται γὰρ εἶναι θεοὶ καὶ ἡ προεστῶσα αὐτῶν δύναμις δοκεῖν θεὸς εἶναι ὁ μέγιστος. οὗτοι οἱ χαίροντες «λοιβῇ τε κνίσῃ τε», δι' ὧν αὐτῶν τὸ πνευματικὸν καὶ σωματικὸν