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it is plausible to demand or expect; nor would kings and generals have accepted them in vain, offering up their own children, and beginning the sacrifice, and slaying them, but rather propitiating the wrath and heavy anger of harsh and malignant avengers and glutting in these things the frantic lusts of those who are neither able nor willing to have intercourse with bodies and by means of bodies. But just as Heracles besieged Oechalia for a maiden's sake, so strong and violent demons oftentimes demanding a human soul enclosed in a body bring plagues on cities and barrenness on the land, and stir up wars and seditions, until they take and obtain that for which they long.» 5.4.4 Clearly through these words the aforesaid philosopher has shown that the aforementioned rites were performed for evil demons in all the cities. But if some of these, as they say, were good in nature, or even gods, why was it necessary to worship the wicked, when they ought to have been driven away by the good? 5.4.5 For if indeed they had some good protectors, trusting in these they surely ought to have paid no heed to the worse ones, and to turn away the adverse powers by sober words and prayers, and not by foul language. 5.4.6 But when they did none of these things, but with a shameful and licentious life and with unseemly words, with eating of raw flesh and rendings and human sacrifices supplicated the evil demons, how was it even possible for them, doing such things and performing what was pleasing to the wicked, to be brought into fellowship with the God over all or with the divine powers under Him or with any good beings at all? 5.4.7 But it is manifest to all that he who performs what is dear to the wicked could never become dear to the good. Therefore, not to gods nor 5.4.8 to good demons, but only to the wicked did the aforesaid people render service. And furthermore Plutarch confirms this account in what he says, that the mythical stories about gods are certain accounts about demons, and that the stories of Giants and Titans sung among the Greeks are demonic narratives, 5.4.9 so as to suggest a newer thought. Perhaps, then, such were the things said in the divine Scripture concerning the giants before the flood, and concerning those who begot them, of whom it is said: "And the angels of God, seeing the daughters of men that they were fair, took to themselves wives of all whom they chose"; from whom were born "the giants, the renowned men of 5.4.10 old." For one might say that these are they, and that their spirits were deified among the men who came after, and that their battles and their dissensions against one another and their wars are the subjects of the myths told about the gods. At any rate, Plutarch in the treatise which he composed, "Concerning Isis and the Gods of the Egyptians," says these very words:

5.5.1 5. CONCERNING THE FACT THAT HIDDEN HISTORIES OF DEMONS ARE CONTAINED IN THE

MYTHICAL NARRATIVES TOLD AS IF ABOUT GODS

“Better, therefore, are they who think that the stories told about Typhon and Osiris and Isis are sufferings neither of gods nor of men, but of great demons, whom also Plato and Pythagoras and Xenocrates and Chrysippus, following the ancient theologians, say have become stronger than men and in power greatly surpassing our nature, but possessing the divine not unmixed nor unadulterated, but having it allotted to them combined with the nature of the soul and the perception of the body, susceptible to pleasure and pain, and whatever affections arising from these changes disturb some more, and others less. For there are differences of virtue and vice among demons, as among men. For the stories about Giants and Titans sung among the Greeks, and many lawless deeds, and the opposition of Python to Apollo, and the flights of Dionysus and the wanderings of Demeter, are nothing

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ἀπαιτεῖν ἢ προσδέχεσθαι πιθανόν ἐστιν οὔτε μάτην ἂν ἐδέχοντο βασιλεῖς καὶ στρατηγοί, παῖδας αὑτῶν ἐπιδιδόντες καὶ καταρχόμενοι καὶ σφάττοντες, ἀλλὰ χαλεπῶν καὶ δυστρόπων ὀργὰς καὶ βαρυθυμίας ἀφοσιούμενοι καὶ ἀποπιμπλάντες ἀλαστόρων ἐν τοῖσδε μανικοὺς ἔρωτας, οὐ δυναμένων οὐδὲ βουλομένων σώμασιν καὶ διὰ σωμάτων ὁμιλεῖν. ἀλλ' ὥσπερ Ἡρακλῆς Οἰχαλίαν ἐπολιόρκει διὰ παρθένον, οὕτω πολλάκις ἰσχυροὶ καὶ βίαιοι δαίμονες ἐξαιτούμενοι ψυχὴν ἀνθρωπίνην περιεχομένην σώματι λοιμούς τε πόλεσι καὶ γῆς ἀφορίας ἐπάγουσιν καὶ πολέμους καὶ στάσεις ταράττουσιν, ἄχρι οὗ λάβωσι καὶ τύχωσιν οὗ ἐρῶσιν.» 5.4.4 Σαφῶς διὰ τούτων ὁ προδηλωθεὶς φιλόσοφος ὅτι δαίμοσιν πονηροῖς τὰ προειρημένα κατὰ πάσας τὰς πόλεις ἐπετελεῖτο παρέστησεν. εἰ δὲ καί τινες, ὥς φασιν, ἐν τούτοις ἦσαν ἀγαθοὶ τὴν φύσιν ἢ καὶ θεοί, τί χρῆν θεραπεύειν τοὺς φαύλους, πρὸς τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀπελαύνεσθαι αὐτοὺς δέον; 5.4.5 εἰ γὰρ δή τινες ἦσαν αὐτοῖς ἀγαθοὶ προστάται, τούτοις ἐπιθαρσοῦντας τὸ μηθὲν τῶν χειρόνων χρῆν δήπου φροντίζειν, καὶ διὰ σωφρόνων λόγων τε καὶ εὐχῶν, ἀλλὰ μὴ δι' αἰσχρορρημοσυνῶν τὰς ἐναντίας ἀποτρέπεσθαι δυνά5.4.6 μεις. ὅτε δὲ τούτων μὲν οὐδὲν ἔπραττον, βίῳ δὲ αἰσχρῷ καὶ ἀκολάστῳ καὶ ῥήμασιν ἀσέμνοις ὠμοφαγίαις τε καὶ διασπασμοῖς καὶ ἀνθρωποθυσίαις τοῖς πονηροῖς δαίμοσιν ἐκαθικέτευον, πῶς καὶ δυνατὸν ἦν αὐτοὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα δρῶντας καὶ τὰ τοῖς φαύλοις κεχαρισμένα διαπραττομένους, τῷ ἐπὶ πάντων θεῷ ἢ ταῖς ὑπ' αὐτὸν θείαις δυνάμεσιν ἢ ὅλως ἀγαθοῖς τισι προσοικειοῦ5.4.7 σθαι; ἀλλὰ γὰρ τοῖς πᾶσιν πρόδηλον ὡς ὁ τὰ φίλα τοῖς φαύλοις ἐπιτελῶν οὐκ ἄν ποτε τῶν ἀγαθῶν γένοιτο προσφιλής. οὐκ ἄρα θεοῖς οὐδ' 5.4.8 ἀγαθοῖς δαίμοσιν, μόνοις δὲ τοῖς φαύλοις ἐλάτρευον οἱ δεδηλωμένοι. ἔτι δὲ μᾶλλον τοῦτον πιστοῦται τὸν λόγον ὁ Πλούταρχος ἐν οἷς φησι τὰς μυθικὰς ὡς περὶ θεῶν διηγήσεις λόγους εἶναί τινας περὶ δαιμόνων τά τε παρ' Ἕλλησιν ᾀδόμενα γιγαντικά τινα καὶ Τιτανικὰ δαιμονικὰ εἶναι διηγήματα, 5.4.9 ὡς καινοτέραν ὑποβάλλειν διάνοιαν. μήποτε ἄρα τοιαῦτα ἦν τὰ περὶ τῶν πρὸ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ γιγάντων ἐν τῇ θείᾳ γραφῇ λεγόμενα τά τε περὶ τῶν τούτους γεγεννηκότων, περὶ ὧν εἴρηται· «ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ ἄγγελοι τοῦ θεοῦ τὰς θυγατέρας τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅτι καλαί εἰσιν, ἔλαβον ἑαυτοῖς γυναῖκας ἐκ πασῶν ὧν ἐξελέξαντο»· ἀφ' ὧν ἐγεννήθησαν «οἱ γίγαντες οἱ ὀνομαστοὶ ἐξ 5.4.10 αἰῶνος». εἴποι γὰρ ἄν τις τούτους ἐκείνους εἶναι καὶ τὰ ἐκείνων πνεύματα παρὰ τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα ἀνθρώποις τεθεοποιημένα καὶ τὰς ἐκείνων μάχας τάς τε πρὸς ἀλλήλους διαστάσεις καὶ τοὺς πολέμους ταῦτ' εἶναι τὰ ὡς περὶ θεῶν μυθευόμενα. λέγει δ' οὖν ὁ Πλούταρχος ἐν ᾧ συνέταξεν λόγῳ «Περὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἶσιν καὶ τοὺς Αἰγυπτίων θεοὺς» αὐτοῖς ῥήμασιν ταῦτα· 5.5.1 εʹ. ΠΕΡΙ ΤΟΥ ΛΑΝΘΑΝΟΥΣΑΣ ∆ΑΙΜΟΝΩΝ ΠΕΡΙΕΧΕΙΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑΣ ΤΑΣ

ΜΥΘΙΚΑΣ ΩΣ ΠΕΡΙ ΘΕΩΝ ∆ΙΗΓΗΣΕΙΣ «Βέλτιον οὖν οἱ τὰ περὶ Τυφῶνα καὶ Ὄσιριν καὶ Ἶσιν ἱστορούμενα μήτε θεῶν πάθη μήτε ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ δαιμόνων μεγάλων εἶναι νομίζοντες, οὓς καὶ Πλάτων καὶ Πυθαγόρας καὶ Ξενοκράτης καὶ Χρύσιππος, ἑπόμενοι τοῖς πάλαι θεολόγοις, ἐρρωμενεστέρους ἀνθρώπων λέγουσι γεγονέναι καὶ πολὺ τῇ δυνάμει τὴν φύσιν ὑπερφέροντας ἡμῶν, τὸ δὲ θεῖον οὐκ ἀμιγὲς οὐδὲ ἄκρατον ἔχοντας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ψυχῆς φύσει καὶ σώματος αἰσθήσει συνειληχὸς ἡδονὴν δεχομένῃ καὶ πόνον καὶ ὅσα ταύταις γινόμενα ταῖς μεταβολαῖς πάθη τοὺς μὲν μᾶλλον, τοὺς δ' ἧττον ἐπιταράττει. γίνονται γὰρ ὡς ἐν ἀνθρώποις καὶ δαίμοσιν ἀρετῆς διαφοραὶ καὶ κακίας. τὰ γὰρ γιγαντικὰ καὶ Τιτανικὰ παρ' Ἕλλησιν ᾀδόμενα καὶ πολλαί τινες ἄθεσμοι πράξεις καὶ Πυθῶνος ἀντιτάξεις πρὸς Ἀπόλλωνα φυγαί τε ∆ιονύσου καὶ πλάναι ∆ήμητρος οὐδὲν