Agathos Daimon (ἀγαθός δαίμων, agathós daímōn, lit.'noble spirit')[a] originally was a lesser deity (daemon) of classical ancient Greek religion and Graeco-Egyptian religion. In his original Greek form, he served as a household god, to whom, along with Zeus Soter, libations were made after a meal. In later (post-)Ptolemaic antiquity he took on two partially distinct roles; one as the Agathos Daimon a prominent serpentine civic god, who served as the special protector of Alexandria. The other as a genus of serpentine household gods, the Agathoi Daimones, individual protectors of the homes in which they were worshipped.[1]
Agathos Daimon
Fertility, grain, health
Agathos Daimon wearing a pschent, the double crown of Egypt, holding a thyrsus (left) and a caduceus (right)
Agathos Daimon was attested in domestic context in Greece as early as the fifth century BC, and yet he was typically not represented there in the form of a snake, as opposed to in Alexandria, where he was abundantly so represented.[2]
"His origin in Alexandria is a matter of dispute, with two conflicting views either painting Agathos Daimon as a Greek cultural importation later identified with Serapis and with Egyptian gods Šai (Shai), Knephis (Kneph), Khnum, Soknopis,[3] or as a Hellenized native Egyptian household god.[4] Quaegebeur points out the near absence of Greek sources of the Ptolemaic age for the cult of Agathos Daimon, contrasted with the abundance of Egyptian attestations of the god Šai in this age and the poignant evidence of the Oracle of the Potter ..."[5]
The Oracle of the Potter, an Egyptian nationalistic text, predicted the coming doom of Alexandria, with the local gods Knephis (also often represented as a serpent) and Agathos Daimon leaving the city for Memphis, and the defeat of the Macedonian invaders, and their 'age of chaos'.
Greek classical period
Though he is noted in Greek mythology (Pausanias conjectured that the name was merely an epithet of Zeus),[6] it was customary to drink or pour out a few drops of unmixed wine to honor the Agathos Daimon after a meal.[7][8] In Aristophanes' Peace, when War has trapped Peace (Εἰρήνη Eirene) in a deep pit, Hermes comes to give aid: "Now, oh Greeks! is the moment when, freed of quarrels and fighting, we should rescue sweet Eirene and draw her out of this pit... This is the moment to drain a cup in honor of the Agathos Daimon." A temple dedicated to them was situated on the road from Megalopolis to Maenalus in Arcadia.[9]
Agathos Daimon was the spouse or companion of Tyche Agathe (Τύχη Ἀγαθή, "Good Fortune"). "Tyche we know at Lebadeia as the wife of the Agathos Daimon, the Good or Rich Spirit".[10][11] Their numinous presence could be represented in art as a serpent or more concretely as a young man bearing a cornucopia and a bowl in one hand, and a poppy and an ear of grain in the other.[10]
In Egypt, a similar deity was Shai, who was known as the god of fate. His worship went back as far as the time of Akhenaten in the New Kingdom.
Egyptian late antiquity
Coin of Antoninus Pius, 160 AD from Alexandria, Egypt. On the reverse to the left, a serpent portrayal of Agathodaimon; to the right, a portrayals of an Uraeus serpent.
In the syncretic atmosphere of late Antiquity, agathodaemons could be bound up with Egyptian bringers of security and good fortune: a gem carved with magic emblems bears the images of Serapis with crocodile, sun-lion and Osiris mummy surrounded by the lion-headed snake Chnum–Agathodaemon–Aion, with Harpocrates on the reverse.[13]
^Sometimes written as Agathodaemon (Ancient Greek: ἀγαθοδαίμων, agathodaímōn)
References
^Ogden, Daniel (2013). Drakōn : dragon myth and serpent cult in the Greek and Roman worlds. Oxford University Press. pp. 286–309. ISBN978-0-19-955732-5. OCLC 837855776.
^Krzysztof Nawotka, The Alexander Romance by Ps.-Callisthenes: A Historical Commentary, [2017], pp.106-8; (cited in earlywritings.com, 2023)
^For this view see: Fraser, P.M. 1972. Ptolemaic Alexandria, Vols i–iii. Oxford. i, 209–212
^Quaegebeur, J. 1975. Le dieu égyptien Shaï dans la religion et l’onomastique. Leuven. pp. 170–176
^Krzysztof Nawotka, The Alexander Romance by Ps.-Callisthenes: A Historical Commentary, [2017], pp.106-8; (cited in earlywritings.com, 2023)
Harrison, Jane Ellen (1922). Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion (3rd ed.). pp. 355–ff, 543.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Agathodaimon.
April 11, 2024
agathodaemon, this, article, about, greek, daemon, other, uses, this, name, disambiguation, agathos, daimon, ἀγαθός, δαίμων, agathós, daímōn, noble, spirit, originally, lesser, deity, daemon, classical, ancient, greek, religion, graeco, egyptian, religion, ori. This article is about the Greek daemon For other uses of this name see Agathodaemon disambiguation Agathos Daimon ἀga8os daimwn agathos daimōn lit noble spirit a originally was a lesser deity daemon of classical ancient Greek religion and Graeco Egyptian religion In his original Greek form he served as a household god to whom along with Zeus Soter libations were made after a meal In later post Ptolemaic antiquity he took on two partially distinct roles one as the Agathos Daimon a prominent serpentine civic god who served as the special protector of Alexandria The other as a genus of serpentine household gods the Agathoi Daimones individual protectors of the homes in which they were worshipped 1 Agathos DaimonFertility grain healthAgathos Daimon wearing a pschent the double crown of Egypt holding a thyrsus left and a caduceus right Major cult centreAlexandria EgyptAnimalsSnakesSymbolHorn of PlentyDay2 February Gregorian 25 Tybi Egyptian GenderMaleConsortTyche AgatheEquivalentsPre Ptolemaic Egyptian equivalentShai Contents 1 Early history 2 Greek classical period 3 Egyptian late antiquity 4 See also 5 Footnotes 6 References 7 Bibliography 8 External linksEarly historyAgathos Daimon was attested in domestic context in Greece as early as the fifth century BC and yet he was typically not represented there in the form of a snake as opposed to in Alexandria where he was abundantly so represented 2 His origin in Alexandria is a matter of dispute with two conflicting views either painting Agathos Daimon as a Greek cultural importation later identified with Serapis and with Egyptian gods Sai Shai Knephis Kneph Khnum Soknopis 3 or as a Hellenized native Egyptian household god 4 Quaegebeur points out the near absence of Greek sources of the Ptolemaic age for the cult of Agathos Daimon contrasted with the abundance of Egyptian attestations of the god Sai in this age and the poignant evidence of the Oracle of the Potter 5 The Oracle of the Potter an Egyptian nationalistic text predicted the coming doom of Alexandria with the local gods Knephis also often represented as a serpent and Agathos Daimon leaving the city for Memphis and the defeat of the Macedonian invaders and their age of chaos Greek classical periodThough he is noted in Greek mythology Pausanias conjectured that the name was merely an epithet of Zeus 6 it was customary to drink or pour out a few drops of unmixed wine to honor the Agathos Daimon after a meal 7 8 In Aristophanes Peace when War has trapped Peace Eἰrhnh Eirene in a deep pit Hermes comes to give aid Now oh Greeks is the moment when freed of quarrels and fighting we should rescue sweet Eirene and draw her out of this pit This is the moment to drain a cup in honor of the Agathos Daimon A temple dedicated to them was situated on the road from Megalopolis to Maenalus in Arcadia 9 Agathos Daimon was the spouse or companion of Tyche Agathe Tyxh Ἀga8h Good Fortune Tyche we know at Lebadeia as the wife of the Agathos Daimon the Good or Rich Spirit 10 11 Their numinous presence could be represented in art as a serpent or more concretely as a young man bearing a cornucopia and a bowl in one hand and a poppy and an ear of grain in the other 10 nbsp Copper statuette of the god Sarapis Amun Agathodaemon National Archaeological Museum AthensAgathos Daimon was also identified with Zeus Meilichios as well as with Serapis 12 In Egypt a similar deity was Shai who was known as the god of fate His worship went back as far as the time of Akhenaten in the New Kingdom Egyptian late antiquity nbsp Coin of Antoninus Pius 160 AD from Alexandria Egypt On the reverse to the left a serpent portrayal of Agathodaimon to the right a portrayals of an Uraeus serpent In the syncretic atmosphere of late Antiquity agathodaemons could be bound up with Egyptian bringers of security and good fortune a gem carved with magic emblems bears the images of Serapis with crocodile sun lion and Osiris mummy surrounded by the lion headed snake Chnum Agathodaemon Aion with Harpocrates on the reverse 13 See alsoCacodaemon Eudaemon GeniusFootnotes Sometimes written as Agathodaemon Ancient Greek ἀga8odaimwn agathodaimōn References Ogden Daniel 2013 Drakōn dragon myth and serpent cult in the Greek and Roman worlds Oxford University Press pp 286 309 ISBN 978 0 19 955732 5 OCLC 837855776 Krzysztof Nawotka The Alexander Romance by Ps Callisthenes A Historical Commentary 2017 pp 106 8 cited in earlywritings com 2023 For this view see Fraser P M 1972 Ptolemaic Alexandria Vols i iii Oxford i 209 212 Quaegebeur J 1975 Le dieu egyptien Shai dans la religion et l onomastique Leuven pp 170 176 Krzysztof Nawotka The Alexander Romance by Ps Callisthenes A Historical Commentary 2017 pp 106 8 cited in earlywritings com 2023 Pausanias Description of Greece viii 36 3 Martin P Nilsson Greek Folk Religion Columbia University Press 1981 33 70 73 Fraser Peter M 1972 Ptolemaic Alexandria Vol I Oxford Claredon Press p 210 Schmitz Leonhard 1867 Agathodaemon in Smith William ed Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology vol 1 Boston p 65 archived from the original on 2005 10 26 retrieved 2008 05 05 a href Template Citation html title Template Citation citation a CS1 maint location missing publisher link a b Chisholm 1911 p 371 Harrison 1922 pp 355 ff 543 Joao Pedro Feliciano 2016 The Agathos Daimon in Greco Egyptian religion The Hermetic Tablet The Journal of Ritual Magic 3 2016 171 92 Illustrated in W Fauth Helios Megistos zur synkretistischen Theologie der Spatantike Leiden Brill 1995 85 nbsp This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Agathodaemon Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 1 11th ed Cambridge University Press p 371 BibliographyHarrison Jane Ellen 1922 Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion 3rd ed pp 355 ff 543 External links nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Agathodaimon Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Agathodaemon amp oldid 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