Agathodaemon

Agathos Daimon (also Agathodaimon; Greek: Ἀγαθὸς Δαίμων, Ἀγαθοδαίμων, " good spirit " ) called in Greek antiquity a benevolent deity.

Mythological connections

After the meal, the Agathos Daimon a wine donation was offered. Frequently it occurs in conjunction with Agathe Tyche (Greek Ἀγαθὴ Τύχη " good luck " ) than another hypostasis a blessing formula. As Agathos Daimon also a snake -faceted guardian spirit of the house seems to have been designated.

According to Pausanias, who suspects that Agathos Daimon is actually an epithet of Zeus, the Agathos Daimon, a temple dedicated to lay before the gates of Megalopolis on the road to Maenalos in Arcadia.

Next Pausanias reports, those who wished to consult the oracle of Trophonios in Lebadeia, would have had to spend several days in a Agathos Daimon and the Agathe Tyche consecrated building with preparations for the descent into the oracle cave.

The Greek Alexander Romance is reported that the workers had been frightened by a snake in the construction of Alexandria. Alexander gave the order to kill the snake and to build on the site of a sanctuary. As the sanctuary was completed, numerous snakes would have appeared and slipped into the homes of the temple. These snakes would have been revered as agathoi daimones.

In Ptolemaic Egypt Agathos Daimon was equated with the Egyptian god of fate Schai, which is shown in its animal form as a snake. In addition, in Greco- Roman Egypt was a syncretic combination of Agathos Daimon with the original serpent Kneph.

Book of Sothis

Of these syncretic combinations a line leading to Agathodaimon as a figure of the Hermetic writings: In the Book of Sothis Agathodaimon is listed in the first divine dynasty without a pedigree certificate as the third ruler after Hephaestus and Helios. He was followed by Kronos; also without kinship note.

In the " Ecloga Chronograpica " Georgios Synkellos refers to the "Book of Sothis ", is said to have written the Ptolemy Philadelphus for Manetho. In the meantime, however, was the "Book of Sothis " are identified as counterfeit work, the unknown Jewish and Christian authors wrote. Synkellos comments regarding Agathodaimon: " son of the second Hermes, father of act." The ancient Egyptian god Thoth is titled Synkellos of the first Hermes, the "holy scriptures were translated after the flood in the books of the Agathodaimon ."