Calcidius on Demons: (Commentarius Ch. 127-136)

by Jan den Boeft

80 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 1977

Reviews

[Mateusz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great general overview of comparative post-Platonic demonology in Calcidius. Since I'm inspecting demonological approaches of various cultures and civilizations, for example the Chinese animal hybrid demon provenance; the Akkadian corporae demonology of both demons created by Gods, and "weird chtonic forces that even Ishtar herself did not understand"; all things concerning daimons-as-personal-genii, children of Gods, nigromancy, daimons as angeli bonum etc., that was an enriching lecture, read along with De Deo Socratis of Apuleius - which I highly recommend as a parallel reading. As to epoptika, or a hypophetic act of mystes' or hierophant's (Epopteion) interpretation, I reserve my discoveries to myself. I agree with Calcidius on assigning elements (including Aristotelean Aethyr) to demonic worlds too, as they are aspecting each other (fire demons, air demons, water demons, earth demons - in which elements are generalized philosophical essences with explicatory function, not the Table of Elements as in modern day physics). By and large I commend this for anyone who wants to deepen his knowledge of late antique demonology in Calcidian light.