Daemons In De Genio Socratis By Iamblichus

Since daemons deals with ancient mythology, there are many different interpretations of what a daemon is. An example of these different interpretations can be found in these three articles, De Genio Socratis by Plutarch, De Mysteriis by Iamblichus, and De Deo Socratis by Apuleius. Each one of the articles describes daemons differently, while maintaining the same overall idea of what a daemons is. One gives daemons a God like feel, while another says that daemon take control of the human soul by pain. Differences aside, they all deal with the human soul and that daemons are capable of affecting any human. These differences come from perceptions of events that they think deal with daemons. While these three articles have different views on

In De Deo Socratis the daemons are in between the Gods and humans and that they are more guardians like. They are a way for people to communicate with the Gods. Apuleius talks about daemons as “they are sorts of interpreters and messengers for both side.” Both sides being the Gods and the humans, they also live between the Gods and humans. Apuleius says that “daemones possess both a modicum of weight, so that they do not ascent to the supernal regions, and some lightness, so that they do not fall to the infernal ones.” (Apuleius) In contrast, in De Genio Socratis they seem to be presented as more mortal like, closer to humans than Gods. Daemons are inside and almost take over the human soul. Plutarch gives the example of a husband who is controlled by this daemon, he says that the daemon replaces the “willful pleasures” for “remorse and shame” until the soul becomes obedient to the daemons (Plutarch 6). This is strikingly different than the description that Apuleius gives with the daemons being “one’s own guardian, a unique overseer … a personal supervisor…” (Apuleius) While in De Mysteriis, the daemons are more God like. Iamblichus saying the daemon “stands as a model for us even before the souls descend into generation.” (Iamblichus 335) What Iamblichus says shows that daemons are a guide of what the human soul should be like, giving it more of a God like approach. Iamblichus also mentions that this daemon has different forms and can appear different times to guide us. This also gives the daemon a God like feel because it doesn’t take a true form, and the daemon gives a guide of how we should