Porphyry of Tyre #5: Daemons and Barbarian Wisdom

The greater part of what we have of On the Philosophy to be derived from Oracles is what Eusebius quotes from it in his Preparation of the Gospel (also known as the Praeparatio Evangelica), a comprehensive polemic against paganism, which he tries to refute by showing how it came to be. Fragments of several other important works are also preserved in the Preparation, alongside Eusebius‘ partisan commentary, and I recommend browsing E.H. Gifford’s translation, which shows its age (it was published in 1903), but still opens a window into a range of interesting texts that are rarely discussed.

This post, and the next two, will be largely made up of a collection of all the fragments scattered across the Praeparatio, stripped of Eusebius‘ extraneous comments. (Where Eusebius’ words needed to be included, they are in italics.) The translation is largely Gifford’s, and changes are clearly marked. The order of the fragments will not follow the numbering in Smith’s edition (which attempts to reproduce that in Porphyry’s original work). Instead, I will arrange them according to thematic headings, beginning with topics that were already touched on the previous posts:

• (1) non-Greek wisdom and (2) daemons for this post (#5);
• (3) summoning the gods, (4) Divination, (5) Christianity for the next (#6).
• The last (#7) post will be on topics unique to the Eusebian fragments: (6) the god’s descriptions of themselves, (7) worship, (8) other rituals.

At the end of each section, there will be a short review of the import of the fragments. Finally, in the conclusion (in #7), I give a brief summary about Porphyry’s pre-Plotinian views of ritual practice.

(1a) Barbarian Wisdom

323F Smith (Praep. 9.10)

It is his Apollo who speaks as follows in an oracle which he is uttering; and while still explaining the subject of sacrifices, he adds words which are well worthy of attention, as being full of all [theosophy]:

“Steep is the road and rough that leads to heaven,  Entered at first through portals bound with brass.  Within are found innumerable paths,  Which for the endless good of all mankind  They first revealed, who Nile's sweet waters drink.  From them the heavenward paths Phoenicia learned,  Assyria, Lydia, and the Hebrew race;” 

and so forth; on which the author further remarks:

323F [Praep. 9.10]

For the road to the gods is bound with brass, and both steep and rough; the barbarians discovered many paths thereof, but the Greeks went astray, and those who already held it even perverted it. The discovery was ascribed by the god to Egyptians, Phoenicians, Chaldeans (for these are the Assyrians), Lydians, and Hebrews. 

In addition to this Apollo also says in another oracle:

“Only Chaldees and Hebrews wisdom found

In the pure worship (sebazomenoi agnôs) of a self-born God (autogenethlon anakta… theon, ‘self-born king… god’).”

And being asked again, for what reason men speak of many heavens, he gave the following response:

“One circle girds the world on every side,

In seven zones rising to the starlit paths:
These, in their sevenfold orbits as they roll,
Chaldees and far-famed Hebrews ‘heavens’ surnamed.”

(1b) Review of the fragments on Barbarian Wisdom

These fragments show us the context of Porphyry’s appreciation of “Hebrew wisdom”, which Augustine thought must logically lead to a rejection of paganism. If Porphyry had really thought that the wisdom of the Phoenicians was greater than that of the Greeks, one wonders why he – a Phoenician himself – did not occupy himself with learning the Phoenician language. This would still have been quite possible at this time, as it continued to be spoken in North Africa, even if it was extinct in his native Tyre. At the very least, he might have spent more time with the spoken language of the Phoenicians, that is, with Aramaic/Syriac. But there are some indications that Porphyry could not even read Aramaic: e.g., he cites the Phoenician Sanchuniathon and the Syrian Bardesanes in pre-existing Greek translations, rather than from their original Aramaic. The search for barbarian authorities, then, is a real reception of non-Greek ideas, but in a fundamentally Greek context.

One note on the mention of “Chaldaeans”: as Porphyry notes, these are the Assyrians (or rather, the Chaldaeans or Babylonians were a people closely related to the Assyrians), not the authors of the Chaldaean Oracles. The source for a plural ‘heavens’ is probably the Hebrew Bible in the case of the Jews, and Greek translations of Babylonian astrological manuals in the case of the Chaldaeans. Since ‘heaven’ is also a synonym for ‘cosmos’ in Greek, I would suggest that “cosmoses” in the hymn to the Father cited in part #3 is an inventive use of this Hebraism.

(2a) Daemons

326F (Praep. 4.22) – Rituals of propitiation and purification concern daemons

And who the power presiding over [the daemons] happens to be, shall be made clear by the same author again, who says that the rulers of the wicked daemons are Sarapis and Hecate; but the sacred scripture says Beelzebul. Hear then how he writes on this point in his book Of the Philosophy to be derived from Oracles:

But it is not without reason that we suspect the wicked (ponêrous) daemons to be subject to Sarapis, nor from being persuaded only by the symbols, but because all the sacrifices for propitiating (ta meiligmata) or averting their influence (ta toutôn apotropaia) are offered to Pluto, as we showed in the first book. But this god is the same as Pluto (ho autos tôi Ploutôni), and for this reason especially rules over the daemons, and grants tokens for driving them away.

It was he then who made known to his suppliants how they gain access to men in the likeness of animals of all kinds; whence among the Egyptians also, and the Phoenicians, and generally among those who are wise in divine things, thongs are violently cracked in the temples, and animals are dashed against the ground before worshipping the gods, the priests thus driving away these daemons by giving them the breath or blood of animals, and by the beating of the air, in order that on their departure the presence of the god may be granted.

Every house also is full of them, and on this account, when they are going to call down (katakalôsin) the gods, they purify the house first (prokathairousin), and cast these daemons out (ekballousi). Our bodies also are full of them, for they especially delight in certain kinds of food. So when we are eating they approach and sit close to our body; and this is the reason of the purifications (haigneiai), not chiefly on account of the gods, but in order that these evil daemons may depart. But most of all they delight in blood and in impure meats, and enjoy these by entering into those who use them.

For universally the vehemence of the desire towards anything, and the impulse of the lust of the spirit, is intensified from no other cause than their presence: and they also force men to fall into inarticulate noises and flatulence by sharing the same enjoyment with them.

For where there is a drawing in of much breath, either because the stomach has been inflated by indulgence, or because eagerness from the intensity of pleasure breathes much out and draws in much of the outer air, let this be a clear proof to you of the presence of such spirits (pneumatôn) there. So far human nature ventures to investigate the snares that are set about it: for when the deity (ho theos) enters in, the breathing (pneuma) is much increased.

327F (Praep. 4.23) – Sarapis and Hecate rule over daemons of three elements

Are not these perhaps they over whom Sarapis rules, and whose symbol is the three-headed dog, that is the wicked daemon in the three elements, water, earth, air: these are restrained by the god, who has them under his hand. But Hecate also rules them, as holding the threefold elements (to tristoichon) together.

328F (Praep. 4.23) – Hecate announces herself

After quoting yet one oracle, composed by Hecate herself, I will bring my account of her to an end.

“Lo! here the virgin, who in changing forms
Runs forth o'er highest heaven, with bovine face,
Three-headed, ruthless, arm'd with shafts of gold,
Chaste Phoebe, Ilithyia, light of men;
Of nature's elements the triple sign,
In ether manifest in forms of fire,
Upon the air in shining car I sit,
While earth in leash holds my black brood of whelps.”

After these verses the author plainly states who the whelps are; namely, that they are the wicked daemons, of whom we have just ceased speaking. So much then for these statements.

329F (Praep. 4.19) – Ransom to the daemon before a god can appear

So when the prophet was eager to see the deity (to theion) with his own eyes, and was urgent, Apollo said that such a thing was impossible before giving ransom to the wicked (ponêrôi) daemon. And these are his words:

“To the [holy inhabitant (oikêtori semnô)]* of thy fatherland
Bring thou, for ransom meet, libations (khoas) first,
Then fragrant incense (pyrên), and dark blood of grapes,
With rich milk from the mothers of thy flock.”

(*this destroys the meter, but Gifford’s translation is too free.)

Again, he spake more plainly on the same subject:

“Bring wine and milk, and water crystal-clear,
Holm boughs and acorns, and in order lay
The entrails, and the rich libations pour (spende).”

But when asked what prayer should be used he began, but, did not finish, speaking thus: 

“O daemon, crowned king (diadêma lelonkhôs) of erring souls
Beneath dark (êeriôn, 'misty') caves, and on the earth above----”

307F (Praep. 5.5) – Pan, a daemon of Dionysus, was stopped by Artemis

In other cases also ere now some were shown to be servants (theraphontes) of certain gods, as Pan of Dionysos: and this has been made clear by Apollo of Branchidae in the following verses. For nine persons were found dead; and when the inhabitants of the country district inquired the cause, the god made answer: 

“Lo! where the golden-horned Pan
In sturdy Dionysos' train (Diônusou therapôn)
Leaps o'er the mountains' wooded slopes!
His right hand holds a shepherd's staff,
His left a smooth shrill-breathing pipe,
That charms the gentle wood-nymph's (Nymphêsi, ‘nymphs’) soul (thumon).
But at the sound of that strange song
Each startled woodsman dropp'd his axe,
And all in frozen terror gaz'd
Upon the Daemon's frantic course.
Death's icy hand had seiz'd them all,
Had not the huntress Artemis (Artemis Agroterê)
In anger stay'd his furious might.
To her address thy prayer for aid.”

(2b) Review of the fragments on Daemons

In these fragments, we see Porphyry’s understanding of daemons further fleshed out. First of all, we hear of a named daemon (Pan), who is depicted as a violent being whose rage can be stopped by the gods, as well as by prayer to the gods. Porphyry wants us to be anxious about these spirits – who we now understand are called spirits (pneumata) because they are aerial –, because they are everywhere, and obstruct the presence of the gods. Large parts of ritual really serve to distract or pacify the daemons so that the gods can be worshipped or can even visibly appear to the prophet, i.e. the priest/diviner.

On the other hand, it is not as if Porphyry were telling his contemporaries that they need to start performing all kinds of rituals to shield themselves from daemons: unknowingly, they were already doing so when they thought they were propitiating and averting the wrath of the celestial gods. This, he seems to have thought, cannot be for the sake of the gods themselves, if they are the causes of good things alone, as Plato had taught.

For more on Artemis the Hunter, see my posts on Hunting Lore, especially those on Xenophon and on Arrian.

As for why Hecate has triple forms on earth, in the air, and in the fiery ether, while her daemons are of the earth, water, and air: this is not so inconsistent as it seems at first, since the beings of the realm of fire/ether (above the moon) were generally held to be incorruptible (hence could not be wicked daemons), and Hecate is rarely (never?) connected to the water.