δαίμων, ονος,
vocative δαίμων [
Refs 5th c.BC+], ὁ, ἡ,
god, goddess, of individual gods or goddesses, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐμίσγετο δαίμονι δαίμων, of Φιλίη and Νεῖκος, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]:—but more frequently of
the Divine power (while θεός denotes a God in person),
the Deity,[
Refs 8th c.BC+]; πρὸς δαίμονα against
the Divine power, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; κατὰ δαίμονα, almost, ={τύχῃ}, by
chance, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἄμαχος δ, i. e. Destiny, [
Refs 5th c.BC+] what
the Gods ordain, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
2)
the power controlling the destiny of individuals: hence, one's
lot or
forlune, δτυγερὸς δέ οἱ ἔχραε δ. [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; δαίμονα δώσω I will deal thee
fate, i.e. kill thee, [
Refs]; frequently in Trag. of
good or
ill fortune, ὅταν ὁ δ. εὐροῇ [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; personified as
the good or
evil genius of a family or person, δ. τῷπλεισθενιδῶν [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II) δαίμονες, οἱ,
souls of men of the golden age, acting as tutelary deities, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; τὸν τὲ δ. Δαρεῖον ἀγκαλεῖσθε, of the deified Darius, [
Refs 4th c.BC+]; νῦν δ᾽ ἐστὶ μάκαιρα δ, of Alcestis, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: later, of
departed souls, [
Refs 2nd c.AD+]; δαίμοσιν εὐσεβέσιν, =
Dis Manibus, [
Refs]; so θεοὶ δ, [
Refs]
ghost, [
Refs 2nd c.AD+]
II.2) generally,
spiritual or
semi-divine being inferior to the Gods, [
Refs 1st c.AD+]; especially
evil spirit, demon, [
NT+1st c.AD+]; δαίμονος ἔσοδος εἰς τὸν ἄνθρωπον, [
Refs 2nd c.AD+]
II.3) ἀγαθὸς δ.
the Good Genius to whom a toast was drunk after dinner, [
Refs 5th c.BC+], etc; of Nero, ἀ. δ. τῆς οἰκουμένης [
Refs]; of the Nile, ἀ. δ. ποταμός[
Refs 1st c.AD+]; of the tutelary genius of individuals (above 1), ἀ. δ. Ποσειδωνίου [
Refs] = Latin
Di Manes, [
Refs 4th c.AD+]
B) ={δαήμων},
knowing, δ. μάχης
skilled in fight, [
Refs 7th c.BC+], suggests this as the originally sense; while others would write δαήμονες in [
Refs 7th c.BC+], and get rid of this sense altogether; compare however αἵμων. More probably the Root of δαίμων (
deity) is δαίω
to distribute destinies;;[
Refs 7th c.BC+]