daimoneiksi

Daimon (or daimon, daimonion) is a term used in ancient Greek religion and philosophy. It refers to a divine or semi-divine being, a spirit, or a guiding force. Unlike the modern English word "demon," which carries a negative connotation, the ancient Greek daimon was often neutral or even benevolent.

The concept of the daimon appears in various contexts. In Homeric epics, it can refer to gods or a divine influence. In the philosophy of Plato, the daimon is an individual's inner spirit or guiding voice, a sort of personal divine attendant that offers moral guidance. Socrates famously spoke of his own daimonion, which he described as a divine sign or voice that warned him against certain actions, though it never told him what he should do. This suggests a negative, prohibitive function rather than an active directive one.

Aristotle also discussed daimon, using it to refer to a kind of benevolent spirit or a force that promotes well-being. Later, in Hellenistic and Roman times, the concept evolved and sometimes became associated with lesser deities or spirits, and the term could occasionally be used in ways that approached the modern understanding of a "spirit" or even a "demon," though the neutral or positive sense remained prevalent for much of antiquity. The understanding of what constituted a daimon varied significantly across different philosophical schools and historical periods.