Classical Association of Canada

"Daimon" as a Force Shaping "Ethos" in Heraclitus

Author(s): Shirley Darcus
Reviewed work(s):
Source: Phoenix, Vol. 28, No. 4 (Winter, 1974), pp. 390-407
Published by: Classical Association of Canada
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1087545 .
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 DAIMON AS A FORCE SHAPING ETHOS IN HERACLITUS

SHIRLEY DARCUS

IN FRAGMENT B119 Heraclitus makes the succinct statement: j0os

A&vOpcnrb This
6aLtov.' occupies a positionof centralimportanceamong the
fragmentsof Heraclitus since it hints at what he conceived the relation-
ship of the human ethosand the Divine to be. The fragmentshows how
man can perceivethe Divine and to what extenthe can do so.
FragmentB119 has most frequentlybeen interpretedas an assertion
that man is responsibleforhis own destiny (= daimon).2Heraclitus is
thoughtto be stating that man is freefromthe influenceof a daimon
which could determinehis fate and is capable by his own character,by
his ethos,of establishingthe course that his life will take. An opposite

'I wishto thankfirsttheCanada CouncilfortheResearchGrantthat enabledme to

workon thisarticleinOxfordandsecond,ProfessorsL. E. Woodburyand R. D. Sullivan
fortheircriticalcomments.The responsibilityforthe viewsexpressedin the article
remainsmyown.The following worksarereferredto byauthors'namesalone:J. Bollack
and H. Wismann, Hiraclite ou la Siparation (Paris 1972); E. Brunius-Nilsson,
AAIMONIE (Uppsala 1955); E. R. Dodds, The Greeksand theIrrational (Berkeley 1951);
G. Francois, Le Polyth/ismeet l'Emploi au Singulier des Mots 9EOE, AAIMON (Diss.,
Paris 1957); D. E. Gerber, The Idea of Fate in the Poetry of Pindar (Diss., Toronto
1959); 0. Gigon,Untersuchungenzu Heraklit(Leipzig 1935); B. A. van Groningen,
"Thbognis,Le PremierLivre,"Nederl.AkWetens72 (1966); W. K. C. Guthrie,A History
of Greek Philosophy (Cambridge 1962- ); W. Jaeger, The Theologyof the Early Greek
Philosophers (Oxford 1947); G. S. Kirk, Heraclitus: The Cosmic Fragments(Cambridge
1954); G. S. Kirk and J. E. Raven, The PreSocraticPhilosophers
(Cambridge1957);
M. Markovich,Heraclitus(Merida, Venezuela 1967); A. Mourelatos,"Heraclitusfr.
114,"
A) P 86 (1965)258-266;0. Thimme, T2II, TPOII02, HO02 (Diss.,Quacken-
briick1935); W. J. Verdenius,Parmenides(Gronigen1942); U. von Wilamowitz-
Moellendorff,Der Glaube der Hellenen (Berlin 1931).
2SeeH. Gomperz,"OberdieurspriinglicheReihenfolge einigerBruchstiicke
Heraklits,"
Hermes58 (1923) 42-44; Thimme48; Gigon110; F. J. Brecht,Heraklit(Heidelberg
1936) 84-85; P. Schmitt,"Geist und Seele," Eranos-Jb13 (1945) 167; M. Pohlenz,
Der hellenischeMensch (G6ttingen1947) 29, 65; Dodds 42, 182; Francois 342;
Kirk and Raven 214; A. Jeannibre,La Pensle d'Hiraclite d'tphgse (Paris 1959) 83,
113; H. Quiring,Heraklit(Berlin1959) 113; P. Wheelwright, Heraclitus(Princeton
1959) 68; A. Lesky,"G6ttlicheund menschliche Motivationim homerischen Epos,"
SBHeidelb 1961.4, 46-47; H. Friinkel, Dichtung und Philosophie des friihen Griechen-
tums2(Munich1962) 447; Guthrie1.482; C. H. Kahn, "A New Look at Heraclitus,"
AmPhil/uar 1 (1964) 200; Marcovich 502; and M. L. West, Early Greek Philosophy
and theOrient(Oxford1971) 154.H. Lloyd-Jones,The7usticeofZeus (Berkeley1971)84,
suggeststhatHeraclitusmakesno innovationin sayingthat "characteris forman a
daimon,-thatis, a god or the dispenserof his fate,"but is echoingtraditionalideas
concerningthe activityof thedaimonthat are alreadyfoundin Homer.Lloyd-Jones
does not,however,discusstherelationshipofethosand daimon.
390

PHOENIx, Vol. 28 (1974) 4.

 DAIMON AND ETHOS IN HERACLITUS 391

view denies that this fragmentdeclares man can determinehis own

destinyand asserts that the fragmentsays ratherthat human initiative
and divine rule are two aspects of the same thing (Verdenius 29-30).
Man can listento the Divine (= Logos) and followit because the Divine
(= daimon) manifestsitselfin his ethos.Neitherview, I think,expresses
the full implicationsof the fragmentwhen viewed in context of the
remainingfragmentsof Heraclitus and of the use of daimonand ethosby
otherwritersof the Archaic Age of Greece.
The presentarticle argues that Heraclitus' choice of the termdaimon
was a precise one and that B119 states that the daimon helps to shape
man's ethos,not that his ethosis equivalent to his daimon. On the one
hand, man cannot act withoutthe daimon and is not thereforeentirely
free.On the other hand, man is not merelya passive beneficiaryof the
daimon's activity.A middle view seems more appropriateto Heraclitus'
thought: i.e., man and daimon togetheract to shape man's ethos.

Ethos in WritersEarlier Than Heraclitus

The way in which ethosand daimon were employed by writersearlier
than Heraclitus sheds light on the meaning of the terms in fragment
B119.3 In the threepassages of Homer whereethosoccurs,it appears only
in the plural and means the "accustomed haunts" of animals (II. 6.511,
15.268; Od. 14.411). Hesiod likewiseuses etheato signifythe "accustomed
abodes" of men (Works and Days 167-168, 222, 524-525; fr. 204.103
Merkelbach-West). Ethea, however, also has for Hesiod an extended
meaningand denotes the "customaryhabits" of men or gods, habits that
are not inborn but can be learned (Works and Days 135-137, 699;
Theogony66-67). In two passages of Hesiod ethosappears in the singular
to describethe "disposition" commonto all women,namelyan brtKXorov
i0o (Worksand Days 67, 78). The several traitsthat characterizewomen's
behaviour can now be describedby this one expression.
Ethos does not occur frequentlyin the lyricpoets.4Solon speaks of the
deLKa... !r bSeTrorTv (24.13-14 D = 36 West); i~Ot refersto the ways in
whichbear6raTare accustomed to act. In the Danae fragmentSimonides
speaks of a child sleepingin a yaXa0tvq44i~e (543.8-9 PMG); here again
the wordethossimplymeans a way of behaviour,in thiscase one suitable
to a young baby.
Theognis provides a largerscope of meaning forethos.In lines 1261-

3For ethossee E. Boisacq, Dictionnaire Atymologique

de la Langue Grecque3(Paris 1938)
218; H. Frisk, GriechischesEtymologischesW~rterbuch1 (Heidelberg 1960) 449, 625;
P. Chantraine, Dictionnaire Atymologiquede la Langue Grecque2 (Paris 1968) 407-408;
Thimme;and J. Schmidt,Ethos(Diss., Leipzig1941).
4lnstancesare foundonlyin Solon,Simonides,Theognis,and Pindar.These passages
are discussedbelow.In Anacreon402a.1-2 (PMG) thereadingis disputed.
392 PHOENIX

1262 he speaks of a person having the X~T'rXtov

t0os of an iKApvos
aYLxrPO0oS
(cf. 1301-1302); in lines 1243-1244 he mentionsa 66Xovtj0os.In both
cases ethosrefersto a specificdispositionwhose natureis revealed by the
adjective thatmodifiesit. In lines963-970 Theognisreveals elementsthat
affectthe ethos:
Lpro7r'bTratiaE7sp, TpiJZ
&P elfls avwpa oa07qvJWs,
6py'yvKallAvO/bV P OLs &av .
Kal rp6brov
iroXXotToLKLf3PXOP
krLKXoropv 0oo EXovTES
Kpblrrov'" pVOIpepOLt
OvupY 4t.pipov.
TroTr 65 r XPOYVO
'K4 atlve7L XpS 0os
OS tTov.

v9V
5'"510
0sea* 450'
VYIOS
adds
Kca y&p 'yc6 yvPc)1sTroXX~v
&p' &~KTbe#-v'
Oi y0Vo^K
&E'X(.
940y alyas rplc KaLdT rdacra ativac

'Opy', AvOpus, and 7pb6rosinfluencea person's ethea,his particular habits,

as well as his dispositionas a whole, his ethos.5In these lines the thumos
exhibitsqualities that "last only fora day" whereasthe ethosseems more
permanentin nature.In the followinglines a flexible gives evidence
of an ethosthat is roKiXov: 6pyt,

4tXovs Kard P rlrpeoe

Ov,v, arvras
w rTrv' kaKTrosrTOLK.XOP
6pyTJvavuttCoryov Exet ....
i.os, (213-214)
is notfoundin Homer.Hesiod mentions the6pyT'ofdrones(Worksand Days
'Opyty
304); herebp'y signifiesthe"temper"or "disposition"of thedrones.This meaningof
6pyj occursfrequently in thelyricpoets; see Semonides7.42(D); Tyrtaeus8.8 (D =
West); Sappho 120.2(LP); Theognis98, 214-215,312, 1059, 1072-1073,1164b,1258;
Pindar Pyth.1.89, 2.77, 4.141, 9.43, Nem. 5.32, Isth. 1.41, 2.35, 5.34, 6.14, fr.70b20
(Snell) and Bacchylidesfr.34.1 (Snell-Maehler). Onlyin HCer 205,Sappho 158.1(LP),
and Theognis1223does 6pyiqsignify"anger." In Alcaeus304 (LP) and Sappho 103.7
(LP) thecontextis notclear.In line964 ofTheognisthewordsignifies the"temper"ofa
person.Cf. van Groningen 83.
'Pvo b6soccursfirstin Archilochus 67 A.7 (D = 128 West) wherethewordsignifies
thepatternofchangein humanaffairs. Cf. DemocritusB266 wheregwO.6os indicatesthe
"pattern"of theatoms.In Anacreon416.2 (PMG), Carmina851b2(PMG) and Adesp.
967 (PMG) AvO6bssignifiesthe "pattern"or "rhythm"of movementin poetry.In
Pindarfr.52i(b)5 (Snell)AvOu6s signifies
"symmetry." In line964 ofTheognis,it means
the"pattern"ofcharactertraitsthattheindividualmayreveal.See W. Jaeger,Paideia:
theIdeals ofGreekCulture, tr.G. Highet,1 (Oxford1945) 125-126;E. Benveniste,"La
Notion de 'Rhythme'dans son Expressionlinguistique,"7PsychNormPath 44 (1951)
401-410; R. Renehan,"The Derivationof AvOe6s,"CP 58 (1963) 36-38, and D. E.
Gerber,Euterpe(Amsterdam1970) 30.
Tp6brosis not foundin Homeror Hesiod. In somepassagesin thelyricpoetsit can
mean "method" or "way": Semonides7.78 (D = West),Pindar01. 8.63, Nem.7.14,
Isth. 6.58, and fr.7 (Snell). In otherpassagesit can signifya musicalstyle: Pindar
01. 3.4, 10.77, 14.17, Pyth.10.38,fr.52b102(Snell) and fr.107b2(Snell).Occasionally
it means"character"or "disposition":Pindar Nem. 1.29 (cf. EpicharmusB17). This
lattermeaningof7p61rosappearsin line964 ofTheognis.
 DAIMON AND ETHOS IN HERACLITUS 393

By modifyinghis to suit the individual whom he encounters,a man

bpyt, of a
will exhibit the results 7roLKIXOov0os; this man's dispositionwill be
such that it will adapt itselfto suit any situation.
If the reading Ovukis correctin line 213,6 thumosemerges both as a
location where a changing6py' is foundand as a part of man that can
express a particular ethos.In line 966, however,the ethosfailed to be
expressed by its thumos:many have an mriKXorov p0os but they conceal
this by exhibitinga thumosthat "lasts only fora day." Thumoscan be a
part of man throughwhichhis ethosis expressed(213), or it can be a part
of a man capable of concealingthe ethos.In lines 1301-1302 thumosand
ethosagain appear to be related:
6~
... OVb
KKal -yvopaOvjbv
.c9pyov EiXwv
4ebyecs, X-TXtoviOos9XPov.
IKTLPvov
Both the thumosand the ethos are marked by negative qualities. In
Theognis the ethosis clearlyrelated to some factorsthatwerethoughtto
compose the human personality(6bpyt, 7pbros,AbvO6s,and Ov6's) but the
relationship is not sharply defined.
In Pindar ethosoccurs in only four passages. In Pythians 4.258 it
appears in the plural with the meaningof "abode" or "dwelling place."
But in Olympians11.19-20 Pindar says that neitherthe foxnor the lion
can change its k4gvis 0os; in Olympians13.13 he says that it is difficult
to
conceal one's avvyyevs ,0oo.In these expressionsethosindicates a disposi-
tion that is innate. Pindar, withhis strongemphasison the importanceof
4va,gclearly believed that a person's accustomed way of acting which
resultsfromhis ethoswas dependenton the nature that he inheritedat
birth. It is significantalso (with referenceto B119 of Heraclitus) that
the Ova itself was apparently influencedby the baLpoWv yeviOXos that
attended a man frombirth(01. 13.104-105). In Pindar it is theOva'(itself
in some way dependent upon the daimon) that determinesthe ethos.
Finally, in Nemeans 8.35-36 Pindar prays that he will be saved from
having a deceitfulethosand that he will walk instead in the "simple
paths of life." This prayersuggeststhat a man's ethoscould change and
become evil and that Zeus could protectthe ethosfromtakingon undesir-
able characteristics.Again the influencethat the gods have in moulding
the ethosis suggested.
It is in the fragmentsof Heraclitus that ethosfirstoccurs among the
Presocratics.AfterHeraclitusit is foundamong themonlyin Empedocles
and Democritus.8In his use of ethosEmpedocles makes explicitthe two
6The variant reading Kbpve (0, all dett.) appears in line 1071. Except for this word
lines 1071-1072 are identical to lines 213-214. Cf. van Groningen82.
7See forexample Ol. 9.100, Pyth. 8.44, Nem. 3.40-42, and 01/.2.10-11.
8Empedocles B17, B28, B110.4-5; Democritus B57, B192.
394 PHOENIX

featuresof ethosthat were less clearlyarticulatedin Hesiod and the lyric

poets. First of all, in fragmentB17 Empedocles says that of the four
elements and Love and Strifeeach has an ethospeculiar to itself. For
Empedocles this ethosclearly correspondsto the physical nature of the
fourelementsand to the type of movementthat the two motive powers
cause. For Hesiod and the lyric poets the ethos (whether
irLKXov,
66Xpov, or lrotKLXov9)
yaXaa0-vbv, signifiesa particulardispositionrevealed in
one's outwardbehaviour.In fragmentB110 Empedocles appears to say'0
that if Pausanias guards the teachingshe has been given, each of these
teachings will grow into an ethos,an "accustomed place" within him,
according to its nature. Here again we have the notion of ethosas an
entityof a particulartype and also the notion(whichappeared in Hesiod,
Theognis, and Pindar) that the ethosis somethingthat can grow and
change.

Daimon in WritersEarlier Than Heraclitus

Daimon is probably derived from the root dai-, "to apportion.""
The term occurs frequentlyin the writersearlier than Heraclitus.'2 In
Homer it is not possible to draw finedistinctionsbetween daimon and
theosbut daimonseems to indicate a being whose characteristicsare less
clearlyapprehendedby men than those of a theos.'3Daimon is oftenused
when the speaker attributessome action to a divine power whose actual
identityhe does not know. Thus, forexample, Menelaus says that Helen
was moved by some daimonwho wishedto give gloryto theTrojans when
she came out to the Wooden Horse (Od. 4.275); Menelaus realized that

*Hesiod Worksand Days 67, Theognis 965; Simonides 543.8-9 (PMG); Theognis 1244;
Theognis 213, 1071.
1OItis not clear what rai7ra refersto in line 3 of B110.
uBoisacq 162; Frisk 1.340-341; and Chantraine 1.246-247 (above, note 3).
1"For daimon see S. E. Bassett, "AAIMMN in Homer," CR 33 (1919) 134-136; W.
Porzig, "AAIMON," IndogermanischeForschungen41 (1923) 169-174; Wilamowitz
1. 356-364; M. Untersteiner,"Il Concetto di AAIMQN in Omero," Atene e Roma 7
(1939) 93-134; G. Patroni, "La Voce AAIMQN in Omero," RAI 1 (1940) 99-104;
P. C. van der Horst, "AAIMMN," Mnemosyne 10 (1941) 61-68; P. Chantraine, "Le
Divin et les Dieux chez Hombre," La Notion du Divin depuis Homre jusqu' d Platon
(Geneva 1954, Fondation Hardt, Entretiens 1) 51-54; Brunius-Nilsson 115-154;
Franvois; M. Detienne, "La'Demonologie' d'Empedocle," REG 72 (1959) 1-17; Gerber;
M. Detienne, La Notionde Daim6n dans le Pythagorisme(Paris 1963) 93-120; M. Nilsson,
Geschichteder GriechischenReligiona1 (Munich 1967) 216-222; and Chantraine (above,
note 3) 1.246-256.
'"Gerber 80, and B. C. Dietrich,Death, Fate and theGods (London 1965) 321-322. This
holds truein most cases but contrastII. 3.420 where the daimon is clearly Aphrodite. So
also in Od. 15.261 and II. 19.188 daimon appears to referto a definiteOlympian deity.
In HCer 300 the daimon is Demeter; in HMer 138, 551 the daimon is Hermes.
 DAIMON AND ETHOS IN HERACLITUS 395

Helen was guided by some divine power but he did not know its precise
identity.'4In contrastto the frequentoccurrenceof daimonin the singu-
lar, daimon in the plural occurs in only threeinstancesin Homer;'5 this
suggeststhat the word was usually employedto signifythe workingof a
single,thoughunidentified,divine power in a specificsituation. In many
passages of Homer the daimon,like the theos,appears as an agent that
assigns a destiny.'6 This connection of daimon with destiny becomes
explicitin Odyssey11.61 wherementionis made of the aiLovosaraa KaK&~
(see also HMer 343). In most instances daimon is that which assigns
destinyratherthan the destinyassigned (cf. Gerber85, Brunius-Nilsson
123). In Iliad 8.166, however, daimon appears to have the extended
meaningof "destiny" itself; Hector says to Diomedes: irpos rot
6awce.'7The arrivalof one's daimonmarksthe fulfilment 6a.Lova
of one's destiny.
This passage foreshadowsinstancesin authorsafterHomer wheredaimon
is seen to have both senses.
In Hesiod the daimonappears forthe firsttimeas a divine beingwhose
powersand positionare explicitlyinferiorto thoseof a theos(Wilamowitz
1.360-361, Gerber84). In Worksand Days 122, 126 the menof the Golden
Age are said to become upon theirdeath baitlovescOXoit,irtxO6vot,4bXacaK
&vPO~irwvw
OvtrTCAwv rXouro66rat.In Theogony991 Phaethon after death is
made a balt.wv 6os. Man is sometimescapable afterdeath of achieving
quasi-divinityin the formof a daimon and in this formhe is endowed
with specificduties; nonethelesshe does not possess the power that the
gods have. Further in Works and Days 314 there is the expression
6aLwovn 6'olorE'nOa. Men apparentlydifferfromone anotherin respectto
theirdaimon.
As in Homer,in some passages of the lyricpoets daimonappears clearly
as a type of divinitywithoutspecificreferenceto any role as an agent
associated withman's destiny,'"but it also oftenappears to designatethe
'4See also II. 7.291, 377, 396; 9.600; 11.480, 791; 15.403, 418, 466; 21.93; Od. 3.27;
5.396, 421; 7.248; 9.381; 10.64; 11.587; 12.169; 14.386, 488; 16.194, 370; 17.243, 446;
18.146; 19.10, 138, 201, 512; 20.87; 21.201; 24.149, 306; HMer 343; H.vii (Dionysus) 31.
Cf. theuse ofdaimonin theexpression balAovttooa (I. 5.438,459; 5.884; 16.705,786;
20.447, 493; 21.18, 227; HCer 235). The individual described is imbued with a strength
such as a divinity-any unnamed divinity-would possess. Cf. also Brunius-Nilsson
127-134 and 327-329.
1511.1.222,Francois
6.115, 23.595. In these passages daimones are equivalent to theoi. Cf. also
HApoll 11, HCer 338, and HMer 381.
'6See forexample Od. 2.134-135, 3.166, 6.172, 12.295, 16.64, 18.256, and 19.129.
'7Wilamowitz 1.358-359 suggests that daimon in the prepositional phrase wrpbs
balova (II. 17.98 and 17.104) may mean the same as birrp b6pov;here then would be
two other occurrencesin Homer of daimon with the meaning of "destiny."
s'Archilochus45 (D = 210 West); Alcman 116 (PMG); Solon 24.4 (D); and Theognis
381-382, 1333-1334.
396 PHOENIX

spiritthat guides and shapes a man's destiny.This meaningis foundin

lines 161-166 of Theognis:19
roLxP^wraL beXais 4Opeal, 6acljov 6' ETOX4,
7roXXol
6 KaKV 6OKEOPyLVeraLLels dyaOb6v.
ols0
ditLv6' ol povX^j
r'&dya0vKalbalovptbeX
6
reXos'bp"yplanv X
ob0 reraC.
poXOifovc,,
obbels otr' X3orsoi~rereevlxpos,
AvOpcOrwpv
oire KaK6Svb6actLV
6aLoovsoir' LyaO7s.
In this passage daimoncan signifyboth the power that assigns man's lot
and the lot assigned.20 So also in lines 349-350 Theognis prays that a
daimonwill come to his aid and bringabout the fulfilmentof his prayers.
Again we see the partial dependence of man on the good effectsof the
daimon.
In a fragmentof Alcman (65[PMG]) daimonesare assigned, perhaps
to differentindividuals:
t ole0evt lr&XwsgiraXe alpovisr' Aebaaro ....
In theexpression6balovds7' 6d&caacro,
as in rd&Xws
braXe,the object is drawn
fromthe same root as the verb. The expressiongives evidence forthe
primarymeaning of daimon: that which apportions or distributes.In
Phocylides 16 D daimonesappear as powers that influencethe activities
of men:
eicLv ir' &V6pccvTAXXoreXXot
&pa bacpoveis
ArXX'
o IPA ov KaKOiD6Avpas EaaOat.
KX
'rrePXopJv ....

It is significantthat accordingto Phocylides not only do different men

have differentdaimones but a man's own daimon can also change (as
&XXore suggests).
Justas in Hesiod, daimonis used in the lyricpoets to indicate the type
of divinitythat a man can attain. Theognis in lines 1347-1348 speaks of
Ganymede'sbeingmade a daimon.This use of daimonto indicatean entity
inferiorto the theoioccurs also in Theognis 637-638, where Xirtls and
KLvPvvos are described as Here
ait'oves. again daimon is employed
to designateforcesin thexaXewro,
lives of men. In thispassage "hope" and "fear"
have a power of theirown at work in man (Dodds 41, van Groningen
253-254, 455). They can possess a man and cause his actions. These two
would not be called theoibut could be termeddaimones,i.e., entitieswith

19Notealso the role of daimon in Theognis 149-150, 402-404.

20In Anacreon 347.11-14 (PMG) it is likewise unclear whetherdaimon signifiesthe
agent that assigns destiny or destiny itself. For daimon as "dispenser of fate" see also
FragmentaAdespota 1018b (PMG) where the threefates,Aisa, Clotho, and Lachesis, are
called daimones.
 DAIMON AND ETHOS IN HERACLITUS 397

powers peculiar to themselves,howeverlimitedthese powers may be in

comparisonwith the fulldivinitypossessed by the gods.
In several passages of Pindar and Bacchylidesdaimon,especiallyin the
plural, appears as a type of divinitywithoutexplicit referencemade to
its role as a forceshaping man's destiny."1Usually, however,daimon is
used to mean a powerwho assigns a man's lot (Gerber92 ff.).In Pythians
8.76-78 Pindar says that the attainmentof caX&does not rest in man's
hands but depends on the nature of his daimon.22In Olympians9.27-28
he says that men are "good and wise in accordance with theirdaimon."
In Pythians10.10 he says that the "beginningand the end are sweet for
men if their daimon hasten their growth."23Each person has his own
daimon which differsfromperson to person: Ov~erKopev yd&pb6C^shravre"
A baL.wcv
bapiov 6'&iraos.24 attends a man, stronglyinfluencing
yevi4Xtos
what his lifewill be.25A man's ova, inheritedfromhis ancestors,enables
him to achieve arete but it is the daimon genethliosthat activates the
betterelementsin his ovaand promotesthe finalattainmentof his arete.
In the followingpassages daimon designates both the agency that
influencesdestinyand destinyitself:
Zei3 r&rep,
KatT6ve Xabv'&Xacli VPwv
ospov'
sievvp baiLwvos
qevoqWvPros (0O. 13.26-28)
TotvbospJryas
At6bs KvUEpvr
batcpov' 4tLXwv (Pyth. 5.122-123)
a&vt6pv
The two passages show that the daimonis a spiritcloselyconnectedwith
the individualwhereasZeus is a moreremotedivine being who possesses
far more comprehensivepower. How intimatelyconnected with man's
personal being the daimon has come to be is shown in Pythians3 where
Pindar speaks of the daimon as surroundinghis phrenes:
T6V6&J'A&cTroVT'
alel 4paaov
balpov' aaKailo Kar' A~dvOeparebwv paXav&v (Pyth. 3.108-109)
In Pindar man is still subject to an agency outside himselfbut one now
more clearlyassociated with himself.26

21SeeOl. 7.39, Pyth.4.28; Bacch. 3.37-39 (daimonin the singular);and 01. 1.35,
6.45-47,Pyth.1.12,3.59,Nem.9.45,Isth.4.19-21,8.23-24; Bacch.9.82-84and 17.117-
118 (daimonin theplural).
22Cf.Bacch. 9.25-26,14.1-2,17.46,frs.13 and 25.1-3 (Snell-Maehler).
23Cf.as well Pyth. 12.28-32, Nem. 5.15-16, and Isth. 6.10-13.
24Isth.7.42-43.See also Isth.5.11,Pyth.3.34-36,and Bacch. 16.23-29.
2601. 13.105. Cf. Bacch. 5.113-116 and 129-135.
21Inthelyricpoetsdaimonoccursalso in Alcman1.23 (PMG); Alcaeus200.4, 119.4
(LP); Inc. Lesb. 3 (LP); and Pindarfr.311 (Snell),thoughthecontextis notclear.
398 PHOENIX

In the fragments of the Presocraticsdaimonis foundfirstin Heraclitus.

Parmenides uses daimon to denote the power that guides the world of
Doxa (B12.3). The sharp distinctionthat Parmenidesdraws betweenthe
worldof Being and the worldof Seeming(Doxa) probablydetermineshis
choice of daimon forthis function.In the worldof Seemingtherecan be
place only fora power inferiorto the fulldivinity,i.e., to Being itself.
Further,in Parmenides' descriptionof his journey to the realm of Light
(B1), it is on the road of the daimonthat he travels.27Parmenides'use of
daimon suggests that, although man in the world of Doxa attains only
this incompleteperceptionof the Divine, his perceptiondoes provide a
path by which he can come to know the Divine in its true nature.
In the thoughtof Empedocles,28daimon must sufferpunishmentby
exile fromthe "blessed ones" because it has "put its trust in Strife"
(B115.15). The daimonesundergodifferent incarnations(B117) until,in
the finalstages of purification,they emerge as p.Yrets,
Ir7poL,
bYuvor6Xot,
and rp6oL (B146). After thirty thousand cipac (B11S), the daimones
become once again, upon death, 0avaroLsiXXotatw (B147). The
6,/LanLOL
daimonlives withinman as it undergoesits purifications.For Empedocles
a man's daimonis an active forceworkingwithinhim to shape his life.29
Because it was a being with lesser powers than those of the theoi,Em-
pedocles could appropriately employ daimon to designate a "fallen
divinity."

Heraclitus
Because of the way ethosand daimonwere used in writersbeforeHera-
clitus,I offerthe followinginterpretation
ofhis B1 19, 0Oos
v0pwrybaiLCr.aw30
27B1.3.I haveacceptedthereading see
baliovos; Guthrie2.7.
28The word occurs in B59.1 and B115.5.
29Cf. Plato's description of a daimon as the spirit that guides man through life:
6 KaarTod)aiLcov, oarep ?(COra eiXX'Xe (Phaedo 107d). By contrast,in Republic617d-e,
620d-e the soul chooses its own daimon.
"oAnecho of B119 is found in fragmentB17 of Epicharmus:
6 rp61ros 6apiowv'&yaO6, 60os Kal KaK6s.
AvpOproLrL,
In this passage daimon is clearly the predicate. Gomperz (above, note 2) 43 suggests
that the fragmentof Epicharmus is a "scherzhafteUmbiegung" of Heraclitus' thought.
Verdenius 29 suggests that Epicharmus did not understand Heraclitus. If the fragment
is authentic, Epicharmus appears to be making the witty observation that a man's
character can be a source of good fortuneto him ... or bad fortune.For the problem of
the fragmentsof Epicharmus see G. Kaibel, "Epicharmos," RE 6 (1909) 34-41; A.
Pickard-Cambridge and T. B. L. Webster, Dithyramb,Tragedy and Comedy2(Oxford
1962) 230-290; and L. Berk, Epicharmus (Diss., Gronigen 1964).
With B119 of Heraclitus we can compare also the following: Democritus, fragment
B171: ebatlovuirl oIbKcbV OlKEl Oib U& O 5OVailovOS.
OKrl7?/atrV
Euripides, fragment1018 (Nauck2): XPVU~o
LV UV/X1
6
6VOs -'p )i^v TTWV KaTJ Oe6sx.
iK7T?)pL,1 Menander
 DA'IMONAND ETHOS IN HERACLITUS 399

First, ethos denotes man's disposition, his customary and distinctive

mannerof acting. This is not static: it can change, though Pindar also
indicates that Zeus has the power to preservethe ethosfromchange. The
instancesof ethosin Hesiod and the lyricpoets have shownthat the word
signifiesthe basic disposition of man, modifiedby various forces. In
Hesiod it is the gods who formthe ethosof women; Theognis sees 6pyj,
rpboro,hvO6s, and Ovubsinfluencingthe ethos; forPindar man's ethos is
largely dependent on his va', which is itself influencedby the 5aLAwv
y'eOXos.In thesepoets the ethosdoes not emergeas an active agent.This
allows us to suppose that in B119 of Heraclitus ethosis the predicate: it
is the productof the daimon's activity.
Next I suggest that daimon denotes not only man's lot but also the
agency that assignsit. The daimonis the active forceat workwithinman
helpingto shape his lifeand revealingits naturein the ethosof each man.
In B119 Heraclitus has internalizedman's guidingspirit.The individual
need no longerfearthe arbitraryinfluenceof an externaldaimon: he will
findit within.
B119 reveals, therefore,that man's ethosreflectsthe activity of his
daimon. Earlier writershad suggested that man's ethos was strongly
influencedby the gods (Hesiod, Pindar), by birth (Pindar), or by the
elementswithinman himself(Theognis); these factorswere responsible
forthe individual'sethosand its changes.Heraclitusoffersa new explana-
tion forethos: it is basically shaped by daimon. In B119 daimon is the
subject, the active factorin the fragment.This readingof the fragment
avoids taking it as a mere aphorismand shows that Heraclitus' remark
was a full-fledged philosophicalstatement.
If man's ethosreflectsthe activityof his daimon,is he then merelyits
puppet? That interpretationhardly accords with the frequentexhorta-
tions of Heraclitusformento changetheiroutlook.31Above all he calls on
'
men YYviAC77v, rlra
6br KvfVepvaratc a iraiwv (B41).32 He believes
irtaoraOate

Epitrepontes1096-1098 (Sandbach): oiros iO' (sc. 6brporos) tyvObsl/5 7' atTLO Kaal
Tro KaXW^SKal ro KaKWxs/1rpT w aW.
reetv ar (Cf. U. von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff,ed.,
Menander, Das Schiedsgericht[Berlin 1925] 112-113.) Menander, fragment 762 (Ed-
monds): 6 vovs ydap7uCiv krv iv
rao'rw Oebs.
"aSee B2, B50, B73, B80, B85, B112, and B114.
32I accept the text of K. Deichgriber, "Bemerkungen zu Diogenes' Bericht uiber
Heraklit," Philologus 47 (1938) 14 n.1, accepted also by G. Vlastos, "On Heraclitus,"
A1P 76 (1955) 352-354. For a discussion of the textual problem that is found in B41
consult the following: H. Gomperz, "Heraklits Einheitslehre von Alois Patin als Aus-
gangspunkt zum Verstindnis Heraklits," WS 43 (1923) 117; Gigon 144; Kirk 386-391;
Vlastos, ibid. 352-353; Kirk and Raven 204; Guthrie 1.429; Marcovich 451; Bollack and
Wismann 154-155.
In writersearlierthanHeraclitus gnomeappears to be knowledgethatis related to practi-
400 PHOENIX

that man has the power to act but also that some forceinfluenceshis
actions.3aFor Heraclitus the forceis man's daimon,located within.Man
acts in his accustomedmanner(accordingto his ethos)and his acts reflect
the workingof his daimon.a4
In addition to this new explanation of man's ethos,B3119also reveals
how and to what extent man can perceivethe Divine. This will become
evident if B119 is examinedin relationto otherfragmentsof Heraclitus.
Ethos occurs in one other fragment,B78:
730osydpavwOpw'retov exet yv'pas, Oeov U exet.
pCyobOK
This fragmentis crucial forour understandingof B119. In B78 Heraclitus
contrasts the &vOpcretov t0os and the Oecovi0os: the firstdoes not have
gnomai,but the second has. How reconcilethis statementwith fragment
B41 whereman must striveto knowgnome?35 The solutionlies in Hera-
clitus' assertionin B1 19 that man's ethosreflectstheactivityofhisdaimon.
Man can neverhave an ethosidenticalto thetheionethos,but he can attain

cal conduct. See Solon 16.1 (D = West), Theognis 60, 319, 396, 895, 968, 1173; Pindar
Isth. 4.72, 6.71; and Bacch. 3.79. The gnome that men possess may not always be
corrector good but its nature has a direct bearing on their conduct; see Theognis 128,
453, 832, 1222, Pindar Nem. 4.40, and Bacch. 11.35. Parmenides speaks of mistaken
gnomai leading men to a dual view of the world (B8.53, B8.61). In Heraclitus gnome
seems to be the "practical insight" that one gains fromlistening to the Logos (B50);
withgnomeone will act with the realization that the opposites are one. For the meaning
of gnome see B. Snell, Die dusdriickefir den Begriffdes Wissens in der vorplatonischen
Philosophie,PhilologischeUntersuchungen29 (Berlin 1924) 31-37; Jaeger 233 n. 58 and
Paideia, 452 n. 73; and S. N. Mouraviev, "Gnome," Glotta51 (1973) 69-75. The meaningof
gnomein B41 is controversial.The followingscholarsidentifygnomewiththe Divine Prin-
ciple orLogos: K.Deichgraber, ibid.13-14;Vlastos, ibid.352-353; Wheelwright(above, n.2)
104; Guthrie 1.429; and Marcovich 451-452. This view has been rejected by W. A. Heidel,
"On Certain Fragments of the Presocratics," Proc. Amer. Acad. of Artsand Sciences 48
(1913) 699-702; Gigon 144; Kirk 386-389; and Kirk and Raven 204, who interpret
gnomeas the internalaccusative with ErLTra&cat. The only other fragmentof Heracli-
tus in whichgnomeoccurs, namely B78, says that only the divine ethospossesses gnomai.
Here Heraclitus does appear to distinguishbetween the divine nature and thegnomethat
it possesses. The meaning of gnomewill be discussed more fullybelow in the treatment
of B78.
"3Dodds 7, 16, 30-50, has termed this "overdetermination."
"*Guthrie,1.482, suggests furtherthat the daimon of Heraclitus, like that of Em-
pedocles, may be the immortalelementin man that undergoestransmigration.Heraclitus'
views about the fate of man afterdeath are very obscure (see B25, B27, B98, B36, and
B77). If Heraclitus did believe that the daimon migrated fromperson to person, this
belief would lend support to the interpretationof daimon in B119 as an active agency
workingwithin man.
"8The usual explanation given is that B78 emphasizes the enormous difference
between man and god whereas B41 describes the capacity that man does have forgnome.
See B. Snell, Hermes 61 (1926) 363; Thimme 48; Kirk 387, 399; and Guthrie 1.413.
 DAIMON AND ETHOS IN HERACLITUS 401

a degree of gnomebecause he possesses a spark of divinity,his daimon.

It is thedaimonthat has thepotentialofpossessinggnomeand its presence
in man is the necessaryconditionof his also having gnome.On the one
hand, fragmentB78 presentsthe contrastbetween the anthropeionand
thetheionethosin respectto the possessionofgnomai.36 On theotherhand,
fragmentB119 reveals that man can possess a degree of gnomebecause
his ethosis in part a productof his daimon.
In this interpretationof B78 I have understoodthe theionethosto be
always beyond the reach of man, who receives its strengtheningforce
only throughthe activityof his daimon. It would be possible to under-
stand B78 as a contrastbetweena theionethosin man and an anthropeion
ethosin man,a7since thereare instancesin the writersearlierthan Hera-
clitus of man being called theios.In all such instances,however,the dis-
tinction between "man" and "god" is firmlymaintained, the epithet
theiossignifying"giftedby the divine," ratherthan "divine in nature."
Theios38occursfrequentlyin Homer as a descriptionof a hero,minstrel,
king,or herald.39These men called theioihave receiveda special giftfrom
the gods. The heroesand kingsare sprungfromthe gods; the herald and
the singerreceive theirtalents fromthe gods.
In the lyric poets there are three examples of men called theioi.40 In
two cases the referencesare to heroes,namely to etZosJason (Mimnermus
11.7 D = 11 A West) and Antilochus,a e0Zo s v4p(Pindar Pyth.6.38).
In one instancethe referenceis to a poet: Bacchylidescalls himselfa OeZos
7rpo4ras (9.3).41 In all these examples gods and man occupy distinct
positions.Man winsthe designationtheiosbecause the gods have gifted
him in a way that sets him apart fromother men.

6"Thecontrast between human and divine wisdom is one that occurs frequentlyin the
early Greek writers.See for example II. 2.485; Hesiod Theogony27; Ibycus 1.23-27
(PMG); Theognis 141; Pindar Paean 6.51, Nem. 6.1; Xenophanes B34; and Alcmaeon
B1. Cf. K. DeichgrAber, "Xenophanes IIEPI RhM 87 (1938) 23-25;
(cTEQ,," (Oxford 1953) 136-152, 221;
B. Snell, The Discoveryof the Mind, tr. T. G. Rosenmeyer
Kirk and Raven 180; and Marcovich 474.
"7This is the view of J. Owens, "The Interpretationof the Heraclitean Fragments,"
An Etienne Gilson Tribute(Milwaukee 1959) 163-164.
s8See L. Bieler, OEIOZ ANHP (Vienna 1935, Reprint Darmstadt 1967) 1.9-16.
19Ahero: forexample 11. 2.335, 10.243, Od. 1.65, 4.799, 5.198, 15.554 etc. (Odysseus);
11. 15.25, 20.145 (Heracles); 11. 19.279, 19.297 (Achilles); 11. 21.526 (Priam). A minstrel:
for example Od. 1.336, 4.17, 8.43, 8.87, 8.539, 13.27, 16.252, 24.439. A king: Od. 4.621,
4.691, 16.335. A herald: 11. 4.192, 10.315.
401nHesiod Worksand Days 731, there is mentionof a O6o6sA&vjp.L. Bieler (above,
note 38) 14 suggeststhat theiosin this passage was a designationfora memberof a group
who observed special religiouspractices. In what way this hypotheticalgroup was gifted
by the gods is not as clear as in the other instances wheretheiosoccurs.
"4In Plato, Simonides is called a Co06s Ka O60osbvip (Republic 331e) and Pindar is
also called O66os(Meno 81b).
402 PHOENIX

In Heraclitus theiosoccurs in one otherinstance,B114:42

ibv XveyohrTas
6W l XP') Kal
1vlvcq 'dT7"'rwv,86KWrep vb6(p 7rbXtXS,
XvplireOat 7"r
yd&pr&i1res oi AvOpc'reeot
7roXbia'Xvporkpws.rpCioWTrat 7
potb3? robs
v6, Oelovo
Kpa-ret Typ TooDoovro 6Kbov
'VEXEt Kal ifapKeL^ raL
Kal rTeptLYverat.

"Men mustspeak withnoosand base theirstrengthon what is commonto

all just as does a cityin its law and much morefirmly.For all the human
laws are nurturedunder the one divine law;43 for it rules as far as it
wishesand suffices44 forall and prevails."45This fragmentindicates that
the human (&vOpcbretos)and the divine (0e8os)were seen by Heraclitus as
distinctbut related states. The theiosnomosstands apart fromthe an-
thropeioi nomoi, but "nurtures" them.4"
B114 presentstwo parallel cases withan implicitrelationshipbetween
the "common" and the "one divinelaw." Man basing his strengthon the
"common" and the city basing its strengthon the nomosboth respondto
the presenceof the Divine in its varyingaspects (see schema).

42Fora treatmentof B114 see Gigon 13-14; Mourelatos 258-266; and Marcovich 95,
who believe that there is only an analogy between the "common" and the "one divine
law." Contrast F. Heinimann, Nomos und Physis (Basel 1945) 65-66; Jaeger 115; Kirk
48-56; Kirk and Raven 214; and J. gpaiiar, "Heraklit Frg. 114," CharisteriaFrancisco
Novotny(Prague 1962) 125, who identifythe "common" and the "one divine law."
I81 have understood v'6uov with Oeiov. We can compare B78 where the noun "Oos is
clearly to be understood withOeitow.Cf. Gigon 13-14; Heinimann (above, note 42)
65-66; K. von Fritz, "NOTZ, NOEIN and theirDerivatives in Pre-Socratic Philosophy
(excluding Anaxagoras)," CP 40 (1945) 232; Kirk 48-56; Kirk and Raven 214;
gpafiir (above, note 42) 123-127; Marcovich 91; and Bollack and Wismann 316.
Contrast Brecht (above, note 2) 123, Schmitt (above, note 2) 138, 170; M. Dieckhoff,
"Kolloquium iiber den altgriechischen Philosophen Heraklit und seine Lehre vom
30.10.1961," WissenschaftlicheZeitschriftUniversitiit-Leipzig11 (1962) 550-551; and
Guthrie 1.425. These scholars translate dubs o70 Oelov as "the one Divine." For further
literaturesee Marcovich 94-95.
44iapK&o& is not foundin Homer or Hesiod. It occurs only twice in the lyricpoets, both
times in Pindar where it appears to mean "to be generous with" (OL. 5.24, Nem. 1.32).
The word occurs only in Heraclitus among thePresocratics. Mourelatos 261-262 suggests
that i?apKC~ in B114, like apKWoin Homer (e.g., Od. 16.261; 11. 6.16, 15.534) means "to
protect" or "to defend." The verb may suggest the capacity of the divine law to supply
all human laws and to ensure theirvalidity. See also Kirk 48-56 and Marcovich 95.
47reptytylyoat is found in Homer with the meaning "to excel, be superior in" (II.
23.318; Od. 8.102-103, 8.252-253). It is not foundin Hesiod or the lyricpoets. It occurs
in the Presocratics once elsewhere,namely in Democritus B218 whereit means "to arise
from,to be left over from." If Heraclitus is using the term in the Homeric sense, he is
emphasizing the superiornature of the divine law over the human laws that take their
source fromit. Cf. Jaeger 230 n. 42 and Mourelatos 261. Contrast Kirk 48-50; Guthrie
1.425; and Marcovich 95, 97 n. 5.
"For a discussion of the significanceof 7p~iooVat see Kirk 53-55; Mourelatos 262-
264; and Marcovich 95.
 DAIMON AND ETHOS IN HERACLITUS 403

B119, B78 THEION ETHOS B114

Revealed as: Gnome Logos Nomos

3 Instances
of

between
God and
Man
Possessed by
man as: gnome logos nomos

Through the
activityof: daimon rb bvv6bq polis

ANTHROPEION ETHOS

SCHEMA

It is by "speaking with noos" that men are able LtxvpL~eoac7~ tvvnc

vracov. The "common" to whichman will stand in a dependentrelation-
ship here (B2). It is man's
is the Divine Logos whichHeraclituscalls tvvvb
capacity to speak bpvvb that puts him into contact with the
vvb6v,
the "common." His own logosleads him to the Divine Logos in which it
shares and fromwhichit draws strength.47Heraclitus' play on the words
vbp (Xyovras) and tvvp becomes most meaningful:speech sbvvb& is
siby
equivalent to participationin the tvvbv.There exists thereforea shared
relationship: man-logos-Logos-theos. The Divine sets the world in
orderby itsLogos; man by his logoscan come into contactwiththe Divine
Logos.
47Cf.B45 and B 115 whereHeraclitusmentions
thelogosof thepsyche.
404 PHOENIX

B114 also mentionsanotherrelationship.A city bases its strengthon

nomosbecause "all human laws are nurturedby the one divine law."
It is in its nomoithat a citycomes into contactwiththe sourceof its laws,
the one Divine Nomos.48The city by its laws shares in the nature of
Divine in its aspect as Nomos. Again we have the shared relationship:
city-nomos-Nomos-theos. Again in this relationshipthe v6rby is the
Divine revealed as Nomos in whichman shares by his nomos.
In B114 Heraclitus reveals aspects of the one divine principlewhose
complex nature precludes a single definition.This principle can be de-
scribedin termsof the "common," whetherin its aspect as logosthatmen
share or as the theiosnomosfromwhich a city derivesits laws.
In B78 Heraclitus distinguishesbetween the theion ethos and the
anthropeionethosin relationto the possessionofgnome.Now B119 states
that man's ethosreflectsthe activity of his daimon. Man can achieve
gnome,therefore,not by virtueof his human ethos,but by virtueof his
daimon. The anthropeionethosis distinct fromand subordinate to the
theionethos;the presenceof the daimon as the determiningfactorof his
ethosenables man to receive the influenceof the theionethosin its aspect
as gnome.I suggestthat a relationshipsimilarto the ones foundin B114
is revealed in fragmentsB78, B119, and B41: man-gnome-Gnome-
theos.B78 states that the theionethoshas gnomai; in B41 man is urged to
know gnome "by which all things are steered through all things."''49
Because of his daimonman can have gnome,by whichhe comes into con-
tact with the divine Gnome,an aspect of the Divine itself.Through rb
twvwY,logos,nomos,andgnomeamongmen correspondto the relatedaspects
of the Divine: rb tvpbYconstitutesa "force-field"between human and
divine. It is permeableto the Divine, whichcan penetrateit to shape the
affairsof men. But above a certainlevel it is impenetrableto men,whose
aspirationsdraw themever upward toward the Divine Fire throughthe
activityof daimon.50
Daimon in B119 now takes on deepersignificance.Like Parmenidesand
Empedocles after him, Heraclitus chose this word not only because it
could denote an agent shaping man's lot but also because it signifieda
power inferiorto theos.5'Just as daimonis used by Hesiod and Theognis
48The importance that Heraclitus assigned to nomosis revealed also in B44 where he
says that the people should fightfor theirnomos as fortheir city-wall.
4*See above note 32. Note also that Heraclitus appears to use yLywCJOKWto signify
the recognitionor grasp of the true nature of things (B5, B17, B57, B97, and B108).
s6We have mentioned here threeinstances of r 4vbvv6which referspecificallyto men.
Heraclitus may also have envisioned a penetration of the Divine with the rest of the
existing order of things. The fragments,however, are ambiguous on this point, as for
example B80: r6v 16vra vw6v.
r6bXeov
56Cf.Hesiod Works and Days 122, 126. Cf. also Plato Republic 468e-469a, Cratylus
397e-398c, and also Symposium202d-e where the daimon is described as a being who is
between "a god and a mortal man."
 DAIMON AND ETHOS IN HERACLITUS 405

to denote the degree of divinity attained by man after death, so for

Heraclitusit provedsuitable to indicatethe agencyby whichman became
capable of gainingsome apprehensionof the Divine.
The relationshipsamong ethos,psyche,52 daimon, and theos53further
clarify the meaning that daimon has in B119. Heraclitus says that the
psyche can be dry and fiery;54in this state it is most like the Logos or
Divine Fire.55 The psyche can, however, change and become wet.56
When thepsycheis "driest" or "hottest" (B118), it is wisest; in thisstate
it is most capable of apprehendingthe Divine, since in Heraclitus, as in
Parmenides and Empedocles,57there is an identificationof subject and
object of knowledge.In Heraclitus a man's own psychecan vary in its
degree of drynessjust as men can differfromone anotherin the type of
psychethat they possess.58
What then can be the relationshipof daimon,ethos,and psyche?This
article has suggested that B119 declares that a man's ethosreflectsthe
activityof his daimon which varies fromman to man and also changes
withinthe individualhimself.The daimoncan be characterizedas "good"
or "evil"59and its nature is revealed in one's disposition.In Heraclitus'
view the man with a "good" daimonwill be a man who is wise, who has
learned to speak si' vb~p(B114); the foolishman shows that his daimonis
"bad." The fragmentsreveal, however,that a man's wisdom or foolish-
ness dependson hispsyche.There seems a close connectionbetweenpsyche
and daimon;psycheappears to be in factthe physicalaspect ofthe daimon.
The psychevaries fromdryto wet as the daimonvaries fromgood to bad.
The ethos,or disposition,is determinedaccordingto the variationof the
psycheand the daimon. When a man's psycheis driest and hottest,it is
mostlike the divine nature; his daimonis good and his ethosthereforethe
closest it can come to the theionethos(B78). Converselywhen thepsyche
changes,a change will likewisetake place in the daimonand the man will
52The scope of the present article does not allow a full discussion of the meaning of
psyche in Heraclitus. A recent treatmentof the question is found in M. C. Nussbaum,
"'I'TXH in Heraclitus, I, II," Phronesis 17 (1972) 1-16, 153-170.
63Verdenius29-30 seems to equate theos (Logos) and daimon. Cf. A. N. Zoumpos,
"Zum Herakleitos Fragment 119," RFIC 93 (1965) 164, who does identifydaimon with
theos; B. Snell, "Die Sprache Heraklits," Hermes 61 (1926) 363-364; and Bollack and
Wismann 328.
14B118 and B36.
55B30, B64, B66, and B90.
56B36, B77, and B117.
6"See Parmenides B16 and Empedocles B109.
68See Heraclitus B107 where there is mention of barbaroipsychai.
"6The capacity that the daimon possesses of becoming "good" or "evil" emerges
clearly in Empedocles. He speaks of a daimon that is a fallen deity, one which is capable
both of loving and of hating. But if it hates, it must sufferexile fromthe gods and only
after it chooses to express love with a complete rejection of hate is it able to returnto
the company of the gods (B115).
406 PHOENIX

have a different ethos.The psychedoes not change the daimonnordoes the

daimon change the psyche.The initiativeof man and the divine will are
two aspects of the same thing.If a man resolvesto keep his psychedry,60
then there may be an alterationin his daimon and also (necessarily) in
his ethos; this same resolve, however,must be in part the result of a
man's daimonworkingwithinhim.
We are now able to offeran interpretationof fragmentB79, the only
other fragmentof Heraclitus wherethe word daimonoccurs:61

A&vp
V7rpos fKovae7rps balpovosiKtacrep 7rals rpbs&vp6s.
"Man is called foolishin relation to a daimonjust as a child is called
foolishin relationto a man." The termsin this proportionare related in
potentiality.The childcan growintoa man; a man can comeundera good
daimon that will shape his ethos.B79 impliesthe dependenceof man on
the verydaimonthat in B119 is said to shape his ethos.B119 reveals that
thedaimondwellswithinman, beinghis guidingspiritand the powerthat
both enables him to apprehendthe Divine and determineshow farhe is
able to do so. Man in comparison with this daimon is vPrWLos.
Man's ethos,
however,manifeststhe action of the daimonwhich can even enable him
to achieve gnome.Human capabilities are extended and enlargedby the
power within.
Whereas B79 indicates man's relationto his daimon,B83 suggestshis
relationshipto the theos:
~
AvOpc?raovao#oraros Os6Pv w0i7xos4aveTa, Kai KaiadLXXELiKa roiT
apb cori.
Wotosn7raov.
In relationto an ape man is a theos;in relationto the theosan ape. The
examples in B83, unlike those in B79, are not related in potentiality.An
ape cannot become a man, nor a man a theos.The examples in B83 and
B79 together form an ascending scale: ape-child-man-daimon-
theos.The range of potentialityis limited to the interiorthree,child-
man-daimon. The ape occupies a positionbelow that of man, the theos
one above. Even though his psychemay be fieryand thereforelike in
compositionto the Logos, and even though the logos of the psyche is
"Unlike, forexample, the man in B117.
61The usual interpretationgiven to daimon in this fragmentis that it is simply an
equivalent of theos.See W. Zilles, "Zu einigen Fragmenten Heraklits," RhM 62 (1907)
54; Gomperz (above, note 2) 45; Gigon 135; Brecht (above, note 2) 129; H. Frinkel, "A
Thought Pattern in Heraclitus," AP 59 (1938) 314-317; Verdenius 29; Jaeger 126,
233 n. 58; Kirk 399; A. Rivier, "L'Homme et I'Exp&rience humaine dans les Fragments
d'Hbraclite," MusHelo 13 (1956) 146; 174; Friinkel (above, note 2) 435;
Guthrie 1.415, 472; Zoumpos (above, noteFrancois
53) 164; Marcovich 487; and Bollack and
Wismann 241.
 DAIMON AND ETHOS IN HERACLITUS 407

bathus,62the Divine Logos is at least as farabove man as man is above an

ape. Man is only touched by the divine fire.His potentialforsharingthe
Divine is in the daimon that shapes his ethos.This is as close to theosas
he can approach.63
UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, VANCOUVER

62B45. Cf. B115. Cf. also fragmentB102 stressingthe differencein outlook between
man and god.
"We can compare referencesin the lyric poets that remind men that they must not
try to become gods; see especially Pindar Isth. 5.14-16, and also Alcman 1.16 (PMG),
Pindar Pyth. 10.27-28, O1. 1.114, Nem. 3.30-31, 01. 3.43-45, and Isth. 4.12. See also note
36 above forinstances of the contrast between human and divine knowledge.