Agathos daemons, sometimes known as agathodaemons, were ancient Greek deities.
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Similar to the Roman genii, they were supernatural or personal companion spirits that brought good fortune, fertility, health, protection, and knowledge. A gem carved with magical symbols depicts images of Serapis with a crocodile, a sun-lion, and an Osiris mummy surrounded by the lion-headed snake Chnum-Agathodaemon-Aion, with Harpocrates on the reverse. In the syncretic environment of Late Antiquity, agathodaemons could be associated with Egyptian bringers of security and good fortune.
Featured image: A restored Agathodaemon sculpture in Roman marble known as “Antinous Agathodaemon,” which was acquired in Rome in 1760, (Staatliche Museen, Berlin)
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