DAIMONES KERAMIKOI
Greek Name
Δαιμονες Κεραμικοι
Transliteration
Daimones Keramikoi
Latin Spelling
Daemones Ceramici
Translation
Pottery Demons
THE DAIMONES KERAMIKOI (Daemones Ceramici) were five malevolent spirits which plagued the craftsman potter--Suntribos (the Shatterer), Smaragos (the Smasher), Asbetos (Charrer), Sabaktes (Destroyer) and Omodamos (Crudebake).
PARENTS
Nowhere stated
CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES
Homer's Epigrams Fragment 14 (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or C7th B.C.) :
"Potters, if you give me a reward, I will sing for you. Come, then, Athena [goddess of pottery], with hand upraised over the kiln. Let the pots and all the dishes turn out well and be well fired: let them fetch good prices and be sold in plenty in the market. Grant that the potters may get great gain and grant me so to sing to them. But if you turn shameless and make false promises, then I call together the destroyers of kilns, Suntribos (Shatter) and Smaragon (Smash) and Asbetos (Charr) and Sabaktes (Crash) and Omodamos (Crudebake) who can work this craft much mischief. Come all of you and sack the kiln-yard and the buildings : let the whole kiln be shaken up to the potter's loud lament. As a horse's jaw grinds, so let the kiln grind to powder all the pots inside."
NAMES OF THE DAEMONES CERAMICI
Greek Name
Συντριβος
Σμαραγος
Ασβετος
Ωμοδαμος
Σαβακτης
Transliteration
Syntribos
Smaragos
Asbetos
Ômodamos
Sabaktês
Latin Spelling
Suntribus
Smaragus
Asbetus
Omodamus
Sabactes
Translation
Shatter, Crush (syntribô)
Smash, Crash (smarageô)
Char, Scorch (asbetos)
Crudebake (ômos)
Shatter, Destroy (sabaktês)
SOURCES
GREEK
- Homerica, Homer's Epigrams - Greek Epic C8th - 7th B.C.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page.