Daemones Ceramici

The Daemones Ceramici (Greek: Δαίμονες Κεραμικοί) in Greek mythology are five malevolent spirits who plagued the craftsman potter:

1. Syntribos (Σύντριβος; aka Suntribus) — the shatterer (shatter, crush; syntribô)
2. Smaragos (Σμάραγος; aka Smaragus) — the smasher (smash, crash; smarageô)
3. Asbetos (Ασβετος; aka Asbetus) — the charrer (char, scorch; asbetos)
4. Sabaktes (Σαβάκτης; aka Sabactes) — the destroyer (shatter, destroy; sabaktês, sabazô)
5. Omodamos (Ωμόδαμος; aka Omodamus) — crudebake (ômos)

"Potters, if you will give me a reward, I will sing for you. Come, then, Athene, 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, and plenty in the streets. 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, Syntribos [Shatter] and Smaragos [Smash] and Asbetos [Char] 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. And you, too, daughter of the Sun, Kirke (Circe) the witch, come and cast cruel spells; hurt both these men and their handiwork. Let Cheiron (Chiron) also come and bring many Centaurs—all that escaped the hands of Herakles (Heracles) and all that were destroyed: let them make sad havoc of the pots and overthrow the kiln, and let the potters see the mischief and be grieved; but I will gloat as I behold their luckless craft. And if anyone of them stoops to peer in, let all his face be burned up, that all men may learn to deal honestly."

— Homer's Epigrams Fragment 14^[1] (Greek epic 8th or 7th century BC)

You can view Homers Epigrams here^[2]

See also

• List of Greek mythological figures

References