On the Mysteries (Thomas Taylor trans.)

But this is particularly manifest from his Laws. The Golden Verses A collection of moral and spiritual instructions attributed to the philosopher Pythagoras; they were highly regarded in antiquity as a guide to a virtuous life. order that the immortal Gods be honored first, as they are disposed by law; afterwards the illustrious Heroes, under which name the author of the verses also includes angels and daemons daemons: in the ancient world, these were not necessarily evil spirits, but "daimons"—intermediary beings or guardian spirits that existed between the realm of the high gods and that of humanity., properly so called; and in the last place, the terrestrial daemons original: "daemones terrestres." These were believed to be the souls of the virtuous dead who remained near the earth to guide or protect the living., that is, such good men as transcend in virtue the rest of mankind.

But to honor the Gods as they are disposed by law is, as Hierocles Hierocles of Alexandria was a 5th-century philosopher whose commentary on the Golden Verses is a primary source for understanding late Pythagorean thought. observes, to reverence them as they are arranged by their demiurge demiurge: from the Greek word for "craftsman," this refers to the divine figure responsible for shaping and maintaining the physical universe. and father; and this is to honor them as beings not only superior to man, but also to daemons and angels. Hence, to honor men, however excellent they may be, as Gods, is not to honor the Gods according to the rank in which they are placed by their Creator; for it is confounding the divine with the human nature, and is thus acting directly contrary to the Pythagorean

...be due to the celestial deities, or the supreme God. So that if the distinction of divine worship will excuse from idolatry, the Heathens were not to blame for it.” See Stillingfleet's Answer to a book entitled Catholics no Idolaters, p. 510, 513, etc. Edward Stillingfleet (1635–1699) was a prominent Anglican theologian. Here he is cited regarding the debate over whether the "Heathens" (pagans) were actually guilty of idolatry if they intended to honor a Supreme Being through lesser deities, a point often used in 17th-century polemics regarding the veneration of saints.