On the Mysteries (De Mysteriis)

The characteristic of the gods is unity, permanence within themselves, the immovable cause of all motions, and a superior providence original: providentia; the divine care or forethought for the universe which has nothing in common with the things for which it provides. This property is preserved in them according to their essence, their power, and their action.

The property of souls is a leaning toward multiplicity and motion, a connection with the gods, and a capacity to receive something from others. They fill things with vital motion and harmonize everywhere with all things—partly with those that remain stable and partly with those that flow—tempering all things within and through themselves. Indeed, this property is preserved in them according to their essence, power, and action.

The properties of demons daemones: intermediary spirits who bridge the gap between the divine and the material realm are to contain within themselves the gifts of the gods, though in a lower manner than the gods themselves. Under that divine form and principle, they also contain the conditions of inferior things; specifically, while they are multiplied, they are also united in a way that is mixed yet unmixed, and finally, they are moved, yet remain stable.

Heroes, on the contrary, possess unity, identity, stability, and excellence, but they do so under the conditions of multiplicity, motion, and mixture.

Demons and heroes are closest to the extremes: the former are closest to the gods, the latter to souls. The differences between demons and heroes lie chiefly in the fact that heroes sometimes lean more toward particular and mobile things than demons do. The two intermediates, namely demons...