Daimonion in Xenophon

Both in the Socratic and in the non-Socratic works of Xenophon the daimonion is not the divine per se; rather, it is a daemonic entity through which god(s) manifest themselves to humans, intervening in their thoughts and actions. Distinguishing the “gods” from the “daemonic being”, identifying their specific functions as well as the relationship that links them together, is necessary in order to understand Xenophon’s view on religious matters. Not doing so, and thus conflating everything that vaguely relates to the divine into one undifferentiated melting pot, leads to a confusing picture.