Question 72 · Mary, the saints, images and prayer

What did they believe about angels and demons?

What the sources show

Shepherd of Hermas c. 140 · Origen of Alexandria c. 234Guardian angels

Hermas, about 140, says each person has an angel of righteousness beside him; Origen says the angels pray with those who pray. ¹⁴

Athenagoras c. 177 · Fourth Lateran Council 1215Fallen angels

Demons were angels who fell by free choice. Early writers often linked the fall to Genesis 6; the Fourth Lateran Council (1215) defined only that they were created good and became evil by themselves. ³⁵

The answers given:

ApostolicBefore NicaeaNicaea and afterMiddle AgesReformation to today

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Apostolic Fathers

30–150

140c. AD

Guardian angels

Shepherd of Hermas fl. c. 140 ADShepherd of Hermas Mandate 6.2.1–3

There are two angels with each person, one of righteousness and one of wickedness. "How then, sir," I said, "shall I know their workings, since both angels dwell with me?" "Listen," he said, "and understand them. The angel of righteousness is gentle and modest, meek and quiet. When he comes into your heart, he at once speaks with you of righteousness, purity, reverence, contentment, every righteous deed and every glorious virtue."

An early form of the guardian angel, with an evil spirit beside it.

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Before Nicaea

150–325

155c. AD

Fallen angels

Justin Martyr c. 100–c. 165 ADSecond Apology 5.1

But the angels, transgressing this appointed order, were overcome by intercourse with women and begot children, and these are the ones called demons.

Justin is answering why the just suffer: God gave the care of human beings to angels, and the angels fell. The chapter numbering differs by edition: the passage is Second Apology 5 in the common numbering, chapter 4 in the library's edition.

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177c. AD

Fallen angels

Athenagoras fl. c. 177 ADPlea for the Christians 24.4–5

The rest, being free as they were made by God, remained in what God made and ordered them for; but some outraged both the nature of their being and their office: this ruler of matter and of the forms in it, and others of those around this first firmament ... those fell into desire for virgins and were found weaker than the flesh, and he became negligent and wicked in the management of what was entrusted to him.

Many second-century writers read Genesis 6:1–4 as angels falling for women. Later writers dropped this reading and spoke of a fall through pride.

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234c. AD

Guardian angels

Origen of Alexandria c. 185–c. 254 ADOn Prayer 11.1

Not only the high priest prays with those who pray sincerely, but also the angels who rejoice in heaven over one sinner who repents.

Origen goes on to the angel Raphael in Tobit, who carries prayers to God.

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Middle Ages

1054–1500

1215AD

Fallen angels

Fourth Lateran CouncilChapter 1, On the Catholic Faith Firmiter

For the devil and the other demons were created by God good in nature, but they became evil by their own doing. Man sinned at the devil's suggestion.

Against the Cathars, who taught an evil creator. The council does not define the number or ranks of angels.

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Witnesses not in the library yet

These writers also matter for this question. Their texts will join the timeline above once they are translated.

500
Pseudo-Dionysius, Celestial Hierarchy
The nine choirs of angels.
417
Augustine of Hippo, City of God 11.9–15 and 12.1–9
The creation and fall of the angels.

How this page was made

Every early quote was read in its Greek or Latin and translated for this page by Claude (Opus 5.5) on 13 October 2026. Each line names the printed edition it was read from. A quote marked indirect does not state the answer outright; read its note. A writer's silence is never counted as an answer.