Psychai

Psychai are the diminutive, winged shades of the dead in Greek mythology and some fifth century BC funerary lekythoi.Martin, Bridget. "COLD COMFORT: WINGED PSYCHAI ON FIFTH‐CENTURY BC GREEK FUNERARY LEKYTHOI." Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies 59.1 (2016): 1. Although commonly translated as "soul" today, in the epics of Homer, it meant "life"Dietrich, Bernard C. "Death and afterlife in Minoan religion." Kernos. Revue internationale et pluridisciplinaire de religion grecque antique 10 (1997): 25. and did not have any connection to consciousness or psychological functions in the living. It is only later, at the end of the fifth century BC in the works of other poets such as Pindar, that the word acquires its meaning relating to being the principal seat of intellect, emotion, and will.Darcus Sullivan, Shirley. "Psyché in Pindar, Nemean 9.32 and 69." Revue belge de Philologie et d'Histoire 81.1 (2003): 5. From there, it became possible to translate psyche as "heart" or "soul".Darcus Sullivan, Shirley. "Psyché in Pindar, Nemean 9.32 and 69." Revue belge de Philologie et d'Histoire 81.1 (2003): 9.