At various points in history, different groups of Christians have constructed various systems of classification, or hierarchies of demons. Perhaps the single most influential of these classifications is that put forward by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in the Fourth or Fifth century in his book The Celestial Hierarchy.
In this work, the author drew on passages from the New Testament, specifically Ephesians 6:12 and Colossians 1:16. From these, he constructed a schema of three hierarchies of angels and demons, with each hierarchy containing three orders, thus (in descending level of power):
- First Hierarchy
- Second Hierarchy
- Powerss
- Dominionss
- Principalities
- Third Hierarchy
- Virtuess
- Archangels
- Angels
Some significant examples include:
- The Grimoire of Pope Honorius III
- The Hierarchy of Hell by Johan Weyer
- The Daemonologie of King James I of England