The Kakodaimonistai (ancient Greek κακοδαιμονισταί, singular κακοδαιμονιστής, worshippers of the evil daemon) were a dining club in ancient Athens that consisted of the poet Kinesias and his companions Apollophanes, Mystallides, and Lysitheus. They are attested in a speech by Lysias criticizing Kinesias. They chose the name to ridicule the gods and Athenian custom.[1] One of the ways in which they did this was by dining on unlucky days (ἡμέραι ἀποφράδες), holidays set apart for fasting, in order to test the gods.[2] All of the kakodaimonistai except Kinesias died young, possibly due to excessive consumption of alcohol.[3]
The name Kakodaimonistai, which has been translated as "devil-worshippers"[2] or "the bad luck club",[4] was a parody of the name Agathodaimonistai used by some respectable social clubs.[2] Such monthly banqueting fraternities were common at the time.[5]