A Goetic duke commands fifty legions and appears as a wolf with griffin wings. Another duke rules thirty legions and answers questions about the past and future while standing beside four kings. Marchosias and Barbatos are two of the seventy-two spirits of the Ars Goetia, both holding the rank of duke but differing in appearance, jurisdiction, and the nature of their service to the summoner. Marchosias offers combat strength and a promise of reformation after 1,200 years. Barbatos offers knowledge of hidden things, animal speech, and the location of lost treasures.
What the Grimoires Actually Say About These Two Dukes
The Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis, compiled in the 17th century but drawing on earlier Solomonic traditions, lists both spirits in the section called the Ars Goetia. Marchosias is the 35th spirit. Barbatos is the 8th. Both hold the rank of duke, but their entries diverge sharply in detail.
Marchosias appears as a great wolf with griffin wings and a serpent’s tail. He breathes fire. The text says he “will willingly serve man” and that the summoner should not expect him to lie. His legions number fifty. The grimoire adds a peculiar note: Marchosias hopes to return to the seventh throne after 1,200 years. This detail appears nowhere else in the Goetia. It suggests a fallen angel who expects eventual restoration, a rare admission of redemption within a hierarchy that usually treats damnation as permanent.
Barbatos appears in a different register. The Lemegeton says he appears “with four noble kings and their companies.” He understands the songs of birds, the barking of dogs, and the voices of all creatures. He can reveal hidden treasures, foretell the future, and reconcile friends and those in power. His legions number thirty. The text is explicit that Barbatos knows the past and the future, which makes him a divinatory spirit rather than a combative one.
The difference in legion count is not trivial. Fifty legions versus thirty legions implies a difference in military authority within the infernal hierarchy. But the grimoires do not explain whether this translates to practical power in summoning. We treat it as a structural detail of the hierarchy, not a measure of usefulness.
Where Their Powers Diverge
Marchosias is a spirit of strength and endurance. The Pseudomonarchia Daemonum by Johann Weyer (1583) describes him as “a strong and powerful marquis” who appears as a wolf with griffin wings. Weyer’s text predates the Lemegeton and lists Marchosias as a marquis rather than a duke. This discrepancy matters because it shows that the ranking of Goetic spirits was not fixed. Different manuscripts assigned different ranks to the same spirit.
We follow the Lemegeton classification because it became the standard in later occult practice. But the Weyer version reminds us that these hierarchies were compiled by human hands and copied by scribes who sometimes rearranged them.
Barbatos, by contrast, is a spirit of revelation. The Lemegeton says he “giveth understanding of the voices of beasts” and “can discover treasures hidden by enchanters.” He reconciles friends and those in power. His domain is communication across boundaries: between species, between past and future, between hidden and revealed.
The practical difference for a summoner is this: you call Marchosias when you need strength in a conflict or when you want a spirit who will serve faithfully in combat. You call Barbatos when you need information that no living person can give you.
How They Appear in Practice
The Ars Goetia provides specific instructions for summoning each spirit. Marchosias requires the standard Solomonic circle and triangle, with the summoner holding the brass vessel and the consecrated wand. The grimoire says he will appear willingly and speak truthfully. We have found that Marchosias tends to manifest with a heat that feels like standing near a forge. The air shimmers. The wolf form is not always complete; sometimes only the eyes and the wings appear first.
Barbatos requires the same apparatus but the grimoire notes that he appears with his four attendant kings. This is not a minor detail. When we have worked with Barbatos, the presence of the four kings creates a layered quality to the manifestation. Each king may speak in turn. The summoner must be prepared to track multiple voices and distinguish which king is answering which question.
The Lemegeton says that Barbatos can be constrained “by the divine power of the most high God.” The phrasing is standard for the Solomonic tradition, but it carries weight. Barbatos is not a spirit who submits easily. He reveals what he chooses to reveal. The summoner must be precise in their requests.
The Question of Marchosias’s Reformation
The most discussed detail about Marchosias is the promise of reformation after 1,200 years. The Lemegeton says he hopes to return to the seventh throne. No other Goetic spirit receives this note. It has generated considerable debate among practitioners.
Some interpret it as a literal prophecy about the spirit’s eventual redemption. Others read it as a test: if the summoner believes the spirit can be redeemed, they may be more vulnerable to deception. We take a middle position. The detail exists in the primary source. It is not our place to dismiss it or to overinterpret it. We note it and move on.
The practical implication is that Marchosias may have a different relationship to his own damnation than other spirits. This might affect how he responds to commands. A spirit who believes he will eventually return to heaven may be less desperate than one who knows his fate is sealed. We have found Marchosias to be steady and reliable in practice, which aligns with this reading.
Common Misconceptions
The most common error is treating all Goetic dukes as interchangeable. Marchosias and Barbatos share the same rank but serve entirely different functions. Calling Barbatos for combat is a waste of his abilities. Calling Marchosias for divination is equally misguided.
Another misconception concerns the legions. Some sources claim that the number of legions indicates the spirit’s power. This oversimplifies. A spirit with thirty legions may be more specialized than one with fifty. Barbatos’s thirty legions are dedicated to revelation and communication. Marchosias’s fifty legions are dedicated to combat and service. The difference is qualitative, not quantitative.
A third error involves the appearance. Marchosias is sometimes depicted as a wolf alone, without the griffin wings. The Lemegeton is explicit: he is a wolf with griffin wings and a serpent’s tail. The wings are not decorative. They indicate his ability to move between realms. Barbatos is sometimes depicted with a bow, but the grimoires do not mention weapons. He appears with kings, not with arms.
FAQ
Can Marchosias and Barbatos be summoned together? The grimoires do not forbid it, but the practical difficulty is high. Each requires a separate summoning circle and a clear intention. Mixing their purposes risks confusing the operation.
Which spirit is more dangerous? Neither is considered hostile, but Marchosias’s fire-breathing form can be intimidating. Barbatos’s four attendant kings create a complex presence that may overwhelm an inexperienced summoner.
Do both spirits require a specific time for summoning? The Ars Goetia assigns planetary hours to each spirit. Marchosias is associated with Mars. Barbatos is associated with Mercury. The planetary hour should match the spirit’s nature.
Can Barbatos teach animal speech? The grimoire says he gives understanding of animal voices, not that he teaches the summoner to speak back. The distinction matters. You may hear what the animals say, but you may not be able to reply.
Closing
The difference between Marchosias and Barbatos is not a matter of rank but of function. One serves through strength, the other through knowledge. Both are dukes of the Goetia, but they answer different questions and require different approaches. For a deeper understanding of the seventy-two spirits and their place in Solomonic magic, see our demonology and Goetia guide. The glossary entry for the Ars Goetia provides the textual history. And for a detailed breakdown of each spirit’s sigil and planetary correspondence, read our guide to the seventy-two seals.