In classical times, his major function in popular religion was to keep away evil, and he was therefore called "apotropaios" (, "averting evil") and "alexikakos" ( "keeping off ill"; from v.  + n. ).
ɪn klˈæsɪkəl tˈaɪmz, hɪz mˈeɪdʒɚ fˈʌŋkʃən ɪn pˈɑːpjʊlɚ ɹᵻlˈɪdʒən wʌz tə kˈiːp ɐwˈeɪ ˈiːvəl, ænd hiː wʌz ðˈɛɹfoːɹ kˈɔːld "ɐpˈɑːtɹəpˌeɪoʊz", "ɐvˈɜːɾɪŋ ˈiːvəl"ænd "ɐlˌɛksɪkˈɑːkoʊz" "kˈiːpɪŋ ˈɔf ˈɪl"; fɹʌm vˈiː.  plˈʌs ˈɛn..