APOTROPE (from ἀποτρέπω, I avert), in Ancient Poetry, verses composed for averting the wrath of incensed deities; and the deities invoked for averting any threatened misfortune were called Apotropaei. They were also called Alexicaci, from ἀλέγω, I drive away; and Averunci, from averruco, which denotes the same.