[Meaning something] falling down out of heaven.[1]
"Those among Greeks preparing cult-images [and] wanting to put fear into those seeing them used to maintain that the statue was sent out of heaven from Zeus and flew down, that it was something better than every human hand and invincible, for which reason they used to call it heaven-sent [diopetes] and a heavenly image [bretas], inasmuch as it resembled a mortal man [brotos].[2] Which is not to say that the opinion about the statues was vain and aimless; rather, they were either killing or banishing the sculptors, in order that no one would be able to say that the cult-image was made by hand; having concocted a rumour they sent it forth into the hearing of those who had been tricked, and this rumour led the city of the Ephesians astray. And that this is true, the thing which happened [...] in Alexandria confirms: for when Ptolemy had gathered craftsmen so as to make the statue of Artemis, after the work when he had dug a great hole and had hidden his trick, he ordered the craftsmen to dine in it; these men dining were buried there and died, having collected a wage worthy of their wickedness."[3]