The Judgment of Animals in Classical Greece: Animal Sculpture and ...

These authorities also say that the Egyptians were the first to use the names of the
twelve gods, and that the Greeks took these from them, and that the Egyptians
were the first to assign altars and a)ga&lmata and temples to the gods and to carve
(e0gglu&yai) zw|~a on stones (e0n li/qoisi). (2.4) [100]
To judge from the zw|~a that are mentioned, Herodotus applies the word to images of
some kind, which he counts among the standard equipment for an Egyptian religious
setting. As was the case previously, the word again appears in the plural and in
connection with religion, whereas the absence of any description of how these zw|~a
looked again highlights that it was a term of general description. The reference to
Egyptians’ being the first people to include zw|~a among their installations for worship
gives the impression that Herodotus considered zw|~a elements of the long-ago practice of
an activity that was current and familiar. 389 Further, that he associates these zw|~a with
the arts is evident from his mention of them along with a)ga&lmata, which brings
immediately to mind the fragment of Empedocles. As noted above, this fragment placed
both these kinds of artistic images well into a religious context and in direct association
with the Greek idea of the past.
Regarding the use of the term a1galma in the Histories, John Powell states that it
occurs sixty six times. 390 As for its meaning, A. A. Donohue says that it is Herodotus’
usual word for “statue” and that he uses it for images of both men and gods. 391 The
general reference of the passage to a)ga&lmata does not allow specific identification with
either of these two types of images; therefore, the term can be only broadly defined as
“statues.”
389 For a brief discussion of the importance of “firsts” in Herodotus, and further bibliography on the subject,
see J. Marincola, Greek Historians (Oxford, 2001) 30, n. 52. For the Classical Greek image of Egypt as the
source of ancient wisdom and Greek practice and ideals, see Harrison, “Upside Down and Back to Front,”
in Matthews and Roemer, eds., Ancient Perspectives on Egypt (London, 2003) 145-155.
390 J. E. Powell, A Lexicon to Herodotus (Hildesheim, 1966) 1, s.v. a1galma.
391 Donohue, Xoana 26-27, n. 64.
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