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

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“animals,” <strong>and</strong> Pangle, as “liv<strong>in</strong>g be<strong>in</strong>gs.” 603 In view <strong>of</strong> the direct association <strong>of</strong> the<br />

overall discussion with the arts, however, these translations do not appear fitt<strong>in</strong>g; on the<br />

contrary, Kle<strong>in</strong>ias’ use <strong>of</strong> zw|&wn with<strong>in</strong> this context suggests that the term refers to<br />

subjects <strong>and</strong>/or images represented <strong>in</strong> art. F<strong>in</strong>ally, the direct association <strong>of</strong> these zw|&wn<br />

with the concept <strong>of</strong> beauty as a criterion for aesthetic judgment places the term with<strong>in</strong> the<br />

framework <strong>of</strong> the vocabulary <strong>of</strong> the arts. That Plato’s Athenian <strong>in</strong>tended to establish a<br />

firm connection with this context is viewed <strong>in</strong> his clos<strong>in</strong>g statement which summarizes<br />

clearly three k<strong>in</strong>ds <strong>of</strong> knowledge that a qualified judge <strong>of</strong> a work <strong>of</strong> art needed to possess:<br />

a) knowledge <strong>of</strong> the nature <strong>of</strong> the orig<strong>in</strong>al, b) knowledge <strong>of</strong> the correctness <strong>of</strong> the copy,<br />

<strong>and</strong> c) knowledge <strong>of</strong> the excellence with which the copy was executed. That these<br />

criteria for judgment concerned “every image <strong>in</strong> pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g, music, or any other art,”<br />

establishes the overall concern <strong>of</strong> the dialogue with the realm <strong>of</strong> the arts.<br />

Further mention <strong>of</strong> the zw|~on <strong>in</strong> connection with the arts, <strong>in</strong> particular pa<strong>in</strong>tn<strong>in</strong>g,<br />

occurs <strong>in</strong> another section <strong>of</strong> the Laws, <strong>in</strong> which only the Athenian <strong>and</strong> Kle<strong>in</strong>ias take part.<br />

<strong>The</strong> former compares the processes <strong>of</strong> creat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> preserv<strong>in</strong>g a pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g to those <strong>of</strong><br />

mak<strong>in</strong>g a law:<br />

ATHENIAN. You know how the pa<strong>in</strong>ters’ (zwgra&fwn) activity, for example,<br />

never seems to f<strong>in</strong>ish work<strong>in</strong>g on each <strong>of</strong> the zw|&wn, but keeps touch<strong>in</strong>g up<br />

(xrai/ne<strong>in</strong>) or highlight<strong>in</strong>g (a)poxrai/ne<strong>in</strong>)—or whatever the pa<strong>in</strong>ters’<br />

(zwgra&fwn) disciples call such activity? It seems never to cease its adorn<strong>in</strong>g,<br />

<strong>and</strong> hence never to reach a po<strong>in</strong>t where there can be no further improvement <strong>of</strong><br />

the pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs (gegramme/na) as regards beauty <strong>and</strong> clarity.<br />

KLEINIAS. I too know pretty well these th<strong>in</strong>gs you’re talk<strong>in</strong>g about, by<br />

hearsay—for I am not at all practiced, at least, <strong>in</strong> such an art (te/xnh|).<br />

603 Bury, Plato. Laws I 145; Pangle, <strong>The</strong> Laws <strong>of</strong> Plato 51.<br />

309

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