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

which in this case has been rendered as “animal.” 618 Although the equation of
a1nqrwpoj (“man”) with zw|~on (“animal”) seems reasonable, the statement does not
clarify how the term zw|~on, when defined as gegramme/non, should be understood. The
meaning of the adjective gegramme/non (“painted,” “drawn”) shows direct association
with the arts, but does not allow one to determine whether gegramme/non zw|~on should be
taken to mean the representational subject of a work of art produced by means of
painting/drawing or the image to which this work corresponded. Again the blurring of
the boundary between subject and image appears at the center of the meaning of zw|~on
when involved with the arts. Notwithstanding this situation, Aristotle’s statement is
valuable for it presents the difference of essence, which, in turn, justifies a difference in
context, as a crucial factor in shaping the split in the meaning of zw|~on. The centrality of
this conception is also seen in Aristotle’s remark that, if asked, anyone would be able to
explain the nuance in these two distinct definitions of zw|~on (ti/ e0stin au)tw~n e9kate/rw|
to_ zw|&w| ei]nai). By paying attention to context, this statement establishes the dual
meaning of zw|~on as common knowledge in the Greek thought of the fourth century B.C.
The importance placed on context is also found in Aristotle’s analysis of the category of
things, which he defines as synonymous. As stated above, this definition applies to
entities that are identical in essence, such as a man (a1nqrwpoj) and an ox (bou~j), which
are both called animal[s] (zw|&w). This grouping and labeling, as Aristotle says, can be
easily understood and explained by everyone. His comment again indicates a widespread
comprehension of the specific meaning that the term zw|~on could acquire when in
connection with a specific context.
618 Animal: H. P. Cooke, ed., tr., Aristotle. The Categories. On Interpretation (Cambridge, Mass., and
London, 1938; repr. 1996) 13; animals: J. K. Ackrill, tr., Aristotle’s Categories and De Interpretatione
(Oxford, 1953) 3.
320