24.04.2013 Views

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

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

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

I’m very grateful to you for this: you’re most oblig<strong>in</strong>g. Listen, all <strong>of</strong> you, <strong>and</strong>…<strong>in</strong><br />

silence. Look <strong>and</strong> see whether the eidolon could [possibly] be more [like] me, this<br />

mimema by the Skillful One; it can do everyth<strong>in</strong>g but talk! Look at these! You see? Yes,<br />

come! Come! I br<strong>in</strong>g this <strong>of</strong>fer<strong>in</strong>g to the god to ornament his house, my lovely votive<br />

picture. It would give my mother a bad time! If she could see it, she’d certa<strong>in</strong>ly run<br />

shriek<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>f, th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g it was the son she brought up: so like me is this fellow.<br />

Ho there! Look upon the house <strong>of</strong> the Lord <strong>of</strong> the Sea, the Shaker <strong>of</strong> Earth! And let each<br />

fasten up the likeness <strong>of</strong> his h<strong>and</strong>some face, a truthful messenger, a voiceless herald to<br />

keep <strong>of</strong>f travelers; he’ll halt strangers on their way by his terrify<strong>in</strong>g look. Hail, K<strong>in</strong>g, hail<br />

Poseidon…protector….<br />

10<br />

Alcidamas, On Those Who Write Written Speeches or On Sophists 1.27 V B.C.<br />

Text <strong>and</strong> translation: J. V. Muir, ed., tr., Alcidamas. <strong>The</strong> Works <strong>and</strong> Fragments (Bristol,<br />

2001).<br />

h(gou~mai d' ou)de\ lo&gouj di/kaion ei]nai kalei=sqai tou_j gegramme/nouj,<br />

a)ll' w3sper ei1dwla kai\ sxh&mata kai\ mimh&mata lo&gwn, kai\ th_n au)th_n<br />

kat' au)tw~n ei0ko&twj a2n do&can e1xoimen, h3nper kai\ kata_ tw~n xalkw~n a)ndria&ntwn<br />

kai\ liqi/nwn a)galma&twn kai\ gegramme/nwn zw|&wn. w3sper ga_r<br />

tau~ta mimh&mata tw~n a)lhq<strong>in</strong>w~n swma&twn e0sti/, kai\ te/ry<strong>in</strong> me\n e0pi\ th~j<br />

qewri/aj e1xei, xrh~s<strong>in</strong> d' ou)demi/an tw|~ tw~n a)nqrw&pwn bi/w| paradi/dwsi,<br />

to_n au)to_n tro&pon o( gegramme/noj lo&goj, e9ni\ sxh&mati kai\ ta&cei kexrhme/noj,<br />

e0k bibli/ou me\n qewrou&menoj e1xei t<strong>in</strong>a_j e0kplh&ceij, e0pi\ de\ tw~n kairw~n<br />

a)ki/nhtoj w2n ou)demi/an w)fe/leian toi=j kekthme/noij paradi/dws<strong>in</strong>.<br />

And I do not th<strong>in</strong>k it is right that speeches written down should even be called speeches,<br />

but should be thought <strong>of</strong> as images <strong>and</strong> patterns <strong>and</strong> imitations <strong>of</strong> speeches, <strong>and</strong> we could<br />

reasonably have the same op<strong>in</strong>ion about them as we have about bronze statues<br />

<strong>and</strong> stone monuments <strong>and</strong> gegramme/nwn zw|&wn (=depictions <strong>of</strong> animals). For, just as<br />

these are imitations <strong>of</strong> real bodies <strong>and</strong> give delight to the view, but <strong>of</strong>fer no use <strong>in</strong> human<br />

life, <strong>in</strong> the same way the written speech, hav<strong>in</strong>g a s<strong>in</strong>gle form <strong>and</strong> arrangement, produces<br />

certa<strong>in</strong> strik<strong>in</strong>g effects when it is conned from the book, but be<strong>in</strong>g fixedly unable to<br />

respond to critical moments, if <strong>of</strong> no use to those who have got hold <strong>of</strong> it.<br />

11<br />

Alciphron, Epistles III.11 II/III A.D.<br />

Text: M.A. Schepers, ed., Alciphronis Rhetoris Epistularum Libri IV (Leipzig, 1905; repr.<br />

1969).<br />

Translation: A. Rogers Benner <strong>and</strong> F. H. Fobes, eds., trs., <strong>The</strong> Letters <strong>of</strong> Alciphron,<br />

Aelian <strong>and</strong> Philostratus (Cambridge, Mass. <strong>and</strong> London, 1990).<br />

9Wrolo&gioj Laxanoqauma&sw|<br />

342

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!