Dion von Prusa und die Semiose des Götterbildes

Abstract

From Xenophanes on we find in literature as well as in philosophy reflections on the problem, whether the anthropomorphic representation of the gods in texts and in the arts is adequate. The critics of the images were faced by those who tried to justify the artistic expression of divine power and grandeur with rational arguments. In this debate Dio Chrysostom engaged, when he delivered a speech within the sight of the famous statue of Zeus which Phidias had made at Olympia. In the main part of his speech he represents the artist as appearing in court and defending the sculptural image of god. Dio deals with the problem of the anthropomorphic images not only in theological, but also in aesthetic terms, discussing, whether artists are actually able to make visible something which cannot be seen. To answer this question Dio compares the image of god created by the visual arts with that of the Homeric poems. The comparison is based on the assumption that the statue is a means of communication in the same way as texts. Therefore Dio, taking the theologia tripertita as the starting point, analyses the statue by applying a sign theory. Being unable to reproduce directly the concept of god he has conceived, the artist uses the human body as a vehicle or sign. Its human form does not show the characteristics of the god in a narrowly mimetic way, but refers as a symbol to the god. When someone is looking at the image, the symbol generates in him a notion of god, provided that the viewer is capable of distinguishing between the superficial and the hidden meaning of the image. Describing the relation between statue, concept of god and viewer in semiotic categories, Dio succeeds in revaluing the visual image of god as a source of cognition and thus as an intermediary between the sensible world and the realm of the gods. He reconciles religious tradition and philosophical criticism of religion.