Myth, Image and Likeness in Plato’s Timaeus

Abstract

This chapter examines the Timaeus' muthos from two different angles, both revealing its singularity: first, what makes it stand out among other Platonic myths, i.e. the well-known eikos muthos qualification; next, because it relates to the world as mimema , it is of all other Platonic myths the one most directly and overtly dedicated to an image, an eikon promoted to sensible God status; the cross-examination of both angles leading us to discuss the relationship of eikos muthos to the issue of likeness and mimesis . For the Timaeus , even as it provides hermeneutics with an enigmatic, savoury meta-discursive richness, embeds the myth - or rather a series of myths - in a mise en abyme and specular game. Keywords: eikos muthos ; mimesis ; mythical image; Platonic myths; Timaeus' muthos