Gods themselves or god made images

Use in the book

At 983e–984a the argument draws a religious conclusion from the heavenly beings' ensouled and divine character. One of two accounts must be adopted: either hymn them as gods themselves, or take them as images of gods, like statues, made by the gods themselves. The second alternative is not an account of human fabrication projected onto the sky. Divine makers are expressly named, and their intelligence and worth rule out the thought that the images are senselessly or contemptibly made.

Both alternatives lead to honor. Whichever is accepted, these beings should be honored above all statues. The comparison names their greater beauty, their common availability to all humanity, their excellent locations, purity, solemnity, and life. “Common” here concerns their relation to all people, not lack of distinction or possession by one particular city. Their heavenly placement gives them an accessibility that a local cult object does not share in the same way.

The argument does not choose between the two alternatives at the moment it states them. Its immediate practical conclusion is deliberately stable across either account. The heavens deserve exceptional honor whether they are divine agents themselves or especially excellent representations made by divine agents. Later calling the stars “visible gods” must be read in relation to this prior disjunction, rather than used to erase it without comment.

At the same time, the images are not treated as inert manufactured stones. Their excellence includes life, and the preceding argument has insisted on soul. The analogy “like statues” therefore marks a relation of representation and honor, not a complete identity in material constitution or animation. Treating the second alternative as soulless astronomy would contradict the causal account that leads into it.

The language of images also differs from the Athenian's own act of likening. His apeikazein makes a better verbal representation of the gods; these eikones are heavenly objects, on the second alternative, produced by gods. The common concern with likeness does not make the speaker their creator. Nor does it guarantee that a human theological description has the same excellence as a divine image.

The passage's comparative honors prepare the later legislative demand. Neglected visible gods are to receive rites and appropriate portions of time. The connection is positive: heavenly objects' exceptional public presence supports cultic recognition. It does not entail destruction of inherited statues or abolition of ancestral worship, which the Athenian shortly refuses to authorize.

Places to read

1. 983eδυοῖν τοι θάτερα θετέον αὐτά — An explicit two-way alternative is introduced
2. 983eθεοὺς αὐτοὺς ταῦτα ὑμνητέον — They may be hymned as gods themselves
3. 983e–984aθεῶν εἰκόνας ὡς ἀγάλματα — Or regarded as divine images, like statues
4. 984aθεῶν αὐτῶν ἐργασαμένων — The makers of these images are the gods themselves
5. 984aτιμητέον πάντων ἀγαλμάτων διαφερόντως — Either account leads to exceptional honor
6. 984aκοινότερα συμπάντων ἀνθρώπων ἀγάλματα — Their relation to all humanity is a ground of superiority
7. 984a–bκαθαριότητι καὶ σεμνότητι καὶ συμπάσῃ ζωῇ — Purity, solemnity, and life are among their excellences

Translation in this edition

“Images of gods, like statues” keeps eikōn and agalma distinct. The supplied translation repeats the alternatives instead of smoothing them into a single settled identification. Its rendering of the awkward repeated ταύτῃ at 984a–b follows Burnet's reading and does not supply a new doctrinal distinction at that point.

Shared celestial availability — κοινός (koinos)

κοινός (koinos)

Shared celestial availability. The heavenly images are more common to all humanity than other statues. The comparative concerns shared relation and availability, not inferiority or lack of distinction. Attested: κοινότερα (984a). Gods themselves or god made images.

God or image alternative — θεός (theos)

θεός (theos)

God or image alternative. Calling heavenly beings gods themselves is the first of two permitted accounts; the second identifies divine images produced by gods. Attested: θεοὺς (983e). Gods themselves or god made images.

Preferential honor of heavenly images — τιμᾶν (timan)

τιμᾶν (timan)

Preferential honor of heavenly images. The verbal adjective requires exceptional honor whichever account is accepted: gods themselves or images made by gods. Attested: τιμητέον (984a). Gods themselves or god made images.

Hymnic recognition of divinity — ὑμνεῖν (hymnein)

ὑμνεῖν (hymnein)

Hymnic recognition of divinity. The verbal adjective states what must be done if heavenly beings are taken as gods themselves. It is one side of an explicit alternative whose other side regards them as god-made images. Attested: ὑμνητέον (983e). Gods themselves or god made images.

God-made celestial representation — εἰκών (eikōn)

εἰκών (eikōn)

God-made celestial representation. Images of gods are the second alternative to gods themselves. The makers are divine, and the images remain living and worthy of extraordinary honor. Attested: εἰκόνας (983e). Gods themselves or god made images.

Excellence of divine images — ζωή (zōē)

ζωή (zōē)

Excellence of divine images. The heavenly images excel in their whole life as well as beauty, purity, and solemnity. The statue analogy therefore does not make them lifeless objects. Attested: ζωῇ (984b). Gods themselves or god made images.

Excellence of heavenly images — καθαριότης (kathariotēs)

καθαριότης (kathariotēs)

Excellence of heavenly images. Purity is one of the grounds on which celestial images exceed other honored objects. The passage does not specify a purification rite as the cause of this excellence. Attested: καθαριότητι (984a). Gods themselves or god made images.

Excluded character of divine makers — ἀνόητος (anoētos)

ἀνόητος (anoētos)

Excluded character of divine makers. The heavenly images cannot be works of senseless makers. Their production is attributed to gods whose intelligence and worth support the honor owed to the result. Attested: ἀνοήτων (984a). Gods themselves or god made images.

Dignity of celestial images — σεμνότης (semnotēs)

σεμνότης (semnotēs)

Dignity of celestial images. Solemnity or august dignity accompanies purity and life in the heavenly comparison. It supports honor without deciding between gods themselves and divine images. Attested: σεμνότητι (984a). Gods themselves or god made images.

Analogy for celestial representation — ἄγαλμα (agalma)

ἄγαλμα (agalma)

Analogy for celestial representation. The celestial images are like statues in their relation to gods and honor. The likeness does not render them lifeless or human-made. Attested: ἀγάλματα (983e). Gods themselves or god made images.

Superiority to local cult objects — ἄγαλμα (agalma)

ἄγαλμα (agalma)

Superiority to local cult objects. Whichever divine account is adopted, the celestial beings deserve greater honor than all statues because of beauty, shared accessibility, placement, purity, solemnity, and life. Attested: ἀγαλμάτων (984a). Gods themselves or god made images.

The image alternative — ὑπολαμβάνειν (hypolambanein)

ὑπολαμβάνειν (hypolambanein)

The image alternative. The second option is to take the celestial beings as images like statues made by gods. Supposition here belongs to an explicit allowed alternative, not a dismissal of their reality. Attested: ὑπολαβεῖν (984a). Gods themselves or god made images.

Two possible objects of religious acknowledgment (contextual phrase)

ἢ γὰρ θεοὺς αὐτοὺς ταῦτα ὑμνητέον ὀρθότατα, ἢ θεῶν εἰκόνας ὡς ἀγάλματα ὑπολαβεῖν γεγονέναι (983e–984a)

The either/or presents gods themselves and divine images as alternative accounts of the same heavenly beings. Both ground honor. The latter alternative does not say that they are human inventions; the following phrase makes the gods themselves their makers. Gods themselves or god made images.

The gods themselves have made them (contextual phrase)

θεῶν αὐτῶν ἐργασαμένων (984a)

The genitive absolute attributes the making of celestial images to the gods themselves. Their divine origin and living excellence distinguish them from ordinary human statues even while a statue-like relation of representation is used to explain their honor. Gods themselves or god made images.

Shared by all humanity (contextual phrase)

κοινότερα συμπάντων ἀνθρώπων ἀγάλματα (984a)

Commoner to all humanity is comparative accessibility and relation, not a judgment of vulgarity. The phrase supports exceptional celestial honor alongside beauty, placement, purity, solemnity, and life. It does not transfer ownership of existing civic sanctuaries. Gods themselves or god made images.