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[German version] A. Mimesis Although in antiquity there was no conceptual term equivalent to the modern understanding of ‘art’, there were nevertheless theories on fine art reflecting on the essence of the artist's creative act, e.g. instructions on the production of works of art, studies on perception, descriptions of and reactions to works of art, critical assessments of artists and their œuvre as well as anecdotes and legends on artists at work. The explicit analogies of pictorially creative and non-visual, verbal art, so effectively made in modern times with far-reaching consequences in Lessing's ‘Laokoon [1], have been ascribed in antiquity to a time as early as the 5th cent. BC. Plutarch (Mor. 346f-347a), who was of the opinion that painters and authors would simply represent the same topics in different media (cf. Aristot. Poet. 1447a 17-21), quotes Simonides [2. 240 ad loc.] who reportedly said that painting was silent poetry and p…

(Σωκράτης; Sōkrátēs). [German version] [1] Sculptor from Thebes, c. 470 BC Sculptor from Thebes. He created a cult statue of Meter Dindymene for Pindar [2] in Thebes (Paus. 9,25,3) and therefore must have worked i…

(Διόδωρος, Διόδορος; Diódōros, Diódoros). Well-known representatives of the name: the philosopher D. [4] Kronos, the mathematician D. [8] of Alexandria, the universal historian D. [18] Siculus, the early Christian theologian D. [20] of Tarsus. [German version] [1] Athenian fleet commander in the Peloponnesian War Athenian, fleet commander with Mantitheus at the end of 408-407 BC at the Hellespont with a sufficient number of ships, so that Alcibiades [3] was able to sail to Samos and Thrasyllus and Theramenes to Athens (Diod. Sic. 13,68,2). (Traill, PAA 329550; Develin 171). Kinzl, …

(Ἡλιόδωρος; Heliódōros). [German version] [1] Chancellor under Seleucus IV, 2nd cent. BC Son of Aeschylus of Antioch on the Orontes, was educated with Seleucus IV and was a courtier (τῶν περὶ τὴν αὐλήν) and well-respected chancellor (ὁ ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων τεταγμένος) under him in 187-175 BC (IG XI 4,1112-1114, or OGIS 247; App. Syr. 45). When financial difficulties after the defeat of Seleucus' father Antiochus III against the Romans (190/188), in conjunction with internal Jewish intrigues, had led to special…

[German version] I. Understanding of the concept in ancient and modern times Just as the term ‘art’ did not …

(Πολέμων/ Polémōn). [German version] [1] Academic philosopher, 4th-3rd cents. BC Academic philosopher, born …

(Παυσανίας; Pausanías). [German version] [1] Spartiate from the house of the Agiads Spartiate from the house of the Agiads, son of Cleombrotus [1], after whose death (480/479 BC) he became guardian for his cousin Pleistarchus [1] and 'regent' (Hdt. 9,10; Thuc. 1,132,1; Paus. 3,4,9), father of the later king Pleistoanax (Thuc. 1,107,2). In 479, P. led the contingent of the Hellenic confederacy of 481 to victory over the Persians at Plataeae (Persian Wars), where at first the Greeks almost suffered a catastro…

[German version] A. Greece From the Renaissance up to the present day, ancient Greek and Roman art has been consistently held in high regard; overall, however, the attitude of ancient cultures to their own art has remained rather mysterious until today. There was, for example, no Muse in antiquity for fine art [1. 288]; ‘Art’ is per se a post-classical category of material-visual creation essentially unknown to antiquity [2; 3]. Thus, the character of modern reference and conceptual systems, seemingly timeless and of general validity, is particularly…

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