Ancient Greek Theatre and the Logical Form of Action Sentences: On the ‘ξ’ called πρόσωπον. A search for a Christian account of the notion of person from the perspective of semiotics and the philosophy of language

«Ancient Greek Theatre and the Logical Form of Action Sentences: On the ‘ξ’ called πρόσωπον. A search for a Christian account of the notion of person from the perspective of semiotics and the philosophy of language» I would like to explore the notion of ‘πρόσωπον’ (hereafter referred to as the ‘ξ’ called πρόσωπον) as the subject of my talk. I intentionally leave this word untranslated, for any translation inevitably omits some of its meanings, which would hinder the depth of our discussion. In my presentation at Syros, I aim to outline a semiotic archaeology of the notion of πρόσωπον, focusing particularly on the role that the 'ξ' called πρόσωπον played in Athenian theatre during the fifth and fourth centuries BCE and, through it, in the philosophical debate on the divine persons in the Christian οἰκονομία of salvation. My thesis can be summarized in four points: (a) the 'ξ' called πρόσωπον in Attic drama represents the first appearance of a new logical space, one that reveals the role of the person within the context of a mythical action sentence; (b) this logical space is linked to the emergence of a sphere distinct from the οὐσία (substance) of an individual belonging to a species; and (c) without the experience of Attic theatre, the dissociation of the personal sphere from the substantive sphere would not have been possible. (d) As is well known, the notion of πρόσωπον holds a pivotal role in Christian theology. Does this archaeology contribute to a more comprehensive view of both the divine and the human personhood in an oecumenical perspective?