Abstract
The article analyses 'miraculous' statements made by the statues of authoritative figures, especially the statues of gods. Originally, such pronouncements occurred in the context of divination.
Some were a part of extraordinary manifestations by the statues in which various movements, falls, bleeding, or the shedding of tears were ascribed a divinatory meaning, others took place in the context of incubation. Christians viewed the statements made by inanimate temple statues as a proof of deception on the part of pagan priests; at the same time, however, they interpreted them as manifestations of malevolent demons inhabiting the statues.
The two positions are hardly compatible but their shared aim was to justify the Christians' hostile view of cult statues and consequent destruction at a time when adherents of the new religion were in a position to put their sentiments into practice. Nonetheless, many archaeologists take these allegations at face value and then try to confirm them by archaeological research in spite of the fact that the examples that they cite can be, for the most part, quite easily explained otherwise and without assuming any deceit on the part of the pagan priests.