4.33–50

The hive’s structure and some words of caution. 

Hives can be made of bark or woven twigs, and should have narrow openings to keep out the cold. The bees themselves will plug gaps with wax and propolis, an exceptionally sticky substance. It is also reported that bees will nest underground, in rocks, and in hollow trees. The beekeeper can help seal the hive by smearing the exterior of the hive with mud and covering it with leaves. In addition, avoid placing a hive near yew trees, bad smells (such as burnt crabs or smelly swamps), and locations that echo.

33 ipsa: modifies alvāria in line 34.

33 tibi: dative of advantage (AG 376).

33 sūta: supply fuerint (future perfect active indicative).

33 corticibus: ablative of material (AG 403). Vergil describes two common kinds of beehives, those made of bark and those made of woven twigs, then plastered with mud. We don’t know the exact shape of Roman beehives; the familiar beehive shape (called a skep) is probably of German origin, and not Roman.

34 lentō: “pliant” or “flexible.”

35 habeant: jussive subjunctive (AG 439).

35 angustōs…aditūs: angustōs is emphatic. Most hives have narrow openings, which helps keep the hive warm in cooler months, prevents robbing by other bees, and offers a smaller area to defend against other animals. nam indicates that Vergil understands the importance of bees being able to regulate the temperature of the hive.

36 cōgit: “solidifies.”

36 eadem: accusative plural neuter; referring to the mella.

36 liquefacta remittit: “liquifies and makes it run,” OLD remitto 5.b.

37 metuenda: supply est, passive periphrastic (AG 196, 500.2).

37 apibus: dative of agent with the passive periphrastic (AG 374a).

37–38 neque…nequiquam: “and not pointlessly,” an example of litotes (AG 326c).

38 tenuia: scan as ten-vi-a. The “u” must be taken as a consonant in order for the line to scan. Honeybees smear the interior of the hive with wax from which they build comb.

39 spīrāmenta: chinks or gaps in the hive.

39 fūcōque et flōribus: “the bee-glue from flowers,” hendiadys. fūcus is propolis, a kind of glue created from tree resin by bees as a filling for small cracks or gaps in the hive.

39 ōrās: “edges” of the entrance to the hive. Honeybees fill any gap in the hive to protect it from the elements and predators.

40 haec ipsa ad mūnera: “for these very functions.”

40 glūten: that is, propolis.

41 viscō: “birdlime”, a sticky material, made from holly or mistletoe, that was smeared on a branch in order to catch a bird. Viscō and pice are ablatives of comparison with lentius (AG 406).

41 lentius: “stickier.”

41 Phrygiae…pice…Īdae: “the pitch of Phrygian Ida.” Pitch or tar is derived from pines or firs. Phrygia is an area now part of west central Turkey. Mount Ida, a peak in Phrygia now called Kazdaği, where even today its slopes are covered with fir trees.

42 effossīs…latebrīs: while other species of bees, particularly bumblebees, do nest in the ground, this is not true of honeybees, which prefer aboveground (and often quite elevated) hives. This is an ablative of place where without a preposition, as is common in poetry (AG 429.4).

43 fōvēre larem: “maintain a home.” fōvēre is an alternate third person plural perfect indicative form, and a gnomic perfect, where the perfect conveys a general truth. Translate it as a present (AG 475).

43 repertae: supply sunt.

44 pūmicibusque…antrō: honeybees will nest in fissures in rocks or hollow trees. antrō here is not a cave, but a metaphor for a hollow part of a tree. These are ablatives of place where (AG 429.4).

44 exēsae: modifies arboris.

45–46 et…ungue…et…superinice: “both smear…and apply.”

45 lēvī: “smooth.” Note that the “e” is long.

46 fovēns: “keeping warm and snug.”

46 circum: adverb.

46 rārās: there is a fair amount of disagreement about what rārās means in this context. Mynors suggests “loose,” Stuart “scattered,” and Thomas “a few.” The goal would be to further protect and seal the hive with a thin layer of leaves adhering to the mud.

47 tectīs: the hives; dative, take closely with propius.

47 taxum: the yew (Taxus baccata), which is almost entirely toxic (see Columella 9.4.3–4).

47 sine: imperative 2nd singular < sinō, sinere, sīvī, situs, “permit.”

47 rubentēs: accusative plural, modifying cancrōs. Like lobsters, crabs turn red when heated.

48 cancrōs: the ashes of burnt crabs were used as a cure for some diseases (Pliny HN 18.293). Honeybees can be sensitive to various smells, but I can find no documentation of sensitivity to burnt crab shells.

48 crēde: takes the dative (AG 367).

49 ubi odor: supply est.

49–50 aut ubi…imago: this describes the creation of an echo, as the sound of a voice “strikes” the rock. It is unclear if echoes are annoying to bees, but they dislike sounds of motors and other loud noises. Recent research suggests that much bee communication occurs through vibration, so loud noises may be especially disruptive to their communities.

50 offensa: literally, “when hit against.”

50 imāgō vōcis: an echo.