4.176–190

Vergil finishes his description of the shared labor and habits of the bees. 

Vergil compares the work of the hive to the Cyclopes’ forge in Mt. Aetna, where each member has a distinct, complementary purpose. So too, older bees maintain the hive itself, while younger ones return weighed down by the pollen and nectar they have foraged. The bees are of one mind and assiduous in their work: they leave the hive in the morning, return from the fields in the evening, seek shelter, and care for their bodies. The hum of the hive is constant, until they go to sleep and the hive falls silent. 

176  sī parva…magnīs: Vergil charmingly almost apologizes for the juxtaposition of the work in Vulcan’s forge with the activity that you see in a humble beehive. 

177  Cēcropiās: “Cecropian.” Cecrops was a mythical early king of Athens. Here the Cecropian bees refer to the bees of Mount Hymettus, where they were traditionally (and continue to be) kept. habendī: a gerund (genitive neuter singular); take closely with amor. The bees are motivated by an innate acquisitiveness.

178  quamque: feminine accusative singular of quisque, “each (bee).” 

178  mūnere suō: each bee is urged on in her own duty to the hive. 

178  grandaevīs oppida cūrae: supply sunt; “the towns are a concern to the old ones;” a double dative (AG 382.1).

179  daedala: as observed above (line 56) the bees have ars.

180  multā…nocte: “late in the night.” 

180  minōrēs: the younger bees, who leave the hive to do the exhausting work of foraging.

181  crūra: accusative neuter plural, accusative of respect with a body part (AG 397b). Bees carry pollen in sacs on their legs. 

181  thymō plēnae: “full of thyme/” plēnus is followed by an ablative to show the material something is full of (AG 409a). Thyme, Thymus vulgaris, continues to be a common garden herb and a favorite of bees. 

181  pāscuntur = dēpāscuntur, “feed upon.” 

181  arbuta: the fruit of the strawberry tree, Arbutus unedo, an evergreen with edible red berries, though the bees would instead feed upon the tree’s flowers. 

182  salicēs: willows, Salix sp. The leaves, especially the underside, are indeed glaucās. See also line 26. 

182  casiam: a fragrant shrub with a smell similar to cinnamon. There is no clear consensus on which plant is meant here, though it is likely a species of daphne. Mynors suggests either Daphne gnidium (flax-leaved daphne) or Daphne cneorum (rose daphne). Stuart suggests mezereon, Daphne mezereum.  Cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) is not native to Europe. See line 30. 

182  crocum: see line 109. The stigmas of the crocus are often a bright red. The flowers themselves can have many hues.

183  tiliam: the linden tree, which is particularly fragrant and makes a distinctive honey; Tilia cordata. See line 141. 

183  ferrūgineōs hyacinthōs: the hyacinth, Hyacinthus orientalis, a much less showy flower than the hyacinths typically cultivated today. See line 137. Some do have a dark reddish or purplish hue. 

184  omnibus: dative of possession (AG 373).

184  quiēs: supply est. 

184  operum < opus, operis (n); “from labors” (AG 348).

185  portīs: “from the gates,” ablative of place from where (AG 428g).

185  mora: supply est.

185-187  Vesper…admonuit = cum tandem Vesper admonuit eāsdem dēcēdere rūrsus ē pāstū campīs. 

186  ē pastū: “after feeding,” OLD ex 29.

186  dēcēdere: an infinitive after admonuit, instead of an indirect command. This is a common poetic practice (AG 457a).

186  campīs: ablative place where without a preposition, as is common in poetry (AG 429.4). 

187  petunt…cūrant: the bees are the subject.

188  mussant: “hum,” a frequentative form of mūtio, mutīre, mūtīvi, mūtītus. 

188  ōrās…circum = circum ōrās et līmina. ōrās: edges (to the entrance of the hive). See line 39.

189  thalamīs: ablative place where without a preposition, as is common in poetry (AG 429.4). 

189  composuēre: 3rd person plural perfect active indicative (AG 163a).

189  silētur: “there is silence;” impersonal usage.

190  in noctem: “far into the night.” 

190  sopor suus: “her own sleep,” the sleep that each one has earned by her work.