Virgil's Georgics Book IV

History

• Born in 70 BC
• Wrote the Aeneid
• Was inspiration for Ovid and others
• died in 19 BC
• Is a character in Divine Comedy

Georgics

• Written over a seven-year period
• About the political changes of the time
• Caesar Augustus rising to power, a controversial power

Book IV

• Virgil teaching about beekeeping, or apicultur
• Also a hidden meaning
• critical essay on Roman society
• Perfect society

Introduction

• Introduces the bees as a nation with leaders and generals
• Tells of bees with honor and glory
• Culture with traditions
• "I'll tell you about the greatest spectacle of the slightest things... Labour, over little; but no little glory"

Maecenas

• "Maecenas, give this section too your regard"
• Gaius Maecenas: statesman
• Advised Caesar Augustus
• Patron of poets such as Virgil and Horace

Location and Maintenance of the Apiary

• Keep away from wind, cows, sheep, animals that eat bees, echoes
• Have springs, "a pool green with moss", a large tree, fragrant plants, trees and rocks in the water, fragrant plants
• Enjoy burrowing, love their hive and young
• Summary paragraph at the end

Procne

• Sister of Philomela, daughter of King Pandion of Attica, wife of Tereus, King of Thrace
• Tereus raped Philomela, cut out her tongue
• Philomela weaved a tapestry, sent it to Procne
• Procne killed her son Itys and fed him to Tereus
• Procne is nightengale, Philomela is swallow, Tereus is hoopoe, Itys is goldfinch

Quote

• "So, when you look up at the swarm released from the hive, floating towards the sky through the clear summer air, and marvel at the dark cloud drawn along by the wind"
• Personification
• Imagery
• Implied metaphor

The Fighting Swarms

• Bees have wars
• Have leaders and commanders, like the legions of Rome
• Fight valiantly in catastrophic battles
• Kill the weaker general and let the stronger live, "to avoid waste"
• Reddish bees are healthy, and if leader is healthy, bees will be healthy

Quote

• "Since the marshal sound of the harsh brass rebukes the lingerers, and an intermittent noise is heard, like a trumpet blast"
• Imagery
• Personification
• Simile
• Metonymy

The Surrounding Garden

• Do not let the bees fly around for leisure
• In order to settle them, cut off the leader's wings
• Set out flowers and such for the bees, or trust the gods to do so

Vocabulary

• Priapus: god of fertility
• Hellespont: ancient name for the Dardanelles

Contradiction

• Says he will not speak of gardening feats because he is too close to death and does not have the time
• Talks of gardening feats anyway

Quote

• "Let gardens fragrant with saffron flowers tempt them, and let watchful Priapus, lord of the Hellespont, the guard against thieves and birds, protect them with his willow hook."
• Personification
• Personification again

The Nature and Qualities of Bees

• Share everything in community, including children
• "They alone know a country, settle a home, and in summer, remembering the winter to come, undergo labour, storing their gains for all."
• Idealist Marxism

The Nature and Qualities of Bees (con't)

• Every bee has its role, but work and act as one
• Similar to the ants in OaFK
• Do not love, merely raise leaders and citizens
• Live on for generations in this way, despite their short lives

The Nature and Qualities of Bees (con't) x2

• If the leader dies, bees tear down their own comb
• Bees die valiantly
• There is an eternity in bees, who never truly die, but join the stars

Vocabulary

• Curetes: a legendary people
• Dictean cave: cave where Zeus was born

Quote

• "With the leader safe all are of the same mind; if the leader's lost they break faith, and tear down the honey they've made"
• imagery
• seriousness evident of didactic poetry

Gathering the Honey

• Moisten the entrance with water, use smoke to calm the bees
• "Their anger knows no bounds, and when hurt they suck venom into their stings, and leave their hidden lances fixed in the vein, laying down their lives in the wound they make."
• Harvest twice a year, let them smell thyme and cut away empty wax to help

Quote

• "or the spider, hated by Minerva, hangs her loose webs in the entrances"
• Apposative
• Imagery

Disease in Bees

• Signs of illness: change in color, become lean and lethargic, make a deep sound
• must burn sweet-smelling saps and feed it honey
• Boil amellus root in wine and give to the bees as food

Quote

• "Since life has brought the same misfortunes to bees as ourselves"
• Direct comparison between humanity and bees

Autogenesis of Bees

• The invention of Aristaeus
• Beat a bull to death and let it rot in a tiny building
• Attracts bees

Quote

• "and more and more try the clear air, until they burst out, like rain pouring from summer clouds, or arrows from the twanging bows"
• Imagery
• Simile
• Simile again

Aristaeus and his Mother Cyrene

• Aristaeus lost his bees, complained to his mother, Cyrene, and called her cruel; she sent for him
• "And the wave arched above him like a hill and, receiving him in its vast folds, carried him below the stream."
• Set a banquet, gave tribute to the Ocean, Cyrene said:

Quote

• "Aristaeus's cry again struck his mother's ear, and all were startled"
• Personification

The Capture of Proteus

• Aristaeus must capture a sea-green seer named Proteus while he is asleep, chain him
• Proteus will change form, each time Aristaeus must tighten the chains
• Taken to Poteus' cave by a nymph, veiled by the mist
• Capture Proteus, asks for a prophesy
• Proteus says:

Quote

• "At that the seer, twisting in his grip, eyes blazing with grey-green light, and grimly gnashing his teeth, opened his lips at last, and spoke this fate:"
• Imagery
• Hyperole

Orpheus and Eurydice

• Aristaeus is paying for the crime committed unto Orpheus
• Eurydice was running from Aristaeus when she was bitten by the snake

Aristaeus Sacrifices to Orpheus

• Drains the blood of four bulls and many heifers in repentance
• ninth day: sends funeral poppies to Orpheus and sacrifices a black ewe, worships Eurydice and sacrifices a calf to her
• Aristaeus's bees return

Quote

• "bees buzzing and swarming from the broken flanks among the liquified flesh of the cattle"
• Onomotopoeia
• Imagery

Virgil's Envoi

• Summarizes all the books withing Georgics

Translation

• Illa, “Quis et me,” inquit, “miseram et te perdidit, Orpheu, quis tantus furor? En iterum crudelia retro Fata vocant, conditque natantia lumina somnus. Iamque vale: feror ingenti circumdata nocte invalidasque tibi tendens, heu non tua, palmas!”

Vocabulary

• Miseram: from the base miser; singular, feminine, accusative; miserable Miser, misera: poor, miserable Perdidit: from the base perdo; third, singular, perfect; to destroy, ruin, squander Perdo, perdere, perdidi, perditus: to lose, ruin, destroy

Vocabulary

• Tantus: from the base tantus; singular, masculine, nominative; so great, such Tantus, tanta, tantum: of great size, so great Furor: from the base furo; first, singular, present; to rage, be mad Furo, furere, —, —: to be mad, rage

Vocabulary

• Iterum: from the base iterum; —, —, —; again, a second time Iterum: a second time, again Crudelia: from the base crudelis; plural neuter nominative; unfeeling, unmerciful Crudelis, crudele, crudelior: unmerciful, inhuman

Vocabulary

• Vocant: from the base voco; third, plural, present; to call, summon Voco, vocare, vocavi, vocatus: to call upon, to call, summon Conditque: from the base condo; third, singular, present; to put together, establish, build Condo, condere, condidi, conditus: to build, make

Vocabulary

• Natantia: from the base nato; to swim, float Nato, natare, natavi, natatus: to float, to swim Iamque: from the base iam; —, —, —; are you going so soon Iam: besides, now, already

Vocabulary

• Circumdata: from the base circumdo; singular, perfect passive, feminine, ablative; to place around, cause to surround, set around Circumdo, circumdare, circumdedi, circumdatus: to enclose, surround

Vocabulary

• Invalidasque: from the base invalidus; plural, feminine, accusative; not strong, impotent, weak Invalidus, invalida, invalidum: infirm, weak, feeble

Vocabulary

• Tendens: from the base tendo; singular, present, masculine, nominative; to stretch out, spread out Tendo, tendere, tetendi, tensus: stretch, spread, strive

Vocabulary

• Palmas: from the base palma; plural, feminine, accusative; the palm of the hand Palma, palmae: hand, width of the hand

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