GREEK AND LATIN LITERATURE ON THE CICADA. XV 



Cicadas. " 'Apu^T TSTnya; txz^u(Tai l^o^o^y Appolloiiidas 

 has a pretty little poem about Kriton the Pialian, a 

 fowler, who threw his lines over a Tettix that was 

 singing in mid-heat of the sun, but he was rightly 

 punished, for none of his snares would ever succeed 

 again. It begins, "0a/*i/ov wot uk^ov;,'' &c. 



An anonymous epigram in the ' Planudian 

 Anthology ' describes how a spider caught a Tettix in 

 its web, and how the poet set it free, for love of its 

 song. "Be at liberty!" I cried, "thou who singest 

 with the voice of the Muses." 



The foregoing selection does not exhaust the list of 

 ancient poems on the Tettix, but it may suffice for 

 Greek quotation. 



As to Latin literature we may remark that Virgil has 

 several references to this insect, thus : — 



" Sole sub ardenti resonant arbusta Cicadis ;"'•' 



and in almost the same words he says— 



" When the querulous Cicadae make the woods resound with their 

 songs." f 



That Virgil did not much admire their music may be 

 gathered from his lines : — 



'* The creaking locusts (Cicadse) with my voice conspire, 

 They fried with heat, and I with fierce desire." 



Once more he sings : — 



" While bees on thyme and locusts feed on dew, 

 Thy grateful swains these honours shall renew."] 



Lucretius seems to have believed that Cicadas put off 

 their tunics in summer, whence the line — 



" Cum veteres poneut tunicas ajstate Cicadae," § 



and — 



" Folliculos ut nunc teretes aestate Cicadfe 

 Linquunt sponte sua victum vitamque petentes." 



Koughly rendered — 



" As now in summer Cicadae spontaneously leave their tender skins, 

 seeking new life and sustenance." || 



- Buc. EcL, ii. 1. 13. f Geor., iii. 1. 328. \ Buc. Eel., v. 1. 77. 

 § De rerum Naturae, Lib. iv. 1. 55. || Ibid., Lib. v. 1. 801. 



