In Greece and Italy 265 



where the bees and the goat Amalthea shared the honor 

 of acting as nurses to the young deity, feeding him on 

 milk and honey. 



The Cretans, famous makers of bronze weapons, in 

 order to drown the cries of the infant god and prevent his 

 discovery by a relentless father, instituted their renowned 

 and noisy weapon-dance and performed it about him. 



For centuries the birth of the father of the gods among 

 the friendly Cretans was celebrated by the weapon-dance 

 at the observance of the festivals of Zeus. Moreover, in 

 a certain grotto on Mount Ida, for ages there dwelt a band 

 of copper-colored and very fierce bees, that successfully 

 defended their store of holy honey from the approach alike 

 of men and gods. 



Yearly, upon the birthday of Zeus, a great fire was to 

 be seen flaming out of the grotto, and Zeus himself watched 

 over the little nurses of his infancy, punishing all who 

 ventured to intrude upon them. 



It once happened that four venturesome spirits thought 

 to defy the power of the god and possess themselves of 

 the holy honey, and to this end clad themselves from head 

 to foot in close-fitting bronze armor and proceeded to 

 scale the rocky wall. 



But they had reckoned without their Zeus. The armor 

 fell asunder from their bodies, Zeus thundered and drew 

 forth his lightning, but the Fates and Themis held him 

 back, for it was not decreed that any should die — thougli 

 the angry god turned the sacrilegious four into birds. 



It is said the bees received as reward from the grateful 

 god the art of storing honey in waxen cells for winter use, 

 the power to form a community governed by wise laws, 

 and also the beautiful golden bands on their bodies, as a 

 mark of special favor. 



Zeus, in ancient works of art, is often represented as 



