In Greece and Italy 285 



" In the centre of the palace, within the deep recesses 

 of the inner court, stood a laurel, with sacred locks, and 

 for many years preserved with awe ; which King Latinus 

 having discovered when he was raising the first towers of 

 his palace, was said to have consecrated to Phoebus, and 

 from it to have given the name of Laurentines to the in- 

 habitants. On the high summit of this tree thick-clustering 

 bees, strange to hear, wafted athwart the liquid sky with 

 a great humming noise, planted themselves ; and^ having 

 linked their feet together by a mutual hold, the swarm 

 hung in a surprising manner from the leafy bough. Forth- 

 with, the prophet said, we behold a foreign hero hither 

 advancing, and an army making towards the same parts 

 where the bees alight, from the same parts whence they 

 came, and bearing sway in the lofty palace." 



In Lycophron's " Cassandra," Cassandra, daughter of 

 Priam and Hecuba, having received the gift of prophecy 

 from Apollo, repeatedly foretold calamities that were to 

 befall Troy, — 



" for then nor foss, nor earthy mound, 



Nor bars, nor bolts, nor massy walls, though flanked 

 With beetling towers, and rough with palisades, 

 Aught shall avail; but (thick as clustering bees, 

 "When sulphurous steams ascend, and sudden flames 

 Invade their populous cells) do'.vn from the banks. 

 Heaps upon heaps, the dying swarms shall roll, 

 And temper foreign furrows with their gore I " 



Herodotus tells of a prodigy by which the bees gained 

 tardy but earnest recognition for a slain leader from his 

 slayers. Onesilus the Salaminian was killed in an encoun- 

 ter with the Persians. 



" Now the Amathusians, having cut off the head of 

 Onesilus because he had besieged them, took it to Ama- 

 thus, and suspended it over the gates ; and when the head 



