Der Bienenstaat in Vergils Georgica.

Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur, Mainz, 1955. 18p. Sewn. A few pencil markings. Series: Abhandlungen der Geistes- und sozialwissenschaftlichen Klasse, Jahrgang 1954, Nr. 10. 'This is a concise discussion of the symbolism in the fourth book of the 'Georgics'. Dahlmann begins with an analysis of the chapter in Seneca (De Clem. i 19) where the kingdom of the bees is used as an illustration to show that monarchy is a natural political organization for a State, and he considers how far Virgil's description of the bees had a similar intention. He illustrates well how Virgil again and again makes us think of the bees in terms of human society, and how the bees differ from the rest of Virgil's plant and animal kingdom in providing for themselves that 'cura' and 'labor' which in other cases humans must provide. They alone have 'ratio', and share in the divine 'logos'. (...) At many points Dahlmann's sensitive analysis stimulates and enriches our appreciation of Virgil; but the problem in symbolic interpretation of classical literature is how far to go. (...) The fourth book of the 'Georgics' (...) is rich in suggesting to its readers different levels of meaning and significance at the same time, but it is in no sense an allegory. It is about bees before it is about anything else.' (R.D. WILLIAMS in The Classical Review (New Series), 1956 p.170).