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one might see of bees. For their dwelling is common, their flight is common, and the work of all is one; and the greatest thing is that they set to their tasks under a king and commander, not deigning to go to the meadows before they see the king begin the flight. And their king is not chosen by a show of hands (for often the poor judgment of the populace has set the worst man in power), nor having his authority by lot (for the irrational chances of the lots often bring power to the very last of all), nor seated on the throne by paternal succession (for these too often become uneducated and ignorant of all virtue, on account of luxury and flattery), but he has his primacy over all by nature, being superior in size and in form and in the gentleness of his character. For the king has a sting, but he does not use it for defense. These are certain unwritten laws of nature, that those who hold the greatest powers are slow to punish. But also for the bees, as many as do not follow the example of the king, they quickly regret their folly, because they die from the wound of their sting. Let Christians hear, for whom it is a command to render evil for evil to no one, but to overcome evil with good. Imitate the peculiar nature of the bee, because it harms no one, nor does it destroy the fruit of another, when it constructs its combs. For it manifestly gathers the wax from the flowers, and the honey, the dew-like moisture sown in the flowers, it draws up with its mouth and deposits this into the hollows of the combs. Whence it is liquid at first; then, having been ripened over time, it returns to its proper consistency and sweetness. She has received fair and fitting praises from Proverbs, being called wise and a worker; so industriously gathering her food (whose labors, it says, kings and commoners use for their health), and so wisely crafting the storehouses of honey (for having stretched out the wax into a thin membrane, she builds the hollows close and contiguous to one another), so that the density of the very small connections to one another becomes a support for the whole. For each cell holds to the next, being at once separated from and joined to it by a thin partition. Then these cells are built upon one another in two and three stories. For she was careful not to make the cavity one continuous whole, lest the liquid fall out from the weight. Learn how the discoveries of geometry are the secondary works of the most wise bee. For all the cells of the combs are hexagonal and equilateral, not placed directly on top of one another, so that the bottoms do not sag, being fitted over empty spaces; but the angles of the hexagons below are a base and support for those above, so as to safely suspend the weight above them, and so that the liquid is contained individually in each hollow. 8.5 How could I recount to you with precision all the peculiarities in the lives of birds? How the cranes take up their nightly sentry duties in turn; and some sleep, while others, going around in a circle, provide them complete safety in their sleep; then when the time of the watch is fulfilled, the one that cried out turned to sleep, and the one that took up the succession gave back in its turn the safety which it had received. You will observe this same good order also in their flight. For one after another takes up the guidance, and having led the flight for a set time, it goes around to the rear and hands over the leadership of the way to the one after it. And the way of the storks is not far from rational understanding; how they all visit these places at one time; how they all depart under one signal. And the crows among us act as their bodyguards, and escort them, it seems to me, and offer some alliance against enemy birds. And a sign, first that not

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μελισσῶν ἄν τις ἴδοι. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνων κοινὴ μὲν ἡ οἴκησις, κοινὴ δὲ ἡ πτῆσις, ἐργασία δὲ πάντων μία· καὶ τὸ μέγιστον, ὅτι ὑπὸ βασιλεῖ καὶ ταξιάρχῳ τινὶ τῶν ἔργων ἅπτονται, οὐ πρότερον καταδεχόμεναι ἐπὶ τοὺς λειμῶνας ἐλθεῖν, πρὶν ἂν ἴδωσι κατάρξαντα τὸν βασιλέα τῆς πτήσεως. Καὶ ἔστιν αὐταῖς οὐ χειροτονητὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς (πολλάκις γὰρ ἀκρισία δήμου τὸν χείριστον εἰς ἀρχὴν προεστήσατο), οὐδὲ κληρωτὴν ἔχων τὴν ἐξουσίαν (ἄλογοι γὰρ αἱ συντυχίαι τῶν κλήρων ἐπὶ τὸν πάντων ἔσχατον πολλάκις τὸ κράτος φέρουσαι), οὐδὲ ἐκ πατρικῆς διαδοχῆς τοῖς βασιλείοις ἐγκαθεζόμενος (καὶ γὰρ καὶ οὗτοι ἀπαίδευτοι καὶ ἀμαθεῖς πάσης ἀρετῆς, διὰ τρυφὴν καὶ κολακείαν, ὡς τὰ πολλὰ, γίνονται), ἀλλ' ἐκ φύσεως ἔχων τὸ κατὰ πάντων πρωτεῖον, καὶ μεγέθει δια φέρων καὶ σχήματι καὶ τῇ τοῦ ἤθους πραότητι. Ἔστι μὲν γὰρ κέντρον τῷ βασιλεῖ, ἀλλ' οὐ χρῆται τούτῳ πρὸς ἄμυναν. Νόμοι τινές εἰσιν οὗτοι τῆς φύσεως ἄγραφοι, ἀργοὺς εἶναι πρὸς τιμωρίαν τοὺς τῶν μεγίστων δυναστειῶν ἐπιβαίνοντας. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῖς μελίσσαις, ὅσαι ἂν μὴ ἀκολουθήσωσι τῷ ὑποδείγματι τοῦ βασιλέως, ταχὺ μεταμέλει τῆς ἀβουλίας, ὅτι τῇ πληγῇ τοῦ κέντρου ἐπαποθνήσκουσιν. Ἀκουέτωσαν Χριστιανοὶ, οἷς πρόσταγμά ἐστι μηδενὶ κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ ἀποδιδόναι, ἀλλὰ νικᾶν ἐν τῷ ἀγαθῷ τὸ κακόν. Μίμησαι τῆς μελίσσης τὸ ἰδιότροπον, ὅτι οὐδενὶ λυμαινομένη, οὐδὲ καρπὸν ἀλλότριον διαφθείρουσα, τὰ κηρία συμπήγνυται. Τὸν μὲν γὰρ κηρὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθῶν φανερῶς συναγείρει, τὸ δὲ μέλι, τὴν δροσοειδῶς ἐνεσπαρμένην νοτίδα τοῖς ἄνθεσιν, ἐπισπασαμένη τῷ στόματι, ταύτην ταῖς κοιλότησι τῶν κηρίων ἐνίησιν. Ὅθεν καὶ ὑγρὸν παρὰ τὴν πρώτην ἐστίν· εἶτα τῷ χρόνῳ συμπεφθὲν, πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν σύ στασιν καὶ ἡδονὴν ἐπανέρχεται. Καλῶν καὶ πρεπόντων αὕτη τῶν ἐπαίνων παρὰ τῆς Παροιμίας τετύχηκε, σοφὴ καὶ ἐργάτις ὀνομασθεῖσα· οὕτω μὲν φιλοπόνως τὴν τροφὴν συναγείρουσα (Ἧς τοὺς πόνους, φησὶ, βασιλεῖς καὶ ἰδιῶται πρὸς ὑγείαν προσφέρονται), οὕτω δὲ σοφῶς φιλοτεχνοῦσα τὰς ἀποθήκας τοῦ μέλιτος (εἰς λεπτὸν γὰρ ὑμένα τὸν κηρὸν διατείνασα, πυκνὰς καὶ συνεχεῖς ἀλλήλαις συνοικοδομεῖ τὰς κοιλότητας), ὡς τὸ πυκνὸν τῆς τῶν μικροτάτων πρὸς ἄλληλα δέσεως, ἔρεισμα γίνεσθαι τῷ παντί. Ἑκάστη γὰρ φρεατία τῆς ἑτέρας ἔχεται, λεπτῷ πρὸς αὐτὴν διειργομένη τε ὁμοῦ καὶ συναπτομένη τῷ διαφράγματι. Ἔπειτα διώροφοι καὶ τριώροφοι αἱ σύριγγες αὗται ἀλλήλαις ἐπῳκοδόμηνται. Ἐφυλάξατο γὰρ μίαν ποιῆσαι διαμπερὲς τὴν κοιλότητα, ἵνα μὴ τῷ βάρει τὸ ὑγρὸν πρὸς τὸ ἐκτὸς διεκπίπτῃ. Κατάμαθε πῶς τὰ τῆς γεωμετρίας εὑρέματα πάρεργά ἐστι τῆς σοφωτάτης μελίσσης. Ἑξάγωνοι γὰρ πᾶσαι καὶ ἰσόπλευροι τῶν κηρίων αἱ σύριγγες, οὐκ ἐπ' εὐθείας ἀλλήλαις κατε πικείμεναι, ἵνα μὴ κάμνωσιν οἱ πυθμένες τοῖς διακένοις ἐφηρμοσμένοι· ἀλλ' αἱ γωνίαι τῶν κάτωθεν ἑξαγώνων, βάθρον καὶ ἔρεισμα τῶν ὑπερκειμένων εἰσὶν, ὡς ἀσφαλῶς ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῶν μετεωρίζειν τὰ βάρη, καὶ ἰδιαζόντως ἑκάστῃ κοιλότητι τὸ ὑγρὸν ἐγκατέχεσθαι. 8.5 Πῶς ἄν σοι πάντα δι' ἀκριβείας ἐπέλθοιμι τὰ ἐν τοῖς βίοις τῶν ὀρνίθων ἰδιώματα; Πῶς μὲν αἱ γέρανοι τὰς ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ προφυλακὰς ἐκ περιτροπῆς ὑποδέχονται· καὶ αἱ μὲν καθεύδουσιν, αἱ δὲ κύκλῳ περιιοῦσαι, πᾶσαν αὐταῖς ἐν τῷ ὕπνῳ παρέχονται τὴν ἀσφάλειαν· εἶτα τοῦ καιροῦ τῆς φυλακῆς πληρουμένου, ἡ μὲν βοήσασα πρὸς ὕπνον ἐτράπετο, ἡ δὲ τὴν διαδοχὴν ὑποδεξαμένη, ἧς ἔτυχεν ἀσφαλείας ἀντέδωκεν ἐν τῷ μέρει. Ταύτην καὶ ἐν τῇ πτήσει τὴν εὐταξίαν κατόψει. Ἄλλοτε γὰρ ἄλλη τὴν ὁδηγίαν ἐκδέχεται, καὶ τακτόν τινα χρόνον προκαθηγησαμένη τῆς πτήσεως, εἰς τὸ κατόπιν περιελθοῦσα, τῇ μεθ' ἑαυτὴν τὴν ἡγεμονίαν τῆς ὁδοῦ παραδίδωσι. Τὸ δὲ τῶν πελαργῶν οὐδὲ πόρρω ἐστὶ συνέσεως λογικῆς· οὕτω μὲν κατὰ τὸν ἕνα καιρὸν πάντας ἐπιδημεῖν τοῖς τῇδε χωρίοις· οὕτω δὲ ὑφ' ἑνὶ συνθήματι πάντας ἀπαίρειν. ∆ορυφοροῦσι δὲ αὐτοὺς αἱ παρ' ἡμῖν κορῶναι, καὶ παραπέμπουσιν, ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν, καὶ συμμαχίαν τινὰ παρεχόμεναι πρὸς ὄρνιθας πολεμίους. Σημεῖον δὲ, πρῶτον μὲν τὸ μὴ