著者

内田 次信 Uchida Tsugunobu ウチダ ツグノブ

出版者

ギリシア・ローマ神話学研究会

雑誌

神話学研究 (ISSN:24333964)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.1, pp.2-28, 2017-05-31

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Of the two descriptions on the bugonia, the one (G. 4. 284-285, 287-314) characterizes it as a traditional, habitual (284 iam saepe) method, resorted to until today (294 iacit, etc.),and locates its occurrence in Aegyptus (287 Pellaei gens, etc.). It seems to have been an 'orthodox' account about it, told from old by Democritus, Varro, etc. The other (properly 538-558, with preceding accounts 283, 285-286, 315-537) talks of it in a mythological aition (283 inventa, 315 Quis deus hanc … extudit artem, etc.), as occurred in faraway past when Apollo's son Aristaeus 'invented' it. The location is set in Greece, in the beautiful Peneus, which would have itself evoked considerable admiration from the Romans. This description with its mythological time-setting and aura would depend as a whole on Vergilius' invention. Aristaeus, who is bidden to hope for heaven (325, 358sq.), and who miraculously regenerates the bees (metaphor for the Roman people), may be deemed to recall basically Octavianus, who is called upon, as on other passages, in the end of the Georgica. It is an illustration of the mythologic-poetical invention and glorification of the theme, evinced by the poet.