On the expected pleasures in the "state-of-nature", the flow of juices
and the riotous glory of the sun, as imagined in some rich and lordly
patron's banquet room...

Or as propaganda to keep the "city state" pure of thought - noble
sentiment always winning through - as per the Georgic manifesto for hard
work and return, for the pre-eminence of the human over the animal, for
the landscaping of rude nature (there are only SO many "Hercules" in
either Greek or Roman myth)...?

Little to do with the labourers or the shepherds, though their songs
were likely fodder for the Bard's project. Though it's always been
about "borrowing" really...

And everyone knows that as with eco-friendly tourism the delicate 
balance will eventually tip towards decay and someone will forget
to empty the rubbish bins. Or landskips maybe?

I like this quote from _Pastoral Poetry & Pastoral Drama: A literary
inquiry, with special reference to the Pre-Restoration stage in England_
by Walter W. Greg, M.A. (1959) - 

from the chapter "foreign poetry":

"Events conspired to make Vergil the model for later writers of 
eclogues. The fame of the poet was a potent cause among many. Another
reason why Theocritus found no direct imitators may be sought in the
respective methods of the two poets. Work of the nature of the "Idylls"
has to depend for its value and interest upon the artistic qualities
of the poetry alone. Such work may spring up spontaneously under 
almost any conditions; it is seldom produced through imitation. On
the other hand, any scholar with a gift for easy versification could
achieve a certain distinction as a follower of Vergil. His verse
depends for its interest not on its poetic qualities, but upon the
importance of the theme it treated."

Interesting - those(?) reading translations of the Latin maybe hoodwinked
into thinking it is great verse simply because it is in Latin and
Vergil (sic) has had plenty of good press...?  But it really IS the 
subject matter (I think...) that makes it "interesting...

Anyway...

Best
JK





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