While on the subject of bees, it might be interesting to expand the
conversation to include ants, as another (alternative?) model from the
insect world for human social organization. The most famous example of
this, I guess, is the passage in Aeneid VI on the construction of Carthage.
Though it's true that it's the industriousness of the builders and the
scale of their undertaking that are in the foreground, a high degree of
organization is certainly implied, in a society ruled, needless to say, by
Queen Dido.
Charles Burroughs, CEMERS, Binghamton
At 10:15 AM 9/28/99 -0400, you wrote:
>Reply to Konrad's query on "king" bee in Castiglione, I have no analogous
>source information to offer, but in a case like this, I think it would be
>wise to examine the textual tradition (manuscript, cinquecentine, and
>modern printed editions). It seems like the kind of thing that could be a
>monogenetic scribal change to the original, or a change made by an editor.
>
>Those concerns out of the way, if Castiglione wrote it himself, it
>certainly puts a fascinating spin on theories of rulership and gender.
>
>Gloria Allaire
>
>
>At 05:06 PM 9/27/99 -0400, you wrote:
>>
>>What is the sex of the queen bee in the sixteenth century?
>>
>>In Book 4, section 19 of his "Book of the Courtier", Castiglione has one
>>of the discussants (Ottaviano) say "and the bees, almost as if they had
>>discourse of reason, obey their king with as much reverence as the most
>>obedient people on earth".
>>
>>Is Castiglione the first to change the gender of the ruler of a bee-hive
>>or is he drawing on some earlier tradition? Any thoughts on the matter and
>>on the possible reasons for the gender-bending would be greatly
>>appreciated.
>>
>>Konrad Eisenbichler
>><[log in to unmask]>
>>
>>***
>>
>>
>>
>
>_______________________
>Gloria Allaire
>Italian Studies
>Gettysburg College
>Campus Box 394
>Gettysburg, PA 17325
>
>(717) 337-6558 (office)
>(717) 642-5167 (home)
>
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