[707] In this simile Virg. has translated
Apoll. himself having closely followed the well-known Homeric simile Il. 2. 87 foll., the first occurring in the Iliad. ‘Ac velut’ is ‘even as,’ as in 4. 402 &c. ‘In pratis’ follows, to give the general scene of the simile, as in 1. 148 (note), 12. 908. ‘Strepit—campus,’ v. 709, sums up the effect of the description. See on G. 3. 196, where some general remarks are made on the structure of Virg.'s similes. Here as in 4. 402 Wagn. restores ‘velut’ (Pal., Rom., Gud.) for ‘veluti’ (Med., fragm. Vat.). “Apes aestate nova” 1. 430 (comp. the passage generally). So the bees are said “nare per aestatem liquidam” G. 4. 59.“ὡς δ᾽ ὅτε λείρια καλὰ περιβρομέουσι μέλισσαι
πέτρης ἐκχύμεναι συμβληίδος, ἀμφὶ δὲ λειμὼν
ἑρσήεις γάνυται, ταὶ δὲ γλυκὺν ἄλλοτε ἄλλον
καρπὸν ἀμέργουσιν πεποτημέναι,
”
