A.madhu-lih- (corresp. with Gr. Μεθυ-λιχ-) 'bee') bee, Od.13.106, etc.; of wild bees, that live in rocks, Il.2.87, cf. 12.167; of honey-bees, that live in hives, Hes. Th.594; “σμῆνος μελισσᾶν” A. Pers.128 (lyr.), cf. Hdt.4.194, 5.10:—Phrases: “ὥσπερ μέλιττα τὸ κέντρον ἐγκαταλιπών” Pl. Phd.91c; ὄνος ἐν μελίτταις 'a hornets' nest', Crates Com.36; cf. “μέλι” 1.2 fin.
II. the term μέλισσα was applied
1. to poets, from their culling the beauties of nature, “ἔνθεν ὡσπερεὶ μ. Φρύνιχος . . μελέων ἀπεβόσκετο καρπόν” Ar. Av.748; “μ. Μούσης” Id.Ec.974 (lyr.); “μ. Ἤρινναν Μουσῶν ἄνθεα δρεπτομέναν” AP7.13 (Leon. or Mel.); esp. of Sophocles, Sch.Ar.V.460.
2. to the priestesses of Delphi, Pi.P.4.60; of Demeter and Artemis, Sch.Pi. l.c., Porph. Antr.18; of Cybele, Did. ap. Lact. Inst.1.22.
3. in Neo-Platonic Philos., any pure, chaste being, of souls coming to birth, Porph. Antr.19; of the Moon, ib.18.
III. = μέλι, honey, ὕδατος, “μελίσσης, μηδὲ προσφέρειν μέθυ” S.OC481: metaph., “γλώσσης μελίσσῃ καταρρυηκέναι” Id.Fr.155; of poetry, AP9.505.6; ἑσμὸς μελίσσης appears to be corrupt in Epin. 1.7.
IV. = ὀβολός, Hsch.
