Brewer's: Plato and the Bees

When Plato was an infant, some bees settled on his lips when he was asleep, indicating that he would become famous for his honeyed words. The same is said of Sophocles, Pindar, St. Ambrose, St. Chrysostom, and others.

And as when Plato did i' the cradle thrive. Bees to his lips brought honey from their hive.

W.Browne: Britannia's Pastorals, ii.

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Related Content