Virgilio e i piccoli doni per il puer: hederae, baccar, colocasia, acanthus (a proposito di Ecl. 4. 18-20)

Giulio Coppola

Abstract:

Why does Virgil speak about errantes hederae, baccar, colocasia et acanthus as prima munuscula for a nascens puer in the famous Fourth Eclogue? What meaning do these vegetables have? This essay tries to clarify these verses taking account of the special care that Virgil, poeta doctus, shows in his poems.