NOTES ON FAGUS IN VERGIL'S ECLOGUES

Fagus in Vergil's Eclgoues denotes the Greek tree (φηγός), not the conventional Latin fagus (= beech). Reasons: on the one hand the Greek term φηγός did not have an exact equivalent in Latin (as suggested by Varro), on the other Greek φηγός carried a number of connotations relating to Greek Hellenistic poetry (Callimachus, al.). Hence, even if there were a Latin equivalent for φηγός, Vergil would have been unliklely to employ it (due to the potential loss of the connotative dimension). Already in Greek poetry φηγός is often replaced by δρϋς. In a similar vein, Vergil replaces fagus by (the stylistically less coloured) quercus in his later poetry.