The mention of bees or honey in Greek and Roman mythology is common. The Roman Goddess Mellona was the protector of bees and the home of the gods on the summit of Mt. Olympus was where the nectar was served as the favored drink. Apollo's second temple was built by bees and the ancient celtic goddess Brigid had an orchard in the Otherworld that was visited by bees. You can check here for other instances of bees or honey in mythology.
The dictionary of Phrase and Fable from 1894, mentions that Jupiter (Roman god of the Universe) was nourished by bees, and gives some other notes on bees in fables.
Aristotle in his History of Animals knew about bees locating flowers: "...As for insects, both winged and wingless, they can detect the presence of scented objects afar off, as for instance bees...".
However, he was incorrect in his ideas on the origins of bees: "With regard to the generation of bees, different hypotheses are in vogue. Some affirm that bees neither copulate nor give birth to young, but that they fetch their young. Some say that they fetch their young from the flower of the callystrum, others assert that they bring them from the flower of the reed, others, from the flower of the olive. And in respect to the olive theory, it is stated as a proof that, when the olive harvest is most abundant, the swarms are most numerous." See the real explanation under the heading of "Lifecycle"
Containing both fact and fantasy, Aristotle states: "They honeycomb is made from flowers and the materials for the wax they gather from the resinous gum of trees, while honey is distilled from dew and is deposited chiefly at the raisings of the constellations or when a rainbow is in the sky. As a general rule, there is no honey before the rising of the Pleaides."
We know that bee's wax is actually secreted from glands on the bees belly. Propolis which is used to seal cracks in the hive is gathered from plants. Honey comes from flower nectar mixed with enzymes in the bees' stomach. He was correct about the honey coming after the rising of the Pleaides, these 7 stars in the constellation of Taurus were probably not visible to someone in Greece until late summer or fall.
Plato's doctrine of the transmigration of souls states that the souls of quiet people come to life as bees! For an interesting look at other lore regarding bees, be sure to visit the Museum of Jurassic Technology's exhibit "Telling of the Bees..."
