μέλισσᾰ,
Attic dialect μέλιττα, ης, ἡ, (perhaps by haplology for μελι-λιχ-yα 'honey-licker', cf. Sanskrit madhu-lih- (corresp. with Gr. Μεθυ-λιχ-) 'bee') bee, [[ 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 13.106, etc.] Refs 8th c.BC+]; of wild bees, that live in rocks, [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 2.87, compare 12.167 ] Refs 8th c.BC+]; of honey-bees, that live in hives, [[ 8th-7th c.BC: Hesiodus Epicus “Theogonia” 594; σμῆνος μελισσᾶν 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Persae” 128 (Lyric poetry), compare 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 4.194, 5.10:—Phrases: ὥσπερ μέλιττα τὸ κέντρον ἐγκαταλιπών 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Phaedo” 91c ] Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὄνος ἐν μελίτταις 'a hornets' nest', [[ 5th c.BC: Crates Comicus 36; compare μέλι 1.2 near the end ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II the term μέλισσα was applied
__II.1 to poets, from their culling the beauties of nature, ἔνθεν ὡσπερεὶ μ. Φρύνιχος.. μελέων ἀπεβόσκετο καρπόν [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Aves” 748; μ. Μούσης [prev. author] “Ec.” 974 (Lyric poetry); μ. Ἤρινναν Μουσῶν ἄνθεα δρεπτομέναν “Anthologia Graeca” 7.13 (1st c.AD: Leonidas Alexandrinus Epigrammaticus or 1st c.BC: Meleager Epigrammaticus)] Refs 5th c.BC+]; especially of Sophocles, [[Scholia 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Vespae” 460. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.2 to the priestesses of Delphi, [[ 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “P.” 4.60 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; of Demeter and Artemis, [[Scholia 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus [same place], 3rd c.AD: Porphyrius Tyrius Philosophus “de Antro Nympharum - Porphyrii Opuscula” 18 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; of Cybele, [[ 1st c.BC: Didymus Grammaticus cited in Lact. “Inst.” 1.22. ] Refs 1st c.BC+]