88 Chapter 5
impression in a mold to be filled with molten gold. A perfect golden
replica of a real honeycomb was the result. 4
The structural strength of honeycombs created by “builder” bees was
admired by architects in antiquity. For example, in the sixth and fifth cen-
turies BC, marble blocks of temples on Delos and other Aegean islands
were carved to resemble massive honeycombs. It is possible that at some
point a metal cast of a honeycomb, like the one in the temple at Mount
Eryx, might have played a role in inspiring the sophisticated use of hex-
agonal “honeycomb” cylinders in the construction of stone buildings.
The first written mention of this architectural innovation can be traced
to mathematical writings of the second century BC. In about 30 BC, the
ancient Roman scholar Varro described the so- called honeycomb con-
jecture, suggesting that the hexagon shape was the most geometrically
efficient for compact volume and strength. More than two millennia later,
in 1999, Varro’s theory was mathematically proven by Thomas C. Hales. 5
Daedalus’s projects for King Cocalus also included innovative water-
works, a network of rejuvenating steam baths. The legend of Daedalus’s
thermal “spa” is associated with the volcanic thermal springs at Sciacca,
Fig. 5.2. Golden honeycomb cast from real honeycomb.