In his time, Alciato was responding to the devastation of war, using this helmet-hive as an emblem of peace. For us now, even when we are "at peace," the military industrial complex is destroying our planet. For more about that, see, for example, this paper from the Watson Institute at Brown University: Costs and Consequences of US Post-9/11 Wars: Focus on Climate Change.
For a modern helmet parable, see this cartoon: Peace on Earth. (Thanks so much to Patrick D. for that one!)
And now, here's Alciato's poem and emblematic image: peace, not war! beehives, not helmets! I've included an English translation and help with the Latin meter too. :-)
EX BELLO PAX
En galea, intrepidus quam miles gesserat, et quae
Saepius hostili sparsa cruore fuit:
Parta pace apibus tenuis concessit in usum
Alveoli, atque favos, grataque mella gerit.
Arma procul iaceant: fas sit tunc sumere bellum
Quando aliter pacis non potes arte frui.
From War, Peace. Behold the helmet which a fearless soldier bore and which so often was sprinkled with enemy gore; now in the time of peace it has yielded its confined space to the bees for use as a hive, bearing honeycombs and welcome honey. Let weapons be set down at a distance; it is your sacred duty to resume war only then when you cannot enjoy peace by any other means.
For those of you who love Latin poetry (I do!), here is a bit of help with the elegiac meter with the elisions and feet marked:
En gale~ · intrepi·dus quam · miles · gesserat, · et quae
Saepius · hosti·li || sparsa cru·ore fu·it:
Parta · pac~ api·bus tenu·is con·cessit in · usum
Alveol~ · atque fav·os || grataque · mella ge·rit.
Arma pro·cul ia·ceant: · fas sit · tunc sumere · bellum
Quand~ ali·ter pa·cis || non potes · arte fru·i.
