Editing Georgics (section)

===Book Three===
The third book is chiefly and ostensibly concerned with animal [[husbandry]]. It consists of two principal parts, the first half is devoted to the selection of breed stock and the breeding of horses and cattle. It concludes with a description of the furore induced in all animals by sexual desire. The second half of the book is devoted to the care and protection of sheep and goats and their by-products. It concludes with a description of the havoc and devastation caused by a plague in [[Noricum]]. Both halves begin with a short prologue called a [[proem]]. The poems invoke Greek and Italian gods and address such issues as Virgil's intention to honour both Caesar and his patron [[Maecenas]], as well as his lofty poetic aspirations and the difficulty of the material to follow. Many{{examples?|date=August 2020}} have observed the parallels between the dramatic endings of each half of this book and the irresistible power of their respective themes of love and death.