INFELIX DIDO

Abstract

Introduction The Aeneid is a text which elicits many questions from the reader. One of the fascinating aspects is the depiction of Dido, queen of Carthage, in this epic. Dido, the founder of the might of the Carthaginians, the arch-enemies of those who would later becqme the Romans, is one of the most captivating figures in this epic. While one could argue thac the poet simply had the insight to juxtapose one figure of greatness with the other in order to place Aeneas, the primogenitor of the Romans, in heroic relief, Vergil actually goes much further, according to most modern commentators. Mackie (1988:82), for example, states that the poet gives Dido a privileged position in the epic: "Vergil does not desire that the reader's sympathy be shared between the two characters: the vast imbalance in their dramatic roles is intended to focus our attention and sympathy on the decline and death of the queen." Boyle (1986: 115) is rather more nuanced. He points out that the fourth book of the Aeneid as a whole is focused on "a dramatic narrative which illustrates in vivid personal terms the cost of the pursuit of imperial greatness. The emphasis in thrs book is predominantly (though not entirely) upon the personal sufferings of Dido, with whom Virgil's sympathy predominantly lies." 1