Dido: Difference between revisions
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In legend, '''Dido''' was an ancient Phoenician queen, and founder of [[Carthage]], a city in modern day [[Tunisia]] which was later to become a prominent rival to [[Ancient Rome|Rome]]. Both [[Ancient Greece|ancient Greek]] and Roman sources describe her as Carthage's first queen. Carthage was directly opposite from [[Sicily]], with only about seventy miles separating the two points of land. Because its location was a natural dividing point between the the west and east parts of the [[Mediterranean Sea]], Carthage quickly grew in influence in Phoenician culture. | In legend, '''Dido''' was an ancient Phoenician queen, and founder of [[Carthage]], a city in modern day [[Tunisia]] which was later to become a prominent rival to [[Ancient Rome|Rome]]. Both [[Ancient Greece|ancient Greek]] and Roman sources describe her as Carthage's first queen. Carthage was directly opposite from [[Sicily]], with only about seventy miles separating the two points of land. Because its location was a natural dividing point between the the west and east parts of the [[Mediterranean Sea]], Carthage quickly grew in influence in Phoenician culture. | ||
Dido is a prominent character in the [[Aeneid]] in which she is the [[romantic love|lover]] of [[Aeneas]] | Dido is a prominent fictional character in the [[Aeneid]] in which she is presented as the [[romantic love|lover]] of [[Aeneas]]. Virgil's version of Dido was forced to fall in love with Aeneas by the goddess [[Venus (goddess)|Venus]] who casts a strong spell on her. Dido had previously been married before she met Aeneas, and she swore an oath that she would never [[marriage|remarry]]. But her sister Anna helped persuade her to fall in love with Aeneas, but when [[fate]] forces Aeneas to head onwards to meet his destiny to found the city of Rome, Dido is angry, bitter, and hurt by the seeming nonchalance of Aeneas, and she commits [[suicide]]. Later in the [[epic]] story, Aeneas looks at the ghost of Dido in the [[Hades|underworld]], but she won't even look at him, and walks away without saying a word. The Aeneas-Dido love story forms a major transition in the epic tale. According to some sources, Dido is also called by the name Elissa. | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Revision as of 14:02, 20 February 2021
In legend, Dido was an ancient Phoenician queen, and founder of Carthage, a city in modern day Tunisia which was later to become a prominent rival to Rome. Both ancient Greek and Roman sources describe her as Carthage's first queen. Carthage was directly opposite from Sicily, with only about seventy miles separating the two points of land. Because its location was a natural dividing point between the the west and east parts of the Mediterranean Sea, Carthage quickly grew in influence in Phoenician culture.
Dido is a prominent fictional character in the Aeneid in which she is presented as the lover of Aeneas. Virgil's version of Dido was forced to fall in love with Aeneas by the goddess Venus who casts a strong spell on her. Dido had previously been married before she met Aeneas, and she swore an oath that she would never remarry. But her sister Anna helped persuade her to fall in love with Aeneas, but when fate forces Aeneas to head onwards to meet his destiny to found the city of Rome, Dido is angry, bitter, and hurt by the seeming nonchalance of Aeneas, and she commits suicide. Later in the epic story, Aeneas looks at the ghost of Dido in the underworld, but she won't even look at him, and walks away without saying a word. The Aeneas-Dido love story forms a major transition in the epic tale. According to some sources, Dido is also called by the name Elissa.
See also