Since it was written in 29-19BCE, Virgil’s Aeneid has remained a timeless epic. Its social and political commentary, combined with its narrative style makes the Aeneid particularly memorable. Understanding the historical context and political workings of Virgil’s Rome are imperative to being able to understand the claims that are made. While there are a variety of ways to understand the claims that the Aeneid makes, claims about power and legitimacy run throughout the work and continue to be teased out of the Aeneid centuries after it was written as other literary and artistic works consider it. Acting as an origin story for the foundation of Italy, the Aeneid seeks to legitimize Caesar Augustus' claim to political power. Power and legitimacy are two sides of the same coin. Both need each other to operate, yet they can operate at varying levels. Establishing the legitimacy of a ruler is a balancing act that requires careful attention to the amount of power exercised. The way that power and legitimacy relate to each other manifests itself clearly in the relationship between Dido and Aeneas. By focusing on the relationship of Dido and Aeneas, and more specifically the death of Dido in the Aeneid and other works, power and legitimacy become intimately connected in a way that sheds light on power structures and relationship dynamics.
Dido kills herself after Aeneas leaves her to continue his journey to found Italy. During their romance, Dido is consumed by a burning passion for Aeneas. Fire imagery is consistently used to describe both her and Aeneas’ feeling for each other. The use of fire imagery as a literary tool reaches its height during her dramatic suicide on a pyre, where she stabs herself with “the Trojan sword—a gift not sought for such a use” (IV. 751). Such a suicide is hard to ignore when interpreting and reinterpreting Dido. The dramatic nature of her suicide runs the risk of marring her accomplishments in her lifetime as a successful female ruler. Considering the historical implications of her rule and suicide are important for considering the underlying themes that Dido represents.
Dido is the queen of Carthage, an African city that has a troubled relationship with Rome, who once wreaked havoc on Carthage during the Punic Wars. Yet, Carthage is where Aeneas lands after he flees the burning Troy, forcing him into a relationship with Dido. The power dynamic between Aeneas and Dido presents itself with the literary use of fire.
Fire is a force that is powerful and uncontrollable, yet it is what civilization depends on. Light, fuel, energy, and warmth are all the byproducts of fire. Fire in the Aeneid is mainly a destructive force. Fire manifests itself again in the love that Dido begins to feel for Aeneas after his arrival -- she decides to try and find love again. Dido is described as “burning” and “wandering all through the city in her misery/raving mad” (IV. 80-83). This language indicates the power of the emotion that she feels for Aeneas at the onset of their relationship. Aeneas begins to feel trapped in his relationship with Dido, which prompts him to leave Carthage. While Dido was consumed by the love she felt for him, Aeneas “burned with desire to leave that sweet land” to found Italy (IV. 314). The fire imagery draws out the struggle for power between Dido and Aeneas. Burning sensations are the motivating factor for both Dido and Aeneas. But Aeneas is fated to be the founder of a greater civilization, one far greater than Carthage; and so he must carry on his journey. This adjusts the balance of power in favor of Italy, which also suggests a hierarchy in the relationship. Aeneas’s desire to leave shows that he feels that there are more important things he should be doing than spending time with Dido.
Fire frees both Aeneas and Dido. Aeneas is freed by leaving Carthage to continue his quest to found Italy, and Dido’s death frees her from her consuming love for Aeneas. Divine intervention pushes Aeneas to leave Dido, when he receives a message in a dream from Mercury who urges him to leave “while flight is still possible” and before he sees “this sea awash with timbers/ And the shores in flames” (IV. 659-661). Aeneas' departure freed him from any promises that he may have made to Dido about the nature of their relationship. However, while Aeneas is freed, Dido feels enslaved to death by his departure. This paradox is significant in several ways and leans heavily upon the themes of power and legitimacy. Aeneas and Dido cannot be equals—as lovers or as rulers.
Despite the troubled history of the Punic Wars that seeps its way into the power dynamic between Italy and North Africa, the message focuses on the divine providence that Italy be founded. There is an urgency for Italy to be founded--for Virgil, the rest of the world depends on Italy. Such a heavy burden for one nation contributes to how important its foundation is. Usually with such a weighty task, sacrifices have to be made. Carthage suffers for Italy and Dido suffers for Aeneas. While her death frees Aeneas, she enslaves Carthage to an uncertain fate since she does not have a husband or an heir. Because Carthage is put in such a bind, it indicates that Carthage is a weak country. If the text perceives Dido as a weak ruler for committing suicide, then her country mirrors her weakness. Aeneas is then perceived as a strong leader who will build a strong country. Being able to cripple a rival country in the region strengthens the power and the legitimacy of Rome.
Aeneas’s clear choice of the foundation of Italy over Dido not only distinguishes the balance of power between Rome and Carthage; it also damages Dido's legitimacy as queen. Virgil depicts Dido as a love-sick girl who was “worn down by grief, [who] went mad” once she learned that Aeneas was leaving her. Rather than focusing on her capabilities as the queen of a successful city, he portrays Dido as suicidal and dramatic when she is left by her lover. Focusing on her downfall and the reasons behind it undermine her capability as a female ruler. Dido herself mentions her accomplishments before she kills herself, saying “’I built an illustrious city/ I saw my walls. I avenged my husband/ and made my evil brother pay’” (IV.759-760). As great as her accomplishments are, she is remembered for what happens next. Dido kills herself with a sword on a pyre that she built. The dramatic nature of her death uses fire imagery that strips Dido of her legitimacy as a ruler.
Virgil uses Dido as an example of why women were not fit to rule. This mainly stems from Dido sacrificing everything for her own selfish interests relating to her love life. Aeneas, on the other hand, sacrifices his chance at a stable life for the greater good—the foundation of Italy. This makes Dido seem like a selfish woman who killed herself on a pyre when her lover left her, which implies if this is how women react, then they are not fit to rule. Aeneas is able to put his desire aside and do what needs to be done. Dido’s reign as queen of Carthage layers on implications that Carthage is inferior to Rome because it has a female ruler. Ultimately, Dido’s death is what she will be remembered for in the ancient texts and artistic interpretations of them, not her capability and legitimacy as a queen.