Classical Images

Figure 1. “The Death of Dido.” Aeneid, Book IV, Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica, Vat. lat. 3225, fol. XLIr.

4th Century

Virgil’s social and political commentaries were not lost on his audience. A fourth century manuscript that is now held by the Vatican Library has an image that depicts the death of Dido. This depiction focuses less on the fire and the pyre, but rather on the women that lament her death. Dido is lying dead on a bed or pyre, with the sword resting in her limp hand. It is possible to view this image as a pyre that is missing visible flames, from either erosion over the years, or perhaps the absence of them all together. Perhaps, instead of a pyre, Dido is on a bed, alluding to the burning sexual desire that she felt for Aeneas—the feeling that led her to madness and suicide. Either way, the focus remains on her death, which damages her legitimacy and capability as a ruler. Being aware of the preceding events in the Aeneid would have allowed the readers to understand the implications of the image more fully. Those who could have read the Aeneid would have been wealthy and well educated.

The Aeneid describes the reaction of Dido's sister, Anna, to her suicide. Anna “rushed through the crowds, clawing her face/ with her nails, beating her breasts” (IV.782-783). These dramatic expressions of grief manifest themselves in the manuscript image. The women behind Dido look upwards and have pained expression on their faces. It is clear they are mourning the death of their queen. Anna’s reaction in the text also damages Dido’s legitimacy as a ruler and questions her suicidal actions by placing them in a wider context than just Dido’s individual pain. Anna accuses Dido of destruction, saying that, “You have destroyed/ yourself, me, the Sidonian elders and your city” (IV. 795-796). Anna clearly believes that Dido has forsaken her city over a broken heart. The manuscript image contributes to this because it shows a clear divide between Dido and the other women, who are physically separated from Dido with the spatial use of the bed/pyre; the other women stand either to the side of the pyre or behind it. The separation represents a turning point in both the narration of The Aeneid and the image because it removes Dido from the story. Dido is removed from Aeneas’s life and he is free to continue his journey to found Italy.