Dido, the woman scorned

I personally found the figure of Dido more complex and fascinating than that of the supposed hero of the epic, Aeneas. The passion she expresses both during the love affair and after the rejection is one that was missing certainly in the proud Helen and also in the loyal Penelope.

Not only is Dido a female ruler, but also a woman who takes a chance on love again after the murder of her husband. Betrayed by those closest to her, such as her brother Pygmalion, she risks betrayal again in her relationship with Aeneas. And unfortunately this man too turns his back on her. I realize that he was given no choice by the gods, but at the same time he knew what was expected of him when he began the relationship. Additionally, he had ordered his ships be readied before even telling Dido that he was leaving. He knew he had to leave her at some point and the pitiful final attempt he makes at reconciliation when he sees her in the Underworld is yet another example of too little too late.

I realize that much of these events were orchestrated by the gods, and that neither Dido nor Aeneas truly had control over the situation. It seems that the power given to the gods by the ancient Greeks is not only a way of explaining the unexplainable in terms of nature, but also the unexplainable in terms of man. Every amoral action of an individual can be explained by “the devil made me to it” attitude or in the case of the ancient Greeks, “the gods made me do it.”