The mythical heroes of Dido and Aeneas excited the imagination not only of the ancient Greeks and Romans, but also of people of later eras. The love story, sung by Homer and Virgil, was repeatedly played up and rethought by ancient tragedians. In it, historians saw the encrypted code of the future Dante Alighieri used the story of Aeneas and Dido for his pious edifications in the Divine Comedy. But the English baroque composer Henry Purcell glorified the mythical couple. Using Virgil's Aeneid, Nahum Tate wrote the libretto. Thus, in the second half of the 17th century, a wonderful opera in three acts, Dido and Aeneas, was born. Who are Dido and Aeneas? Gods? No. But not These heroes came out of myth and became a legend.

History of Aeneas

The great poet of antiquity, Homer, who lived in the eighth century BC, in his multifaceted epic work The Iliad, brought out, among others, the image of Aeneas. This son of the goddess of beauty Aphrodite and the earthly king of the Dardani Anchises left the burning Troy and sailed with his people across the sea in twenty ships. The twentieth book of the Iliad describes his salvation. He saved from the dying city not only his wife Crispa and son Yul, but also his old father, carrying him on his back. The Greeks, respecting such an act, missed it. However, other ancient authors give different versions of the story of Aeneas. Lesh describes how the mythical hero was captivated by Neoptolem. Arktin believes that Aeneas left Troy before it was taken. Hellanicus, Lutacius Daphnis and Menecrates Xantius believed that it was he who surrendered the city to the Achaeans. Be that as it may, the fall of Troy caused the distant wanderings of the Dardani tribe. A storm at sea drove the ships to the shores of Carthage. Thus, the local queen Dido and Aeneas met. The myth tells that they fell in love with each other. But obedient to the will of the gods, Aeneas remained true to his duty. He was to found the kingdom of the Latins. In order not to torment himself and his beloved with a long separation, he left Carthage secretly. Dido, having learned about the flight of Aeneas, ordered the funeral pyre to be kindled. Then she threw her lover's things there and threw herself into the fire.

Virgil version

For Homer, Dido and Aeneas are secondary characters. Virgil devotes more attention to mythical heroes and their love story. The navigator, shrouded in a veil of fog, in which his mother, the goddess Venus, clothed him, enters Carthage. He sees the beautiful queen and the fact that she is friendly to the members of his team. Then he appears to her. At the feast, Cupid, taking the form of the son of Aeneas, Yul, cuddles up to Dido and shoots her an arrow right in the heart. From this, the queen falls madly in love with the Trojan hero. But their happiness did not last long. A year later, the gods sent Mercury to remind Aeneas of his duty - to go to Italy and found a new kingdom. The fate, which, according to ancient concepts, cannot be changed, destined Aeneas to marry Lavinia, the daughter of Latinus. In order not to hear Dido's lamentations, Aeneas leaves her when she was sleeping. Waking up, the queen in despair throws herself into a blazing fire. Seeing black smoke rising over the horizon, Aeneas understands its cause, and his heart yearns. But he follows his destiny.

Heroes don't die

A touching love story with a tragic end has not been forgotten since Ovid Nason composed Dido's Letter to Aeneas (Heroes VII). This mythical couple became the main acting characters in the tragedy of Pseudo-Euripides "Res". Dido and Aeneas are also mentioned in a number of medieval poetic works. And if the Romans with full confidence considered the famous navigator to be their common ancestor, the Spaniards revere the queen of Carthage as their founder. So, at least, it is indicated in the chronicle of 1282 of King Alfonso X "Estoria de Espanna".

Political rethinking

In 1678, the famous British playwright Nahum Tate wrote the play Brutus of Alba, or the Enchanted Lovers, which later became the basis for H. Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas. The libretto completely rethinks the love story and makes it an allegory for the political events of the era of the English King James II. It is his author who displays in the image of Aeneas. Dido, according to Tate, is a British people. The author of the play introduces new characters that are not found in Virgil. This is the Witch and her assistants - witches. By them, Tate means the Pope and the Catholic Church. These evil beings take the form of Mercury and incite the king to betray his people.

Dido and Aeneas: Purcell's opera

This work is considered one of the best works of the Baroque composer. The original score has not survived, and at the beginning of the eighteenth century it underwent many changes (the music of the prologue, several dances and the end of the scene in the grove were lost). This is Purcell's only work without spoken dialogue. The opera was first performed on the stage of the Women's Boarding House in London. This has given music scholars the right to believe that Purssel intentionally simplified his baroque score by adapting it to be performed by schoolgirls. The most popular excerpts from the opera are the aria "Ah, Belinda" and the sailor's song. But the most valuable, included in the treasury of world music, was Dido's Lament. With the departure of her beloved, the Carthaginian queen asks the cupids to scatter rose petals on her grave, as tender as her love. Dido's Lament - the aria "When they put me in the ground" - is performed annually on the day the First World War ends, at a ceremony that takes place in Whitehall.

Yang and Yin in the rethinking of Joseph Brodsky

In 1969, for the Soviet justice by a parasite, and for the rest of the world - by a great poet, the poem "Dido and Aeneas" was written. Brodsky in it only indirectly touches on the plot of an already well-known myth. He focuses on thinking about the dialectical confrontation between the male - active and active - beginning, Yang, and the emotional, feminine Yin. The "great man" Aeneas, in his desire to decide destinies, leaves Dido. And for her the whole world, the whole Universe is only her beloved. She wants to follow him, but she can't. This results in her suffering and death.

Aeneas visits Dido. Once a storm drove the ships of Aeneas to the shores of Libya, where the young and beautiful Queen Dido ruled in the city of Carthage. Aeneas and his friends went to her, and the gods made them invisible so that no one would harm them. The Trojans approached the temple of Juno, in front of him, surrounded by numerous servants, Dido was sitting on the throne. The Trojans were convinced that the Carthaginian queen would not harm them, and they could become visible again. She cordially greeted the guests, invited them to her palace for a feast, and sent a lot of food and drink to those Trojans who remained near the ships, so that they also had a holiday. Until the evening the fun continued in the palace. But even in the evening, when the servants lit golden lamps in the banquet hall, the guests did not disperse: at the request of Dido, Aeneas told about the siege of Troy, about King Priam, about Achilles and Hector, about their wanderings and hardships ... The guests did not take their eyes off the Trojan hero ; the goddess Venus made him so beautiful that great love for him broke out in the heart of Dido. Since then, she has lost her peace, rushing around the city, like a wounded doe, and did not find peace anywhere. She was often seen walking around Carthage with Aeneas. Only late at night dido remain alone, but even in a dream Aeneas stood before her eyes.

Aeneas leaves Dido. And then Venus and Juno decided to bind Aeneas and Dido by marriage, leaving the hero in Libya. They arranged the business of the goddess, celebrated Aeneas and Dido's wedding. Aeneas no longer thought about the founding of the city, only love lived in his heart. The news of this reached Jupiter, and he sent fleet-footed Mercury to Aeneas with these words: “You forgot about your duty! There is nothing for you to do here in the Libyan region. You have become a woman's slave! If you yourself are not attracted by the glory of exploits, remember your son! After all, fate is destined for him to lay the foundation for the great Rome! Aeneas was saddened, his chest was torn from the upcoming separation from Dido. But he did not dare to oppose the will of the gods, he ordered the ships to be prepared.

Parting with Dido was difficult. She then begged Aeneas to stay, then cursed him, but she could not come to terms with her fate. With difficulty, Aeneas suppressed the desire that arose in his heart to calm and console her, but the gods did not order him to incline his hearing to the requests of the unfortunate queen. At the appointed time, in obedience to the order of Aeneas, the ships departed from the coast of Libya. Dido watched them from the high fortress walls. When the ships disappeared from view, she realized that life no longer made sense to her. She ordered the construction of a funeral pyre in the middle of the palace, put the gifts of Aeneas in it, and then pierced her heart with a sword. The proud and suffering soul of the Carthaginian queen flew away with smoke into the kingdom of shadows.

Aeneas in the realm of the dead. The ships of Aeneas quickly ran along the waves. Far behind was the country of Dido, and Italy appeared ahead. Aeneas landed on the shore near the city of Kuma. The famous soothsayer lived there - the Cuma Sibyl: Aeneas wanted to ask her about his future fate. He learned that the trials at sea were over, but even more dangers, battles and fights awaited him on land.

Aeneas asked if the Sibyl could take him to the realm of the dead: he would like to see his father and listen to his predictions. Accompanied by the Sibyl, holding in his hands a golden branch from a sacred grove, he entered under the gloomy vaults of a huge cave, where the path to the underground river Acheront began. The shuttle of Charon groaned under the weight of a living person, but Aeneas safely crossed Acheron and ended up in the very center of the underworld. Aeneas saw the souls of many glorious heroes, he also saw how the souls of wicked people are tormented in Tartarus, he saw the terrible underground gods ... He also noticed Dido, wandering in the forest with a shadow. He tried to speak to her, but the shadow of the proud queen immediately disappeared, even here she did not forgive Aeneas for his departure. Finally, he reached the place where the souls of the righteous lived and where his father was. Anchises was delighted when he saw Aeneas: “I did not expect anything else from you, my son! True, you upset me with a long delay in Libya, but nevertheless your holy fidelity overcame an overwhelming path.

Anchises knew why Aeneas came to him, and told about the coming glory of the city of Rome, showed a long line of descendants famous for their exploits, whose souls still lived in the underworld, waiting for their incarnation on earth. From these stories, the desire for glory flared up again in the heart of Aeneas. He now knew that his suffering had not been in vain.

“We are finishing our tables.” Aeneas set off again. Once, when the morning dawn was in a hurry to open the gates to a new day, and the blue sea sparkled with the calm smoothness of its waters, Aeneas saw the mouth of a wide river. Before him was the Tiber.

Aeneas liked the place, and he ordered to land on the shore. The navigators descended to the ground, settled down to have breakfast on the fresh green grass. They put cakes on the grass, fruits on them, prayed to the gods and began to eat. Having first eaten the fruit, they started to eat the cakes, and then Yul, the son of Aeneas, exclaimed: “Well, we are finishing our tables!”

He wanted to joke, but Aeneas realized that the prediction had come true, and said: “Hello to you, the land destined for me by fate itself! Here is now our homeland and our home!” The pious Aeneas made a sacrifice to the immortal gods. Jupiter thundered thrice in response from the sky and revealed to them a cloud shining from within with golden light. The Trojans understood that Aeneas had correctly interpreted the will of the gods.

A wonderful sign. The country where the Trojans decided to settle was ruled by Latinus. He had an only daughter, Lavinia, who was destined to be the wife of Turnu, the leader of the neighboring Rutul tribe. On the day when Aeneas and his companions ate their tables, Latinus and Lavinia performed a sacrifice. And then it seemed to those present that flames engulfed Lavinia: clothes and hair blazed, and a crown flashed on her head. Everyone was surprised at such a sign, but no one could explain it; at night, in a dream, Latin heard the voice of his father, the forest god Faun, commanding to give Lavinia as a wife to a stranger who would come to him.

The next morning, envoys from Aeneas came to Latin with gifts and a request to stay in their land. Latinus gladly agreed, and he himself offered Aeneas the hand of the beautiful Lavinia. So peace and harmony were immediately established between the Latins and the Trojans who arrived in their land.

Aeneas' war with the rutuli. But the formidable goddess Juno did not like it. After all, she did everything possible so that Aeneas did not get to Italy, knowing that his descendants would destroy their beloved Carthage, Juno ordered the goddess Allekto, the instigator of strife, to enrage Turnn. The matter turned out to be not difficult: the leader of the Rutuls lost his bride, and was glad to take revenge on the offender. He gathered an army of young rutuli, who were eager for exploits, and called for the expulsion of the newcomers from Italy.

A brutal war has begun. Aeneas did not want her, he was peaceful, although fearless, but he had to defend his right to live on the lands indicated by the immortal gods. Venus brought him wonderful armor, forged in the forge of the god Vulcan: a helmet with a formidable crest, a sharp sword, a beautiful shell. But the main miracle was the shield. Knowing the future, he depicted on it Vulcan and Roman history, and the exploits of Roman heroes going into battle for freedom, and gifts from the conquered peoples. Aeneas rejoiced at such a wonderful gift.

The war was terrible, the youngest and most flourishing ones passed away. Many companions of Aeneas on wanderings and his new friends perished; many brave warriors of Turna also fell in battle.

The duel of Aeneas and Turnus. Finally, two leaders, Turnn and Aeneas, met in single combat, and the formidable leader of the rutuli was defeated. With a blow of a spear, Aeneas threw him to the ground, and Turnn prayed: “I don’t ask you for anything, I deserved my fate, but have pity on my father, because your Anchises was the same old man; give him back me, or at least my body! You have won, now take Lavinia as your wife, but put an end to your hatred! He had already bowed Aeneas with prayers, and lowered the hero, brought up to strike, but suddenly he saw the belt of his dead friend Pallans on Turn and exclaimed: “No, the murderer of my friend, you will not escape retribution! This blow inflicts on you with my hand Pallas!” And saying this, he struck the enemy to death.

So Aeneas won the right to settle in Italy. He built a city, named after his wife Lavinius, but did not rule for long. A few years later, the earthly path of Aeneas ended. Descendants honored him as a god under the name of Jupiter the Ancestor.

Legend of Dido and Aeneas

This story was first described by Nevius in the III-II century BC. Later, Virgil included it in his epic "Aeneid" (written approximately in 29 BC). Virgil's work was so popular that the inhabitants of Pompeii decorated their homes with quotes from it. In the Middle Ages (approximately in 1689), the English composer G. Purcell wrote the opera "Dido and Aeneas" ... And the lines from the works of Russian authors, who also addressed this topic, make an equally strong impression on us, their contemporaries.

What is this story that has been disturbing the minds of people for more than two thousand years? Judge for yourself...

After the incident with the apple, which the Trojan Paris gave not to her, but to Venus, Jupiter's wife Juno hatched plans for revenge on the Trojans. In addition, she was aware of the prediction that her beloved Carthage was to die as a result of a conflict with the state, which was to be founded by the descendants of the Trojans who survived the fall of Troy. Therefore, when the ships of Aeneas, who was not only a Trojan, but also the son of the hated Venus, set off in search of a new homeland, Juno made a terrible storm. Many ships sank and many people died as a result of this storm. Everyone would have died, but the ruler of the seas, Neptune, intervened in time, calming the sea and directing the surviving ships to the shores of Africa, where Queen Dido ruled. The inhabitants of Carthage warmly welcomed the guests, and the beautiful Dido, who survived a terrible personal tragedy and never knew family happiness, was simply captivated by the courage of Aeneas, who told her about the Trojan War, the sea adventures that she herself had once experienced and about how saving his father and son, Aeneas lost his beloved wife in the defeated Troy. Many rulers of neighboring states wooed the beautiful Phoenician, but everyone invariably received a refusal. Dido did not know that she owed her love to Aeneas to his mother, Venus, as she did not know that she would fall victim in a fierce struggle between the two goddesses. For a long time she resisted again the surging and almost forgotten feeling. But in the end she agreed to marry a Trojan. And happiness came to the beautiful palace of Carthage. Love for her husband, strengthened by the previous years of loneliness and truly maternal love for his son from the dead Trojan woman Creusa - all this became the meaning of her life, relegated to the background concerns about the state she founded. But this happiness was short-lived - the messenger of Jupiter Mercury appeared to Aeneas and ordered him to continue his journey to the shores of Italy, where, according to the prediction, the Trojans were to find a new home. The same prediction said that Aeneas would have a third wife. Consequently, Dido could not be taken with him... But how to leave her beloved, how to tell her, who had only recently found happiness, about eternal separation?!... Aeneas did not want to lose Dido, but, as often happens, the sense of duty turned out to be stronger love. Aeneas and his ships began to prepare for a secret departure ... But either someone told, or a loving heart suggested - the queen found out the terrible secret of her husband. Where? What for? Why without her? No less upset, Aeneas replied that he could not resist the will of the gods and only prayed for his beloved for forgiveness. .. Afraid to change the decision, Aeneas went to the ship. There he was again visited by Mercury and reminded of the will of the gods. In the morning the ship went to sea. Casting a last glance at the city he was leaving, Aeneas realized that something terrible had happened. He did not know that, not being able to survive the new terrible loss, Dido plunged the sword he had forgotten into her heart and threw herself into the flames of the sacrificial fire ... Here is what Joseph Brodsky writes:

“The great man looked out the window, and for her the whole world ended with the edge of his wide Greek tunic, an abundance of folds resembling a stopped sea. He looked out the window, and his gaze was now so far from these places that his lips froze like a shell where there was a hum lurking, and the horizon in the glass was motionless. And her love was only a fish - maybe capable of launching into the sea after the ship and, cutting through the waves with a flexible body, it is possible to overtake it - but he, he mentally already stepped on land. And the sea turned around sea ​​of ​​tears. But, as you know, it is in a moment of despair that a fair wind begins to blow. And the great man left Carthage. She stood in front of the fire, which her soldiers kindled under the city wall, and saw how in the haze of the fire, trembling between flame and smoke Carthage silently disintegrated long before the prophecy of Cato.

After a series of adventures, the ships finally reached the shores of Italy. The descendants of Aeneas were Romulus and Remus, who founded the city of Rome, which later became the capital of a powerful empire, which many centuries later destroyed beautiful Carthage - the creation of Queen Dido ...

Dido and Aeneas

The great man looked out the window
and for her the whole world ended with the edge
his wide, Greek tunic,
an abundance of folds resembling
stopped sea.
He is
looked out the window, and his gaze now
was so far from these places that the lips
froze, like a shell, where
lurking rumble, and the horizon in the glass
was motionless.
And her love
was just a fish - maybe capable
go to sea after the ship
and, cutting through the waves with a flexible body,
maybe overtake him... but he -
he mentally already set foot on dry land.
And the sea turned into a sea of ​​tears.
But, as you know, just in a minute
despair and starts to blow
favourable wind. And a great husband
left Carthage.
She stood
in front of a fire that was kindled
under the city wall her soldiers,
and saw how in the haze of a fire,
trembling between fire and smoke,
Silently crumbled Carthage

Long before Cato's prophecy.

Joseph Brodsky 1969

http://www.tunisia.ru/history/didona_i_ehneiy
http://kpot.narod.ru/crimea/poetry/bro4.htm

Aeneas and Dido

Venus advised her son to ask the queen for shelter. Aeneas and Ahat immediately hurried into the city and entered it unnoticed by anyone, since Venus enveloped them in fog. Their attention was attracted by the festive appearance of the inhabitants gathered in the square, as well as the beauty of the queen, who was talking with their comrades, who had miraculously escaped during the storm.

The sailors told Dido about their famous leader, rumors about which had already reached her ears, and she gladly promised to send people to find him and, if necessary, give him help.

And I'll send it all over the coast

Heralds and order to search to the extreme limits

Libya: maybe he wanders through the forests or villages.

Virgil

Hearing this, Aeneas stepped forward, the fog cleared, and he appeared before the queen in all his glory.

Dido invited the guests to the banquet hall, where they, eating food and wine, told about their adventures on land and at sea. During the feast, Cupid, at the request of Venus, took the form of Yul, the son of Aeneas, and, clinging to the chest of the queen, shot her an arrow right in the heart, and she fell in love with Aeneas.

Days passed in feasts and entertainment. Aeneas completely forgot that he was supposed to found a new kingdom. He did not want to leave Dido. So a year passed, and the gods finally decided to send Mercury to remind Aeneas of his duty.

In order not to see Dido's tears and not to hear her lamentations, Aeneas prepared to leave secretly and left her when she was sleeping. Waking up and looking out the window, she saw the last Trojan ship disappearing over the horizon.

Hiding her grief and feigning anger she didn't really feel, Dido had her servants prepare wood for the funeral pyre and threw in it all the things that Aeneas had used while living in her palace. Then she lit a fire, jumped into the fire and burned.

Even if I die unavenged, I will die the desired death.

From the sea, let the cruel Dardanian look at the fire,

Let my death be an ominous sign for him!

Virgil

Aeneas saw a column of smoke rising into the sky, and his heart sank - he understood where this smoke was coming from, and sincerely mourned the death of the beautiful queen of Libya.

The Trojans sailed until clouds gathering on the horizon forced them to take refuge in Sicania, where they held traditional games in memory of Anchises, who died here a year ago. While the men competed in rowing, running, wrestling, archery, fisticuffs and equestrian competitions, the women gathered together and, instigated by Juno, began to complain about their hard lot, which forced them to endanger their lives again and again, wandering around seas. Their dissatisfaction reached such a pitch that they set fire to the ships in unison. Aeneas, having learned about this, rushed to the shore, tore off his expensive festive clothes and began to pray to Jupiter for help.

O almighty father! If not all, as one, are hated

The Trojans have become you, if you have the same pity

To human troubles, oh Jupiter, do not let the fire destroy

All ships and save the miserable property of the Tevkrov.

Virgil

Jupiter heard his prayer and sent a heavy downpour to the earth, which extinguished the flames that devoured the ships. Soon after this, Anchises appeared before Aeneas and told him to leave the women, children and old people in Sicily and go to Cumae. Here he had to turn to the Sibyl for help, go down with her to the afterlife and receive further instructions from his father.

But before

Descend into the realm of Dita, descend into the depths of Avernus,

My son, look for me there too.

Virgil

Aeneas obeyed the words of his father, but when Venus saw that her son again set off into the will of the waves, she rushed to Neptune and asked to take care of her unfortunate son. Neptune listened to her with sympathy and promised that he would take only one person from the team of Aeneas. It turned out to be the helmsman Palinur, who, having fallen asleep at the wheel, fell into the water and drowned.

Aeneas' fleet reached Qom safe and sound, and Aeneas hastened to the cave of the Sibyl. He told her that he wanted to go down to Hades and asked her to accompany him there. She agreed, but said that first he must get a golden branch of a tree that grew in a dense forest.

But no one will penetrate into the hidden bowels of the earth,

Before he plucks the cherished branch from the tree.

Virgil

Aeneas, in desperation, again turned to the gods for help - how can he find a small branch in the forest without their help? In response, Venus, who never forgot about her son, sent him two snow-white doves, which led him to the right tree and illuminated him. Thanks to this, Aeneas found what he was looking for.

From the book The Newest Book of Facts. Volume 2 [Mythology. Religion] author Kondrashov Anatoly Pavlovich

What did Aeneas do during the Trojan War? At the beginning of the Trojan War, Aeneas remained in Dardania, a city on the slopes of Mount Ida. Although Aeneas helped Paris kidnap Helen, he tried to remain neutral, because he did not want to obey Hector, who led the defense of Troy, and

From the book Companions of the Damascus Road author Shakhovskoy John

How did Aeneas know about his destiny? According to the most common version of the myth, Aeneas and several of his associates desperately and unsuccessfully tried to resist the Greeks on the streets of the burning Troy. Aeneas witnessed the death of Priam and the triumph of Neoptolemus in the royal

From the book Myths and Legends of Greece and Rome by Edith Hamilton

Aeneas (ch. 9). This Aeneas the world knows less than Virgil. That one went around the world and did various deeds of human prowess, and this one, “for eight years already lay in bed in relaxation” (9:33). The one who traveled did not make a single person better, but this one, relaxed, turned to

From the book Myths of Greece and Rome author Gerber Helen

From the book Encyclopedia of Classical Greco-Roman Mythology author Obnorsky V.

Chapter 29 Aeneas Adventures of Aeneas You already know how the Greeks broke into Troy in the dead of night, slaughtered its inhabitants and set fire to the beautiful buildings that its king was so proud of. Now I will tell you how part of the Trojans escaped death. Knowing nothing about the fate that befell

From the author's book

Aeneas and Anchis Aeneas rushed home and ordered his father to prepare for flight, but Anchises was stubborn - he did not want to leave the city. But then he saw how a glow flared up above his grandson's head, and decided that the gods were giving a sign that his family should be saved. He no longer resisted leaving, but,

From the author's book

Aeneas descends into Hades With a branch in his hand instead of a key, Aeneas, accompanied by the Sibyl, bravely descended into the afterlife, where all those terrible pictures that we have described appeared before his eyes. Charon quickly transported them through Acheron, on the banks of which they saw a wandering shadow

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Dido Dido or Elissa (Dido, Elissa) - the founder of Carthage. According to legend, she was the daughter of the Tyrian king Mutton and the wife of his brother Sikhei (Sinchey), the priest of the god Melkart, whom the Greeks compared with their Hercules. She had to share the throne with her brother

From the author's book

Aeneas In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas (Aeneas, AineiaV) - 1) the son of Anchises and Aphrodite, the ruler of the Dardans at the foot of Ida, a relative of Priam (see). Born on Mount Ida (Il. 2, 820) or near the river Simoent, he was brought up by Alkathoy, the husband of his sister Hippodamia, in Dardyan (Il. 13, 428. 465); but by

This story was first described by Nevius in the III-II century BC. Later, Virgil included it in his epic "Aeneid" (written approximately in 29 BC). Virgil's work was so popular that the inhabitants of Pompeii decorated their homes with quotes from it. In the Middle Ages (approximately in 1689), the English composer G. Purcell wrote the opera "Dido and Aeneas" ... And the lines from the works of Russian authors, who also addressed this topic, make an equally strong impression on us, their contemporaries.

After the incident with the apple, which the Trojan Paris gave not to her, but to Venus, Jupiter's wife Juno hatched plans for revenge on the Trojans. In addition, she was aware of the prediction that her beloved Carthage was to die as a result of a conflict with the state, which was to be founded by the descendants of the Trojans who survived the fall of Troy. Therefore, when the ships of Aeneas, who was not only a Trojan, but also the son of the hated Venus, set off in search of a new homeland, Juno made a terrible storm. Many ships sank and many people died as a result of this storm. Everyone would have died, but the ruler of the seas, Neptune, intervened in time, calming the sea and directing the surviving ships to the shores of Africa, where Queen Dido ruled. The inhabitants of Carthage warmly welcomed the guests, and the beautiful Dido, who survived a terrible personal tragedy and never knew family happiness, was simply captivated by the courage of Aeneas, who told her about the Trojan War, the sea adventures that she herself had once experienced and about how saving his father and son, Aeneas lost his beloved wife in the defeated Troy. Many rulers of neighboring states wooed the beautiful Phoenician, but everyone invariably received a refusal. Dido did not know that she owed her love to Aeneas to his mother, Venus, as she did not know that she would fall victim in a fierce struggle between the two goddesses. For a long time she resisted again the surging and almost forgotten feeling. But in the end she agreed to marry a Trojan. And happiness came to the beautiful palace of Carthage. Love for her husband, strengthened by the previous years of loneliness and truly maternal love for his son from the dead Trojan woman Creusa - all this became the meaning of her life, relegated to the background concerns about the state she founded. But this happiness was short-lived - the messenger of Jupiter Mercury appeared to Aeneas and ordered him to continue his journey to the shores of Italy, where, according to the prediction, the Trojans were to find a new home. The same prediction said that Aeneas would have a third wife. Consequently, Dido could not be taken with him... But how to leave her beloved, how to tell her, who had only recently found happiness, about eternal separation?!... Aeneas did not want to lose Dido, but, as often happens, the sense of duty turned out to be stronger love. Aeneas and his ships began to prepare for a secret departure ... But either someone told, or a loving heart suggested - the queen found out the terrible secret of her husband. Where? What for? Why without her? No less upset, Aeneas replied that he could not resist the will of the gods and only prayed for his beloved for forgiveness. .. Afraid to change the decision, Aeneas went to the ship. There he was again visited by Mercury and reminded of the will of the gods. In the morning the ship went to sea. Casting a last glance at the city he was leaving, Aeneas realized that something terrible had happened. He did not know that, not being able to survive the new terrible loss, Dido plunged the sword he had forgotten into her heart and threw herself into the flames of the sacrificial fire ... Here is what Joseph Brodsky writes:

“The great man looked out the window, and for her the whole world ended with the edge of his wide Greek tunic, an abundance of folds resembling a stopped sea. He looked out the window, and his gaze was now so far from these places that his lips froze like a shell where there was a hum lurking, and the horizon in the glass was motionless. And her love was only a fish - maybe capable of launching into the sea after the ship and, cutting through the waves with a flexible body, it is possible to overtake it - but he, he mentally already stepped on land. And the sea turned around sea ​​of ​​tears. But, as you know, it is in a moment of despair that a fair wind begins to blow. And the great man left Carthage. She stood in front of the fire, which her soldiers kindled under the city wall, and saw how in the haze of the fire, trembling between flame and smoke Carthage silently disintegrated long before the prophecy of Cato.