“As on the banks of Eurotas, or on Mount Cynthus’ top,
Diana leads her train of mountain nymphs, bearing her
quiver on her shoulder, and moving majestic, she towers
above the other goddesses; such Dido was, and such,
with cheerful grace, she passed amid her train, urging
forward the labor of founding and enlarging her mighty
kingdom.”—VIRGIL.
THERE are two accounts given of the famous Queen Dido. According to
the historian Justin, Dido, called also Elissa, was the daughter of
Belus II., king of Tyre. Ithobal, king of Tyre, and father of the
famous Jezebel, called in Scripture Ethbaal, was said to have been
her great-grandfather. Upon the death of Dido’s father, her brother
Pygmalion came to the throne. Dido married her maternal uncle, Acerbas,
who is also called Sichæus by Virgil. Acerbas was the priest of
Hercules, an office next in rank to that of king.
This priest possessed immense treasures which King Pygmalion desired
to secure, and thereupon he assassinated Acerbas whilst the priest
was officiating at the altar. Dido, who was greatly attached to her
husband, was horrified at her brother’s atrocious wickedness, and
inconsolable in her great loss. She immediately determined to flee from
Tyre, and take with her the treasures of her husband, that they might
not fall into the hands of the avaricious murderer. Having secretly
collected quite a number of followers, Dido embarked in a fleet, and
sailed from Tyre. Pygmalion, fearing that he would lose the coveted
treasures, sent messengers to his sister begging her to return. The
ships of Pygmalion’s ambassadors having overtaken Dido, they delivered
to her the request of the king. Dido apparently assented, but took
the precaution when embarking to place in her ship, in the presence
of Pygmalion’s messengers, several bales filled with sand, which she
informed them contained the treasures. When they were out at sea, Dido
commanded her attendants to throw these bales into the sea; and then
representing to those who had come from the monarch that only death
awaited them, should they return to Pygmalion without the treasure,
which they now supposed was buried in the ocean, she induced them
to become her companions in her flight. Thereupon large numbers of
the chief men joined her party. Dido, with her fleet, sailed first
to Cyprus, which island had belonged to the dominions of her father,
who had conquered it. Here she was met by the priest of Jupiter, and
together with his entire family, he joined her expedition, in obedience
to the supposed will of the gods. Dido also took on board her fleet
eighty maidens of Cyprus, who afterwards married her Tyrian subjects.
Having been driven by a storm on to the coast of Africa, Dido bargained
with the inhabitants for the purchase of some land upon which to make a
settlement. The natives, fearful of the power of these new neighbors,
would only consent to sell such a portion of land as could be covered
by a bull’s hide. But the wily Dido was not to be thus baffled; and
conceding to their terms with apparent willingness, she cut the hide
of the bull into long and slender thongs, thus being able to enclose
with them a large portion of ground. The space thus purchased was
hence called _Byrsa_, from the Greek word, meaning “a hide,” though
some writers contend that the name of Byrsa, the citadel of Carthage,
was derived from the Punic term _Basra_, “a fortification.” Around
this first settlement the city of Carthage arose, and Byrsa became the
citadel of the place.
It is said, that when the foundations were dug, a horse’s head was
found, which was thought to be a good omen, and a presage of the
future warlike genius of the people. After this Tyrian colony had
become established, the fame of their queen, Dido, gained for her many
suitors. But she refused all their offers, having made a vow that she
would remain faithful to the memory of her husband, Acerbas. At length,
Iarbas, king of Mauritania, sought her hand in marriage, and threatened
war if his offers were rejected. Justin thus tells the story:—
Iarbas, sending for ten of the principal Carthaginians, demanded Dido
in marriage, threatening to declare war against her in case of refusal.
The ambassadors, being afraid to deliver the message of Iarbas to
their queen, told her with Punic honesty, that he wanted to have some
person sent him who was capable of civilizing and polishing himself
and his Africans, but that there was no possibility of finding any
Carthaginian who would be willing to leave his place and kindred, for
the conversation of barbarians, who were as savage as the wildest
beasts. Here the queen, with indignation interrupting them, and asking
if they were not ashamed to refuse living in any manner which might be
beneficial to their country, to which they owed even their lives, they
then delivered the king’s message, and bade her set them a pattern,
and sacrifice herself to her country’s welfare. Dido being thus
ensnared, called on Sichæus with tears and lamentations, and answered
that she would go where the fate of her city called her. She demanded
three months for consideration. During this interval she caused a
large funeral pile to be erected, as if for the purpose of offering
a propitiatory sacrifice to the manes of Acerbas. At the expiration
of the time allotted she ascended the fatal pile, and with her last
breath told the spectators that she was going to her husband, as they
had ordered her. She then plunged a dagger into her heart, before they
realized her fatal intention.
This action procured for her the name of _Dido_, a “heroine” or
“valiant woman,” her previous name having been Elissa; though some
authorities declare that _Dido_ neither denotes the “heroine,” as
Servius maintains; nor the “man-slayer,” as Eustathius pretends; nor
the “wanderer,” as other writers claim; but the name _Dido_ means
nothing more than “the beloved,” whether the reference be to Baal or
to her husband. The other appellation, Elissa, is said to mean “the
exulting,” or “joyous one,” though Bochart claims that it signifies
“the divine maiden.”
Her subjects after her death paid her divine honors.
Thus authorities differ as much over Dido’s name as accounts differ
regarding her life. Virgil’s poetical version of the story deviates
quite materially from the historical narrative of Justin; but as
Virgil’s famous poem of the Æneid has obtained such world-wide fame,
and gained a lasting place in classic literature, his story of Dido is
too important to pass by unnoticed, and may be thus briefly narrated.
According to Virgil’s account, Dido flourished about the time of the
Trojan War, whereas historians place her 247 years later in history, or
about 937 B.C.
Dunlop, in his History of Roman Literature, says: “Virgil wrote at
such a distance of time from the events which formed the groundwork
of his poem, and the events themselves were so obscure, that he could
depart from history without violating probability. Thus it appears
from chronology that Dido lived nearly three hundred years after the
Trojan War; but the point was one of obscure antiquity, known perhaps
to few readers, and not very precisely ascertained. Hence, so far was
the violence offered to chronology from revolting his countrymen, that
Ovid, who was so knowing in ancient histories and fables, wrote an
heroic epistle as addressed by Dido to Æneas.”
The reason of Dido’s death is also differently stated by Virgil. But,
notwithstanding these great and unreconcilable discrepancies, no one
can fail to enjoy the charming story of Dido as related by the gifted
poet.
[Illustration: HELEN OF TROY
_Lord Leighton_
By permission of Henry Graves & Co., Ltd., proprietors of the
copyright.]
After the fall of Troy, as narrated by the Greek poet Homer in the
Iliad, the city was taken by the stratagem of the wooden horse. Priam,
the old king of Troy, was slain by Pyrrhus, the son of Achilles; Paris,
the son of Priam, having previously killed the great Achilles by the
shot of an arrow in his heel, as Hector had prophesied at his death.
After the death of Paris, Helen married Deiphobus, his brother, and
at the taking of Troy betrayed him, in order to reconcile herself to
Menelaüs, her first husband, who received her again into favor. Homer
continues the story of Ulysses in the Odyssey, while Virgil, the Latin
poet, takes up the history of Æneas after the fall of Troy, and gives
account of his many adventures by land and sea. As our sketch has only
to do with his visit to Carthage and his meeting with Queen Dido there,
we must confine our narration to that part of the Æneid.
While the battle was still raging in the city of Troy, and the old
King Priam was slain in his palace by the son of the great Achilles,
Æneas, finding the fate of Troy was sealed, hastened to his own home,
and taking his old father Anchises upon his shoulders, and leading his
little son Ascanius by the hand, followed by his wife Creüsa, they fled
from the city to the temple of Ceres, where they were to meet others,
who should accompany them upon their wanderings. But as Æneas hastened
to go, Creüsa, his wife, was severed from him. Leaving Anchises and his
son with his comrades who had assembled at the temple of Ceres, Æneas
fled back into the city, searching for his wife. But nowhere could he
find her, and as he sought her, sorrowing, lo! as he called her name,
her image seemed to stand before him; and thus her spirit addressed
him:—
“Why art thou vainly troubled? The ruler of Olympus willeth not that
Creüsa should bear thee company in thy journey. Weep not, then, for
Creüsa, whom thou lovest, nor think that I shall be carried away to be
a bond-slave to some Grecian woman. Such fate befits not a daughter of
Dardanus, and daughter-in-law of Venus. The mighty Mother of the Gods
keepeth me in this land to serve her. And now, farewell, and love the
young Ascanius, even thy son and mine.” So saying, the spirit vanished
from his sight, and Æneas, weeping, returned to his father and son and
his comrades, now gathered at the temple of Ceres.
Then Æneas and his companions builded themselves ships, that they might
sail over the seas, in obedience to the command of the gods, that
they should seek another land; and when a year was wellnigh passed,
the work was finished. Whereupon they sailed, taking their gods with
them. We have not space to recount their experiences in Thrace, Delos,
or Crete; or to tell the story of the dreadful Cyclopés; nor of the
death and burial of old Anchises in Sicily. But scarcely had they
sailed from the land of Sicily, when Juno beheld them. Most wrathful
was her countenance as she looked down upon these hated Trojans; and
she said to herself: “Shall these men of Troy always baffle my august
will? Shall I, though wife to mighty Jupiter, avail nothing against
these people? Behold, none shall pay me honor and sacrifice if mortals
thus withstand the wishes of the Goddess of Olympus.” Thus musing in
her heart, she betook herself to the land of Æolia, where King Æolus
holdeth the winds within the mountains; and though they roar within the
earth with furious mutterings, their king restraineth them according to
his will. To him fair Juno spoke: “O Æolus, whom great Jupiter maketh
king of the powerful winds, listen to my words. A nation whom I hold
in no favor now saileth over the Tuscan seas. Loose now thy storms
against them, so that their ships be buried in the deep; and behold, I
will reward thee with the fairest maiden of all those lovely nymphs who
around me wait my bidding.”