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Dido and Aeneas. the Classical background to Purcell’s opera. Who were Dido and Aeneas?. and not these either! Aeneas was a Trojan fighting in the mythical war against the Greeks - but his part in the movie was so small that we couldn’t find a photo of him on the internet!.
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Dido and Aeneas the Classical background to Purcell’s opera
Who were Dido and Aeneas? • and not these either! • Aeneas was a Trojan fighting in the mythical war against the Greeks • - but his part in the movie was so small that we couldn’t find a photo of him on the internet! No, not this Dido!
The Roman poet Virgil, tells the story of Aeneas in his long epic poem, the Aeneid which is based on the Iliad and Odyssey by the Greek poet Homer. Virgil made changes to Homer’s story and Purcell changed Virgil’s! WHY?
The Emperor Augustus wanted Virgil to write an epic about Aeneas because he believed that he was a descendant of Aeneas. Notice the little god Cupid at his feet – Cupid was Aeneas’ half-brother! Augustus built a massive Altar of Peace in Rome and here you can see a carving of Aeneas on it. Augustus liked everyone to identify him with Aeneas – putting duty before personal happiness!
Homer’s traditional story tells how the Greeks attacked Troy for 10 years and finally succeeded in capturing it by the trick of the Wooden Horse – there were soldiers hiding inside it but the Trojans did not realise this and took it inside the city.
A Greek vase painting, Bernini’s sculpture from 1619 and a coin of the Emperor Augustus all show how Aeneas escaped from Troy carrying his aged father and statues of the gods. Aeneas had prophecies from the gods telling him it was his destiny to lead a group of survivors from Troy and build a new city – Rome, which would one day conquer the world and have a wonderful Emperor, Augustus.
Aeneas’ journey after the fall of Troy. Virgil based this on Odysseus’ journey home as written by Homer, but he added the detour to Carthage in North Africa, where Aeneas had a love affair with Queen Dido. Rome and Carthage had fought a long war and were bitter enemies so the story provides a mythological reason for it!
Dido was a strong independent lady who had been forced out of her own country and was building a new city. She was mourning the loss of her husband and did not want any sort of romantic relationship. painting by Turner
Gods and Goddesses interfere in Virgil’s story : Apollo the god of prophecy sends visions to Aeneas to tell him of his important destiny : to found a city (Rome) which will one day have a wonderful leader called Augustus and will rule the world. Juno, Queen of gods HATES THE TROJANS so she sends a storm to shipwreck Aeneas in Carthage. She wants him to stay with Dido instead of continuing his destined journey to Rome. Venus, goddess of Love (Aeneas’ mother) sends her son Cupid to make Dido fall in love with Aeneas so she will help him to repair his ships. - so Juno and Venus conspire together to cause the love affair. Jupiter sends Mercury the messenger of the gods to remind Aeneas of his destiny and tell him he must leave Dido and go to Italy.
Croome Park near Pershore • a grotto based on Aeneid I Juno has caused a storm to shipwreck Aeneas and the Trojans but they arrive in a beautiful, safe harbour. scopulis pendentibus antrum intus aquae dulces vivoque sedilia saxo, Nympharum domus. A cave with rocks hanging over it; inside fresh water and seats in the living stone, a home of the Nymphs.
The story of Dido and Aeneas has inspired artists and musicians down the centuries Dido receiving Aeneas, F. Solimena 1657-1747 (notice Cupid, disguised as Aeneas’ young son, powerfully working to make Dido fall in love with Aeneas)
Bruges 1450 – 75 Dido puts on a wonderful banquet for Aeneas and he tells her the story of the fall of Troy and his wanderings. He includes the fact that he is destined to establish a new city and will have a new wife waiting there for him. Even at this early stage in the story Virgil calls Dido ‘doomed’.
Book 4 (it really means Chapter 4) The words in red mean ‘seriously wounded’, ‘a wound’ and ‘fire’. at regina, gravi iamdudum saucia cura vulnus alit venis et caeco carpitur igni. The words in red tell us that Dido is ‘doomed’, ‘on fire’, ‘raving mad’ and ‘like a deer hit by a hunter’s arrow’ (the hunter doesn’t realise!) uritur infelix Dido totaque vagatur urbe furens, qualis coniecta cerva sagitta,
The naked female is Venus! (top) Venus substitutes Cupid for Aeneas’ son Ascanius/Iulus. (left) Dido takes her guests on a hunt. (bottom) The goddesses cause a storm and lead Dido and Aeneas to take shelter in the same cave ….. (right) After being warned by Mercury, Aeneas and his men sail away. At this point Dido has become so distraught that she kills herself, pretending that she is just destroying all her mementos of Aeneas on a ‘funeral pyre’, but stabbing herself there as well. Mosaic from Low Ham villa in Britain
Pierre-Narcisse Guerin 1815 Dido is enthralled by Aeneas’ story. Tiepolo Mercury tells Aeneas it is time to go.
Joshua Reynolds: the death of Dido 1781 Dido’s sister Anna is horrified as she finds Dido breathing her last. Dido is not able to die until Juno sends her messenger Iris, the goddess of the Rainbow, to cut a symbolic lock of hair as an offering for the gods of the Underworld.
