Dido Nicks: Fate Cast a Spell on You, But You Won’t Forget Me

Throughout his journey, Aeneas is celebrated for his pietas and commitment to reaching Latium. Yet, this devotion often blinds him to the emotional destruction he leaves in his wake, particularly in his interactions with women. The clearest example of this shortcoming is Aeneas’ relationship with Dido, whose death is a direct result of his reckless departure. However, Aeneas is not forced to truly confront the consequences of this flaw until the Trojan women rebel by burning the ships in Book V. Faced with a scene of devastation similar to that of Dido’s suicide, he can no longer ignore the pain he has caused. The Trojan women’s burning of the ships forces Aeneas to confront a major blindspot of his leadership--his treatment of women--prompting him to further develop into his role of pater at this pivotal moment in his journey.

Aeneas’ departure from Carthage illustrates his refusal to take responsibility for the emotional consequences of his actions, particularly his treatment of Dido, revealing a flaw in his leadership. As the Trojan fleet sails away, Aeneas looks back towards the city, observing the “flames of unhappy Dido” (infelicis Elissae…flammis, V.3-4). Vergil claims “it is unclear” (latet, V.5) what caused the fire, using this impersonal form to reflect Aeneas’ desire to distance himself from the emotional turmoil he has caused. However, Vergil quickly reveals that “the knowledge of what a raging woman is capable of leads the hearts of the Trojans” (notumque furens quid femina possit…Teucrorum pectora ducunt, V.6-7). This contrast between Aeneas’ supposed ignorance and his underlying awareness of Dido’s pain suggests that his detachment is, at least partially, a facade. By describing Dido as “raging” (furens, V.6) in the eyes of Aeneas and the Trojans, Vergil hints that Aeneas is aware of the pain he has inflicted. Yet, instead of feeling guilt, this awareness propels him further away from Carthage and Dido, as he seeks to evade responsibility for his hasty departure. In addition, the verb ducunt emphasizes Aeneas’failure to lead: rather than Aeneas guiding the Trojans, it is the knowledge and fear of Dido’s pain that leads their hearts (Teucrorum pectora, V.6), revealing that Aeneas is not the role model that a good leader should be. This moment underscores how Aeneas’ inability to fully confront the emotional costs of his decisions weakens his authority, highlighting a flaw in his leadership that he must overcome as his journey progresses. 

The Trojan women’s burning of the ships not only echoes Dido’s suicide, but also forces Aeneas to face the pain he once ignored, namely in how his leadership disregarded women’s suffering. When Iris, disguised as Beroe, incites the women to burn the Trojan ships, she refers to the group as “unhappy” (infelix, V.625), the same epithet assigned to Dido in Book IV. By employing this adjective, Vergil links the Trojan women to Dido, inviting the reader to view their actions as a continuation of her story. Vergil strengthens this connection by describing the women as “driven by frenzy” (actaeque furore, V.659), and, using the fire God Vulcan as metonymy for the flames that the women have set, he explains that “Vuolcan rages as the reins were let go,” (furit immissis Volcanus habenis, V.662). This furor and imagery of a loss of control directly mirror Dido’s descent into madness throughout her relationship with Aeneas. Furthermore, the scene of a messenger informing the men of the fire echoes the beginning of Book VFive, when the Trojans witness the flames of Dido’s death rising from Carthage: “they themselves see” (ipsi respiciunt, V.665-666). Vergil repeats the verb respicio from the earlier scene, while emphasizing that they are now face to face with the fire using the intensifying pronoun ipsi. The recurrence of vocabulary in these two scenes underscores the connection between the tragic effects of the emotional strife that Aeneas caused Dido and the turmoil that the Trojan women now create, demonstrating that his failure to take responsibility for the women’s suffering has resulted in chaos. However, when the Trojan women wreak havoc, they set flames to the very boats that Aeneas had used to avoid accountability, forcing him to face his mistakes rather than fleeing them. 

Aeneas’ reaction to the burning of the ships represents a correction to his abandonment of Dido as he provides the Trojan women with the closure and care that Dido never received. After the women burn the ships, Aeneas--now described with the epithet pious--prays to Jupiter for help, then exclaims, “if I deserve it, send down death with a hostile lightning bolt.” (infesto fulmine morti, si mereor, demitte, V.691-692). In this moment, Aeneas finally confronts the women’s pain and questions his own culpability. Immediately, a rain storm extinguishes the flames, contrasting the storm in Book IV that led to the misunderstanding of Aeneas and Dido’s relationship, as they take shelter together in a cave while Juno carries out the Roman rituals of a wedding (IV.160-172). While the storm in Book IV catalyzed Dido’s agony and abandonment as Aeneas denies their marriage, the storm in Book V heals the destruction caused by the women, symbolizing Aeneas’ transition and his willingness to take responsibility. Aeneas’ growth continues as he decides to allow the women, along with weary men, to settle in SicilyEryx while the rest of the fleet continues toward Latium. Unlike his reckless departure from Carthage, Aeneas now guides and comforts the women, even allotting a city for them: “he designates the city…he orders that these places are Troy and this as Ilium” (urbem designat…haec loca Troiam esse iubet, V.755-757). Through this, Aeneas provides the women with the emotionally satisfying resolution that Dido never received. Moreover, this moment serves as a reversal of the physical destruction that Dido’s pain caused in Carthage, where “the towers which have been begun do not rise…the works hang down since having been interrupted” (Non coeptae adsurgunt turres…pendent opera interrupta, IV.86-88). Aeneas now sets the stage for a new kingdom, metaphorically correcting the adverse effects that his relationship with Dido caused Carthage. By paralleling these two scenes, Vergil presents the burning of the ships and Aeneas’ reaction as an alternative ending to Dido’s tragic suicide, both offering closure for her and demonstrating Aeneas’ transformation into a more responsible leader at this meta of his journey. 

Dido, Queen of Carthage

In confronting the flames of Dido’s despair and the rebellion of the Trojan women, Aeneas is ultimately forced to reckon with his shortcomings as a leader. Vergil’s portrayal of these pivotal moments serves as a poignant reminder of the necessity of empathy and accountability in leadership—qualities often overlooked in the pursuit of duty and glory. As Aeneas grapples with the emotional fallout of his decisions, it becomes clear that true leadership involves not only the fulfillment of one’s destiny but also a profound awareness of the impact one’s actions have on others. In this light, Dido’s tragic fate is not merely a narrative device; it is a critical commentary on the responsibilities that come with power and the imperative to listen to the voices of those who suffer in silence.