And there was a nice twist to the tale. For Carthage was Juno’s city, and if its queen fell for Aeneas, that would be one in the eye for the Queen of Heaven. She liked that.
Aeneas left his men on the beach while he climbed a cliff to see what he could see. At the top he met a being who gave him cause for hope. She was a huntress, and by her beauty, had no doubt that she was at least partly divine. He saw her sitting on a rock, and as he came up to her she said:
VenusYoung man.Have you seen any of my sisters here about, wearing leopard skins and carrying bows?
AeneasNo, I haven’t.Last night I was shipwrecked, and you are the first soul I have set eyes upon since I swam ashore.
VenusAnd tell me shipwrecked sailor, what is your name?
AeneasAeneas, prince of Tory. Winds and war drove me here across the seas.
VenusThen your fortunes are changing for the better. Lucky you to be washed up on this courteous coast. Not far from here, a gracious queen is building a city that matches your famed Troy for splendor and beauty. Her name is Dido, and the city is Carthage. Seek an audience with her, and you shall receive a warm welcome. And now I must leave you, and find my errant sisters.Aeneas
Goddess wait - I see now from the way you move that you are Venus - Oh Mother ! Why do you only ever appear to me in disguise ?
Venus
Fairwell my son. Make speed to Dido.I shall cloak you in an invisible cloud to protect you from danger.
Narrator
When the walls of Carthage came into view, Aeneas could not help but weep. For in every respect it was as if he was looking at his own dear home, the City of Troy at the height of its splendor, before the Greeks reduced it to ruins. As he passed through the arched gates, it was as if he was returning home. The inside of the portal was engraved with pictures of the greatest of the Trojans. Here was King Priam. There was Queen Hecuba. And totally true to life, Hector, the most formidable of the Trojans in battle, the tenderest family man at home, held his son in his great hands. The little boy cried because his father’s bronze helmet frightened him. His mother Andromache held out her slender arms. They were all gone now. Dust. Memories. Pictures. Gazing Aeneas said to himself:
Aeneas
These are the tears of the world.
Narrator
He made his way through the noisy streets, as invisible as a ghost, until he reached the Palace. In the great hall there was a sight to gladden his sad eyes. A crowd of his men from the lost ships, those whom he had thought to be drowned in the storm, were gathered there. Venus lifted the invisible cloud from her son. He appeared among his friends and greeted them with hugs and tears. While the reunion was still going on, Queen Dido came into the hall. She was a tall striking figure. She wore jewels in her black hair, and her robe was sewn with gold and silver thread.
Aeneas stepped forward and begged pardon for the tattered rags that he wore.
Dido
Never mind your clothes. Tell me who is the man within them..
Aeneas
Mighty Queen, once I was a Trojan. But Troy is no more. It is no longer so simple to say who I am.
Dido
But you have a name presumably?
Narrator
At this, one of Aeneas’s men spoke up: “Gracious Queen. Behold our general, Warlike Aeneas, Prince of Troy, and though he wears rags, he is a no less a great man.”
Dido
Well then, Warlike Aeneas, be seated, and I shall send for splendid robes that befit your birth, and cover your recent misfortune. And then we shall hold a banquet in honour of our Trojan guests.
Narrator
And when the banquet took place, Queen Dido sat with her sister Dido on her one side, and Aeneas on the other. The Queen begged Aeneas to describe the last days of Troy, as she had heard so many conflicting reports. Aeneas described how the Greek Achilles slaughtered the Trojan Hector. How Prince Paris left his chamber of love and fired a poisoned arrow into the heal of Achilles. How the Greeks boarded their ships and left behind a wooden horse. The Trojans rejoiced to see their foes depart. But the belly of the horse was hollow and full of Greek spies. They opened the gates of Troy and let in the invading army. As Aeneas made his way out of the city with his father and son, his sword saved them from death a dozen times, but the doom of Troy was done. He described to the Queen the leaping flames, the clashing bronze, and the desperate cries, Dido could not help but weep.
Dido“Oh stop, Aeneas, I can hear no more. I am melting with pity.”
Narrator
But Venus sent a sweet balm to heal the sorrow of the Queen. The young son of Aeneas lay asleep on a couch in a chamber away from the noisy feast. The Goddess willed Cupid to take on his exact likeness, and she sent him into the banqueting hall.
Dido“Ah, who is this sweet sleepy-eyed boy? Is he your son.
AeneasHe is my lady
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