Aeneid Summary
Book One, Part II
lines 387 - 401
 Venus replies to Aeneas:
 The gods don’t hate you, so shut up.
 You’re alive and now you’re in Carthage, so go to
the queen’s palace.
 I know that your missing comrades are alive.
 Look, there are some swans! They must represent
your lost ships, since this is a Roman epic.
 Just keep going and stop whining.
lines 402 - 417
 As Venus leaves, she reveals herself to be a
goddess (her hair breathes ambrosia and her
dress is sparkly, dead giveaway for a deity).
 Aeneas is really angry that Venus came to him in
disguise and complains that’s what she always
does, even though we have no evidence for
that.
 But Venus surrounds them with a protective cloud
(like a cloak of invisibility) so that no one can see
them.
lines 418 - 429
 Carthage is already an impressive sight, even
though they’re not done building it.
 Some people are building the citadel.
 Some are zoning the land for private use.
 Some are making laws.
 Others are building ports and a theater.
lines 430 - 437
 Super famous bee simile!
 The Tyrians are as busy as bees in the summer when
they led out the new bees from the hive and make
the honey and stuff (it’s a good translation passage,
I guess, but not the best simile).
Aeneas says: “O fortunati, quorum iam moenia
surgunt!” (O how blessed are those whose walls are
already rising!) He really is jealous of a lot of people.
lines 438 - 455
 They see a temple to Juno. On the doors of the
temple are scenes from the Trojan War! (This is
called eckphrasis.) This passage is a really big
deal, so please indicate so in your notes!
 Aeneas is dumbfounded that the war is already
this famous, but it has been seven years since the
end of it, so maybe it’s not that surprising.
lines 456 - 464
 scenes of the door of the temple to Juno:
 There’s Agamemnon, Menelaus, Priam and Achilles.
 Aeneas starts crying (again) and says some pretty
things about war and sacrifice: “sunt lacrimae rerum
et mentem mortalia tangunt” (there is compassion
for suffering and human concerns touch the mind).
He believes they (the Trojans) will be safe in
Carthage because the Tyrians have portrayed the
Trojans’ suffering so beautifully.
lines 465 - 483
 scenes of the door of the temple to Juno:
 Greeks pursuing Trojans and Trojans persuing Greeks.
 There’s Rhesus being slaughtered by Diomedes and
Odysseus and his horses being driven off.
 Troilus (Priam’s youngest son) tries to fight Achilles
and gets tangled in his own chariot and dies a
horrible death.
 The Trojan women try to make an offering to Pallas
Athena, but she ignores them.
lines 484 - 493
 scenes of the door of the temple to Juno:
 Achilles sells Hector’s corpse for gold after dragging
him around the citadel three times.
 Priam begs Achilles to give back the body of Hector.
 Memnon leads the Amazons with Penthesilea (a
maiden dare to fight with men). [This last image
probably included by Dido deliberately.]
lines 494 - 509
 While Aeneas is looking at this, Dido comes to the
temple. Vergil compares her to Diana
(significantly) leading her nymphs in the woods. It
is the image of a confident leader who knows
what she needs to do to help her city thrive.
 She sits on a throne in the temple and makes
new laws and assigns new tasks to people.
lines 510 (end of Latin reading
section) - 530
 Aeneas sees all his lost comrades. He and
Achates are really happy to see them. They want
to run up to them, but they don’t really know
what’s going on, so they don’t.
 The lost comrades (mainly Ilioneus) are pleading
with Dido for mercy. They say that they will not
destroy Libya’s temples and people (why is this
ironic?). They are not proud people because
they have been conquered themselves.
lines 530 - 545
 Ilioneus tells Dido they are looking for Italy.
 The Tyrians have been trying to keep them from
landing on the shore. What kind of welcome is
this? (What role does hospitality play in the
ancient world?) The gods will be mad about this!
 Speaking of gods, have you seen Aeneas? The
gods really dig him because of pietas and stuff.
lines 546 - 558
 Ilioneus says:
 There are Trojans in Sicily, including a guy named
Acestes.
 Please allow us to rebuild our ships so that we can
sail to Italy (provided that we find Aeneas).
 If we can’t find Aeneas, we’ll just go live with our
friend Acestes.
lines 559 - 578
 Dido’s response:
 We only responded that way because we are new
to the area.
 Of course I know Aeneas; he’s totes awesome.
 I’ll help you with whatever you need: if you want to
leave, cool; if you want to stay, cool.
 “Trojan and Tyrian: both shall be one and the same
in my judgment.” (Tros Tyriusque mihi nullo discrimine
agetur.)
 I’ll send some people to look for Aeneas because I
want to meet him.
lines 579 - 595
 Achates and Aeneas want to come out of their
protective cloud now.
 Achates says, “Dude, Venus was right. All but one
of our ships is accounted for here, but we
watched that one drown.”
 Then the cloud dissipates.
 Venus does some magical things to make
Aeneas super attractive.
lines 596 - 610
 Aeneas speaks:
 Here I am!
 Dido is the only one who has shown any sympathy
for what we’ve gone through.
 You have offered help, but we cannot repay you.
 If there is any justice in the world, the gods will repay
you for your kindness (irony!).
 Then he flatters her a lot and it’s kind of gross; “you,
your name and your glory, the praise you’ve earned,
will forever live and endure, whatever land calls
me.”
lines 611 - 630
 Aeneas embraces his comrades.
 Dido greets him. She knows all about him.
 My dad did business with this Greek dude named
Teucer, so that’s how I know about the war.
 Teucer said the Trojans were worthy adversaries.
 Fortune has been unkind to me, too. I want to help
those who suffer.
lines 631 - 656
 Dido shows Aeneas around the city. They make
some sacrifices and send bulls and hogs and
lambs down to the comrades still on the shore.
 They set up for a nice party.
 Aeneas sends Achates to get Ascanius and some
treasures that they had on board (somehow),
including some things that Helen had brought
with her to Troy.
lines 657 - 695
 Of course, Venus can’t leave well enough alone, so
she sends her other kid Cupid down in the guise of
Ascanius.
 Cupid is supposed to make Dido fall in love with
Aeneas. (Venus doesn’t trust that Dido means what
she says; after all, she’s favored by Juno.) Then,
Dido will be bound to Venus rather than Juno.
 She’s going to drug Ascanius and keep him in a
temple.
 So that’s what they do.
lines 696 - 722
 Dido is already seated and waiting for them.
 There is quite a banquet prepared when the
Trojans come in.
 The Tyrians are impressed by the Trojans.
 Cupid is having his effect on Dido; with his
magical powers, he starts to erase the memory of
Sychaeus from her mind and tries to kindle a fire
for Aeneas.
lines 723 - 756
 The banquet continues.
 Dido makes a lovely toast thanking the gods for
allowing the two peoples to come together.
 Then a long-haired dude sings some songs.
 Dido keeps badgering Aeneas to talk about the
Trojan War.
 She especially wants to hear about the Trojan
Horse.
 And that’s the end of Book One! Huh?