I Dido—The Phœnician Queen

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THE ARGUMENT

For ten years the Greeks had besieged Troy, and on the tenth they took and utterly destroyed that ancient city. The inhabitants who had escaped captivity and the sword, wandered in exile to many quarters of the earth. Now the chief band of exiles was led by Æneas, son of Venus and Anchises, and son-in-law of Priam, king of Troy.

After many adventures on land and sea, Æneas came, in the sixth year, to Sicily, where he was kindly entertained by Acestes, king of that land, and where his aged father died and was buried. Thence setting sail in the summer of the seventh year, he approached the shores of Africa. Here a violent storm arose which scattered and all but destroyed the Trojan ships. Æneas, with a number of his companions, was cast upon a desert coast, where they passed the night in gloomy forebodings. In the early morning, Æneas and Achates set forth to explore the land, and came to the newly founded city of Carthage.

Now Phœnician Dido, also, with a band of exiles, had fled from her native Tyre, to escape the persecutions of her brother, Pygmalion, who had already slain Sychæus, her husband. And to the land of Africa had she come, and built her a city, even the city of Carthage.

And so these two, Æneas, prince of Troy, and Dido, fugitive from Tyre, now meet in distant Africa and live the tragedy which fate has held in store.

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THE PERSONS OF THE DRAMA

ÆNEAS, prince of Troy, and leader of the Trojan exiles.

Achates, confidential friend of Æneas.

Ilioneus, a Trojan noble.

DIDO, the queen of Carthage.

Anna, sister of Dido.

Barce, nurse of Dido.

Iopas, a Carthaginian minstrel.

Iarbas, a Moorish prince, suitor for the hand of Dido.

Juno, queen of Jupiter and protectress of the Carthaginians, hostile to Troy.

Venus, the goddess of love, mother of Æneas, and protectress of the Trojans.

Cupid, son of Venus, god of love.

Mercury, the messenger of Jupiter.

Maidens, Courtiers, Soldiers, Attendants, Servants, etc., in Dido’s train.

Nobles, Sailors, etc., in the band of Æneas.

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THE PRELUDE

[For music, see p. 57]

Arma virumque cano, Troiæ qui primus ab oris

Italiam, fato profugus, Lavinaque venit

Litora, multum ille et terris iactatus et alto

Vi superum, sævæ memorem Iunonis ob iram,

Multa quoque et bello passus, dum conderet urbem,

Inferretque deos Latio: genus unde Latinum

Albanique patres atque altæ mœnia Romæ.

Musa, mihi causas memora, quo numine læso,

Quidve dolens, regina deum tot volvere casus

Insignem pietate virum, tot adire labores

Impulerit. Tantæne animis cælestibus iræ?

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