The Aeneid of Virgil by Cecil Day-LewisMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
In The Aeneid, Dido indirectly mentions Hannibal of Carthage by predicting that a strong general will avenge her people. Dido is a character in the poem who falls in love with Aeneas, the Trojan leader, but is forced to leave him to fulfill his duty to found the Roman race. Dido's rage leads her to stab herself and then throw herself on a funeral pyre. Roman audiences would have understood that Dido was summoning Hannibal as an avenging spirit.
Like any sacred text, it provides a basis for legendary grievances becoming racial prejudice and is seasoned with hindsight prophecy.
I had forbidden that Italy should meet the Trojans in war. Do you brawl in spite of my veto? What agency has frightened
This side or that into taking up arms and provoking a conflict? A time will come when it's right to fight-do not be premature-
One day when barbarous Carthage shall open a way through the Alps
And roll a tide of disaster up to Rome's very towers. Then will strife and hatred, then will all violence be lawful. Have done now! Give your whole-hearted assent to the pact I've decreed.
So Juppiter briefly declared. ...
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