Carthaginians

• Carthage is mentioned in the first few lines as being dear to Juno and destined to be overthrown by 'rules of the great empire' i.e. Rime
• gives the motivation for Juno's determination that Aeneas should never arrive in Italy
• if she can prevent Rome from being founded, Carthage will be safe
• Carthage is the setting for books 1-4
• the city is still in the process of being built
• this is significant as it shows that it is not yet established
• for Dido, an alliance with Aeneas would make good political sense
• she is an exile and in a potentially very vulnerable position
• she is surrounded by hostile tribes and needs guards at her frontiers
• that this is a civilised country is confirmed when we meet Dido, who is giving laws and rules of conduct to her people, and dividing up the work to be done
• the people of Carthage are choosing sites for buildings, drawing up laws, electing magistrates, laying the foundations for a theatre and excavating a Barbour
• It sounds like the construction of a Roman city
• the bee simile sums up the purposeful activity and regulated social structure of the Carthaginians
• great wealth and luxury are prominent in Carthage, as they were in Troy
• the spacious banquet hall is rich with a gold-coffered ceiling, embroidered couches and purple draperies, and bowls are of silver and gold
• it is lit with flaming torches
• there are 100s of serving women and slaves
• perhaps patriotic implications of Augustus' founding of Nova Carthago
• Augustus wouldn't be averse to Virgil's giving a town in North Africa a high profile, given that he was keen for people to be reminded of his victory over Egypt