I’ve spent a great deal of energy trying to figure this one out. There is a point when Dido breaks, she falls in love. Part of this is no doubt due to the fact that Venus, Aeneas’ mother has sent Cupid to beguile Dido. The truth is the by Book IV, Dido is in love. She is a powerful Queen, a strong woman. The problem I have with Virgil and the Aeneid is that Dido folds in a way that is not believable. Virgil makes her out to be a victim. I don’t like this. It’s part of the reason why I’ve written this thing the way I have. However, I do find it compelling that she says,

“Solus hic inflexit sensus animumque labentem impulit.”

Essentially, Dido tells her sister, “He’s the only guy that has really thrown me off my game.”

Not this time! She’ll throw him off too, enough that we get beyond Book IV and it will be a different story,