mortal women in the aeneid Flashcards
Who is Dido?
The Queen of Carthage
Who is Dido compared to? Who is this person? And what may Virgil be doing here?
Dido is compared to Diana (goddess of the hunt)
Diana is ironically uninterested in love
Virgil may be mocking Dido
How is Dido characterised?
Strong, determined and independent
What does Venus do to Dido?
Venus sends Cupid to poison Dido so she becomes infatuated w Aeneas
What happens to Carthage when Dido’s downfall begins?
Dido rejects Carthage + becomes distracted
What might Virgil be suggesting by making Dido reject Carthage?
Virgil may be suggesting that women can’t be viable leaders
They can’t control their emotions or make rational decisions
How does Dido die?
She commits suicide on a funeral pyre with Aeneas’ sword
Dido’s death is not…
Fated by the Gods
What happens when Aeneas rejects Dido?
Dido spirals into all consuming madness
What may Virgil be doing when Dido spirals after being rejected by Aeneas?
Virgil may be showing a stereotypical depiction of women; reinforcing traditional gender roles
Who is Camilla?
A Roman warrior, allied with Turnus
What does Camilla not do?
She doesn’t weave, she is a warrior maiden
What does Camilla challenge?
Power and authority of men
Who is Camilla comparable to?
Amazonian women (Penthisileia)
What does Camilla have in battle?
She has a long and successful aristeia
Who kills Camilla?
Arruns
What does Arruns do after killing Camilla? What is Virgil possibly doing here?
Arruns runs away after striking her with the arrow; Virgil may be diminishing her glory by showing how a strong female warrior couldn’t even fend of a weaker soldier
What may Virgil be saying about strong women?
Women are doomed, no matter how strong they are
What stereotypical comment does Virgil make about Camilla in her fight?
She was “burning with all a woman’s passion for spoil + plunder”
What may Virgil be warning women about?
He may be warning women that when they challenge/subvert norms, they’ll be punished
What happens to women that fight + succeed?
They’re basically put back in a box/back in their place
Women can be admired to an extent but…
… Won’y succeed to full potential
What quote suggests that Camilla had an effect on people?
“Now that Camilla had fallen, the battle raged as never before”
Who is Amata
Wife of King Latinus, mother of Lavinia
