In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes >About a month ago a gentleman from Oxford commented on Dido's mention of >impia facta as possibly referring to Aeneas' treason? >Would the Oxford gentleman kindly elaborate on " " " " >I can't think of any such instance, nor can I imagine that Vergil would >want the Roman reader to regard him as guilty of treason, something >very contrary to his main character quality, pietas. Laomedon, an >ancestor of Aeneas, certainly had a very untrustworthy character. His record >with Hercules, etc. indicates it clearly.
This is the story that Aeneas (who felt under-valued by Priam, Iliad 13. 461, cf. Achilles' words to him at 20. 178-86) secured his escape from Troy by handing the city over to the Greeks: see Menecrates of Xanthos (Fragmente der griechischen Historiker 799 F 3 quoted by Dionysius of Halicarnassus, _Roman Antiquities_ 1.48.3)> Greek writers made much of it during the period of Roman conquest; see Casali's footnote in the article I cited, Classical Quarterly, new series 49, 1999, 206 n. 6. Dido, it is argued, had heard the story (the queen of Juno's city would know all about Trojan crimes), and wishes she had remembered it at the right time. There is of course no reason to take her view of the matter; but it was a very well established story, mentioned more than once by Servius. Leofranc Holford-Strevens *_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_* Leofranc Holford-Strevens 67 St Bernard's Road usque adeone Oxford scire MEVM nihil est, nisi ME scire hoc sciat alter? OX2 6EJ tel. +44 (0)1865 552808(home)/267865(work) fax +44 (0)1865 512237 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (home) [EMAIL PROTECTED] (work) *_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_* ----------------------------------------------------------------------- To leave the Mantovano mailing list at any time, do NOT hit reply. Instead, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message "unsubscribe mantovano" in the body (omitting the quotation marks). You can also unsubscribe at http://virgil.org/mantovano/mantovano.htm#unsub
