Vergil's Penelope: The Diana Simile in Aeneid
1.498-502
Gail C. Polk, Athens Academy
By recalling Venus's earlier Diana-like disguise in Aeneid 1,
the simile
that compares Dido to Diana emphasizes the queen's dual aspect: She is
like
Diana in her ability to govern well and remain faithful to her husband's
memory, while Venus is symbolic of her later unbridled passion and lack of
responsibility. Homer's Penelope, who experiences a period of
dual-mindedness and is compared to Artemis and Aphrodite, is an important
source for Vergil's presentation of the internal conflict between loyalty
and rekindled longing in a strong female leader.
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created 4/6/97