Credits:

William Christie

Description:

Aeneas, a prince of Troy, lost his fellow citizens and family members in the Trojan War, which plunged the Greek states and the cities of Asia Minor into turmoil. The son of Venus and Anchises, and a brave warrior, he set out from Asia Minor to build a new Troy (later to become the great city of Rome) on the Mediterranean coast, but was struck by a violent storm off the coast of Africa. He was rescued by Dido, the queen of Carthage, who had recently lost her husband. Aeneas, who was warmly welcomed, fell in love with Dido, and the two decided to marry, butAeneas, Prince of Troy, is the protagonist of Virgils epic poem *The Aeneid*, written in the 1st century BCE. Metastasio adapted the episode featuring Dido, the tragic queen of Carthage, from this epic adventure into the play *Dido Abandoned*. It is well known that in the 18th century, over 70 operas were created based on this play. This p