Even though these had been my own words I was sick with anxiety but I put on a confident look and I buried my grief deep in my heart and my men prepared the banquet and ripped the hides off the stags disclosing the flesh and cut the meat into chunks, the food gave my men back their energy and they spread themselves on the grass filling themselves with old wine and venison and after the feast was cleared and they were satisfied they passed the hours talking and wondered if their stranded comrades were alive dead or still dying but I worried the most for my men for the dreadful fate that had befallen on stout-hearted Orantes and Amycus and for cruel fate of Lycus, brave Gyas and brave Cloanthus after grieving for our men we lay down to rest.
Day Two:
However I spent the whole night worrying of my many problems so as soon as the light of the day came I was determined to explore this strange country to see where the winds had brought us and to see if man or animal lived on this island so as my fleet was hidden under giant rocks with a forest around it, I set of with Achates with a pair of iron tipped spears quivering in my hands.
As we travelled into the middle of the wood we met a Spartan girl who carried a bow and had tied the full skirt of her dress up showing her knees. She asked if we had seen her sisters who were hunting a boar? I answered we had not seen them but then I asked if she was a goddess or a nymph because of her beauty and voice. I asked her to tell us which country we had been forced onto by the winds, she first answered that all Spartan girls dress like her and then told us that we were in the kingdom of the Phoenician. The people who had migrated from Tyre and the city they were in was Carthage but the country belonged to the Libyans. She told us that Queen Dido ruled here and then gave us the gist of why Queen Dido had fled from Tyre. She said Queen Dido left because her greedy Brother, Pygmalion, had killed Dido’s husband Sychaeus due to the greed for gold and fobbed her off with lie after lie but Dido found out in her dream. So her and anyone who disliked Pygmalion fled from the island with his wealth and bought some land and called it Bull’s Hide.
She then asked us who we were and with a deep breath I answered that I am Aeneas and I was following my mother a goddess to the promised land of Italy but on the way were shipwrecked onto this island. She then answered that we are not hated by the heavens because we are still alive and told us to carry straight onto the palace and to our delight told us that our comrades had landed by looking at the formation of the birds. As she stopped speaking she turned away she turned into her true form of a goddess, Venus, and I shouted after her that why does she mock me and why we can not talk face to face and after this cry I strode off to the city. Venus had covered us in a thick cloud so no one could see or touch us.
As we pressed on I climbed a hill and so the Tyrians working at a blistering rate rolling up the stones by hand and choosing sites for houses and making laws and choosing officials of state to rule them. We found an open space and waited for Queen Dido and they see paintings of the Trojan War.
As we are waiting the very beautiful Queen Dido enters with a troop of young warriors surrounding her she passed through the courtiers and urged on work to hasten her future realm and then she leans back on her throne dispensing laws, Justice and sharing out duties fairly. Suddenly I see Antheus approach the crowd with brave Cloanthus and other Trojans whom the storm driven far in to the sea shaken by joy and anxiety we wanted to clasp their hands but were confused by the events so we stayed in our cloud. Ilioneus the oldest was allowed to speak so he answered you were allowed to find a new city and us shipwrecked Trojans have been driven onto your coast and we beg you to tell your men to stop burning our ships and that we are victims not victors. We were sailing to the West land when we were shipwrecked and we just a few of us have splashed over here. He then also said that what barbarous country is this that we are not allowed to rest and they threaten to fight us. He also said that I was their king and if I were still alive they would not regret helping us and he finally says that can they please land their ships and cut oars from the wood, but if Aeneas is dead then let us sail back to Sicily.
Dido agrees to let our men land and sends out a search party for me and says to my men that this city you should treat it as your own.
The cloud around Achates and me disappears and I stand there and I say to the Queen that I am the one you look for. I then say to her that we have no means of paying you since you feel pity on us and allow us to treat your city as our own but I will pray that the gods grant you the reward that you deserve. After I had spoken I stretched out an arm to my comrades.
She was lost for words after seeing me then tells me that she has heard of me and knows that I am son of Venus and she sends gifts down to my ship like 20 bulls 100 ewes lambs and gifts of wine and much more then she laid a banquet with service of silver all over it.
But my love for my son would bear me no peace tell Achates to hurry down and bring my son and to fetch some gifts for Queen Dido like an embroidered dress and a necklace and other gifts snatched from troy and off went Achates. As my son and the other Trojans arrive with their gifts the slaves offer them bread and water. Many servants are working and setting the wine cups and keeping the larder well stocked. All the citizens arrive and on their bright coloured couches are admiring my gifts and my son. My son then puts his arms around me and kisses me but Queen Dido seems very fond of him since she keeps hugging him again and again.
At the 1st pause of the banquet the noise quietens and the Queen calls for the heavy gold gem- studded vessel that King Belus and his descendants had used and fills it with wine. She then prays to Juno that may this day be happy for Tyrians and those who escaped from Troy and a day for our children to remember.
Deep into the night Dido keeps asking me about the fall of Troy like how tall was Achilles and to tell the whole tale from start to end.
