Juno who loves Carthage, and is aware of its doom, wants to keep Aeneas from reaching Italy, and so seizes the opportunity to make Aeneas remain with Dido. She sees the relationship as a hindrance also, which is exactly what she wants. When Jupiter learns of the affair he despatches Mercury to Carthage to remind Aeneas that his destiny lies elsewhere and that he must leave for Italy at once. The message shocks Aeneas, but Virgil has made Aeneas a symbol of piety, he respects prophecy and attempts to incorporate them into his own actions. His ability to accept his destined path despite his unhappiness in doing so makes him a graceful hero, and also negates any ill effects of his time wasting with Dido has caused on his destiny. He finds it hard to tell Dido of his departure, and appear cold, and insensitive “I sail or Italy not of my own free will” (iv.499). I feel his glib tone is not him being cruel and insensitive as some people might irrationally say at first. On closer inspection it is evident that he is trying to act calm so that it has a calming effect on Dido also.
Despite his efforts Dido writhes between fierce love and anger, and here we really see how much of a fatal thing love can be. Virgil emphasises the dangerousness of it because it could have impeded Aeneas’ destiny. Fire symbolises both destruction and erotic desire or love. E.g “old flame” with images of the two Virgil connects them to this scene intelligently. The flame of love keeps her warm for a short period but eventually it consumes her both physically and psychologically. “enflamed and driven mad” (iv.925). This allegory is driven home when Dido asks Anna to prepare a pyre, which is to be her funeral pyre.
Thankfully Aeneas is a true hero and does more right things than he does wrong things, and having learnt is destiny proceeds to book vi. However at this point he is not entirely sure. The events, which follow, convince him finally in my opinion and really speeds things up. At last the Trojan fleet arrives on the shores of Italy. Aeneas makes for the temple of Apollo. He wishes to enter Dis. Sibyl the warns him that no one enters Dis with any hope of returning. This obviously could turn into an event that could hinder his destiny. (Him being stuck in Dis) It is unusual for mortals to be allowed to be allowed to visit the realms of the dead, and then return to life. The golden bough is therefore a sigh of Aeneas’ special privilege. The story proceeds, and in the field of Gladeness. Anchises describes what will become of the Trojan descendants: Romulus will found Rome, a Caesar from the lineage of Ascanius, and Rome will reach the Golden age and rule over the world. Finally, Aeneas grasps the profound significance of his long journey to Italy. Anchises accompanies Aeneas out of Dis with a new found sense of purpose. And so it is reasonable to conclude that on the whole even though his time in Carthage was a hindrance, the events caused by the Gods e.g. Juno, only delay the destiny, thanks to Aeneas’ piety and wit, I would conclude the events in these books contribute to his destiny.
