Two Dramatizations from Vergil

This volume brings Vergil's Aeneid to the stage in two dramatic adaptations that trace the fateful meeting of Aeneas and Dido and the catastrophe of Troy. Frank Justus Miller's preface explains that the epic's emotional power and dramatic structure invite theatrical treatment, and that these versions add only modest lyrics, music, and stage directions to help students and readers experience Vergil's beauty in living form. In Dido, the Phœnician Queen, Carthage rises in dawn light as exiled Trojans seek refuge and Dido, herself a fugitive, receives them with royal generosity. Venus guides Aeneas through the new city, reveals Dido's tragic past, and sets in motion divine schemes that deepen the lovers' bond. A banquet of moonlight, ritual, and song turns into a summons for Aeneas to recount Troy's fall, while Dido's private struggle between widowhood, duty, and desire gives way to passionate surrender. The companion scenes expand the drama with Juno's plotting, Cupid's disguise, a glittering hunt, and the gathering sense that love, politics, and fate are moving toward tragedy. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.