Dido, Queen of Carthage (opera) Dido, Queen of Carthage (opera) Dido, Queen of Carthage was an opera in three acts by Stephen Storace. Its English libretto by Prince Hoare was adapted from Metastasio's 1724 libretto, "Didone abbandonata" ("Dido Abandoned"), which had been set by many composers. Storace's opera premiered on 23 May 1792 at The King's Theatre in London combined with a performance of his masque, "Neptune's Prophecy". The story is based on that of Dido and Aeneas in the fourth book of Virgil's "Aeneid". The opera was not a success and was never revived after its original run of performances. The score has been
Aeneas "Origines". The Aeneas legend was well known in Virgil's day and appeared in various historical works, including the "Roman Antiquities" of the Greek historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus (relying on Marcus Terentius Varro), "Ab Urbe Condita" by Livy (probably dependent on Quintus Fabius Pictor, fl. 200 BCE), and Gnaeus Pompeius Trogus (now extant only in an epitome by Justin). The "Aeneid" explains that Aeneas is one of the few Trojans who were not killed or enslaved when Troy fell. Aeneas, after being commanded by the gods to flee, gathered a group, collectively known as the Aeneads, who then traveled to Italy