Dido, Queen of Carthage (play) his horror and confusion. Dido's sister Anna, who is in love with Iarbas, encourages Dido to pursue Aeneas. Dido and Aeneas meet at a cave, where Dido declares her love. They enter the cave to make love. Iarbas swears he will get revenge. Venus and Juno appear, arguing over Aeneas. Venus believes that Juno wants to harm her son, but Juno denies it, saying she has important plans for him. Aeneas's followers say they must leave Libya, to fulfil their destiny in Italy. Aeneas seems to agree, and prepares to depart. Dido sends Anna to find out what is happening.
Political commentary of the Aeneid strategy in Book XI, and the destruction of the trees by Aeneas and his men late in Book XII. In Virgil's most significant display of war against nature, the Trojans cut down a sacred olive tree in preparation of an open battlefield. This sacred tree represents a focus on preservation of nature, and is therefore in opposition to the political values of the contemporary Roman Empire. This violence opens a commentary on the establishment of the Empire based on destruction. It mirrors the chaos of the Italian countryside during Virgil's time. Through the events of the "Aeneid", Virgil hopes to