Religio and Magic in Aeneid: Analysis of Queen Dido’s Transformation

Abstract

The study focuses on the ritual practices of the Queen of Carthage in Aeneid, which present both elements of Roman religio and magic. This duality shows not only the queen’s devotion to the divinities, but also the appearance of foreign elements typical of magic represented in an African rite transmitted by a Masila priestess combined with an alleged sacrifice to Jupiter Stygian. In this way, we are interested in analyzing the transformation that the character undergoes from divine incitement and how this metamorphosis is reflected in her practices that evidence the incipient opposition, born at the end of the Republic and deepened in the Imperial period, between magic and normative religious practice.