... his Inferno, Dante does not seem to follow Virgil simply as his guide but also as an authority on the episode of Aeneas and Dido. He places Dido together with Cleopatra, Helen, Achilles and Paris to Circle Two of Hell "the Carnal "designed for those who betrayed reason, succumbing to excessive desire and passion. In contrast, Virgil's pious Aeneas ... ...
... of Actium is portrayed. In this scene, Augustus (the embodiment of pietas) is shown pitted against the barbarian forces of the East, with their zoomorphic gods and their female leader Cleopatra, along with her traitor-lover, Antony (all of these are embodiments of impiety and furor). One interesting question when looking at this propaganda is whether the voice behind the propaganda ... ...
... during which Virgil's treasured country estate is lost. Chaos it appears will triumph and the Empire will be its victim until Octavian triumphs over the armies of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra and issues in the Pax Romana. Peace and order restored the people of Rome praise their new Emperor, Augustus Caesar, with him, a new patriotism overwhelms Virgil, and his entire generation ... ...
