De Didone seu elissa tiria cartaginensium regina · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: De Didone seu elissa tiria cartaginensium regina
Subject: Elissa; Dido; Vengeance; Greek Mythology; Roman Mythology; Important Women
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Cyprus; Carthage; Phoenicia
Description: This engraving depicts Elissa, who was later called Dido, standing at the foreground of the engraving watching people build the city of Carthage. We know that the female figure in this engraving is Dido as her name is engraved beside her head. She is illustrated with her hands pointing towards the city as she watches it being built. The word “Cartago” is engraved above the city which translates to “Carthage”. Boccaccio explains that Dido had stolen her brother’s treasure in retaliation of him murdering her husband. After fleeing with her brother’s treasure, she made her way to Africa where she established and became queen of the city of Carthage.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:11950
Language: lat
Source Name: De Claris Mulieribus
Parent Collection: 1473 Ulm; 1473 Ulm
Image: mta_11950_OBJ.png
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Elissa; Dido; Vengeance; Greek Mythology; Roman Mythology; Important Women