The gods messenger Mercury tells Aeneas to “An ever insecure and inconstant” (IV.768-7). Aeneas, on his quest to reach Latium’s potential glory, discovers this as he meets several women he could marry. His decision is heavily influenced by whether they support or deny Mercury’s claim. Dido and Anna are the women of Carthage that reflect Mercury’s fickleness, while Aeneas’ Trojan wife Creusa and Queen Amata the Carthage Volsican soldier Camilla counter his theory through their consistent behavior. Aeneas does not choose these women based on their race, strength, or societal status. A woman who can stand apart from the rest of the group is most likely to succeed him. Although Lavinia is not portrayed in The Aeneid as a princess from Latium, her passiveness and unquestioning obedience are all evidence of her suitability for Aeneas.
Dido ruler Carthage is almost Aeneas’s wife. But immediately, she’s deemed unsuitable for Aeneas. Her first appearance is when she is responsible for overseeing construction in her city. Aeneas later reveals that she had made twin tunics for Aeneas once, but that she was not suitable for the task. Dido, despite her accomplishments, is still not able to marry Aeneas. Dido is prone to being manipulated by her furor throughout the novel. She reneges on her “sure and immovable decision to not marry anyone” IV.17-8 and falls for Aeneas. In her joy, she once encouraged on the work to build her kingdom (I.710-11). But now she forsakes it and abandons it (IV.118), enslaved in the fire and frenzy of her heart. “She speaks, then stops and falters in mid-speech” (IV.110-1), which is indicative of inconsistency in her dialog. After this, she decides that Aeneas’ relationship is not a “furtive” one. Dido calls her relationship “marital” in IV.226-7, even though it is only adultery against her husband’s memory. However, her most unpredictable actions come when she finds out that Aeneas plans to leave Carthage. This is when she “attacks” Aeneas. She asks first, “Can you hold me back” (IV.412) before telling him, “I will not contradict your words.” “I don’t keep it back” is what she said (IV.519-20). Anna then told him, “If…this final gift he would wait” (IV.590-1). Dido’s volatile personality is a result of his capriciousness and the fates.
Dido and Anna’s sister Anna display similar traits. First, she insists on Dido being her lover, saying “How could you fight against a love that’s so acceptable?” (IV.48-9). Then, later, she blames Dido only for her actions declaring “You have destroyed yourself, me…and every city” (IV.939-42). This inconstancy is not the only reason neither Carthaginian princess was chosen to be Aeneas’ bride. Because they come from northern Africa, their cultural and geographic differences make them a poor match for Aeneas’ Trojan races. Both women foolishly believe they can fight the wills. Dido tries convincing Aeneas in Carthage to stay when Anna wants Aeneas married Dido. Dido is trying to convince Aeneas to remain despite the fact that Aeneas has promised her that he will “reach Hesperia” (II.1054).
Although Dido is a strong case of capricious woman, Anna and Anna aren’t the right people to be Aeneas founder partners. Creusa, Aeneas once loved wife, is depicted with constant loyalty and understanding of her husband’s best interests and the future for Rome. He is called her “sweet spouse” (II.1046). As his voice of reason explains why they cannot be together, he declares that he is her love and she loves him. (II.1048-9). Creusa is aware of her husband’s destiny and wants him to do it without any interference. Instead of accepting her fate, she is proud of her role on Earth, as “a Dardan lady and wife to Venus’ son” II.1061-2. Aeneas says she is “happy” to die for Rome. Creusa represents the ultimate Roman woman. She is unconditionally loyal to Rome, loves her gods and is pious. She’s also reasonable and self-sacrificing. Only she can be called a Trojan. Aeneas cannot create another Trojan settlement, but a new race.
Queen Amata is like Creusa. However, she is inconsistent in many ways. She is unwaveringly loyal, even if it means turning Turnus into her son-inlaw. Amata, who was “prepared to die” and held on to her son-in-law (XII.76-7), declared to Turnus that she will wait for him (XII.84-5). She kills herself when she believes Turnus is dead. She also is a disobedient spouse. Despite him “standing firm against his wife” (VII.497). She hides Lavinia from her husband in the mountains, “stealing form the Trojan marriage” (VII.515-6). One could argue that Allecto is responsible for her hysterical behavior, which “breathes her viper breath into its frenzy” (VII.464). However, Virgil states that Allecto merely reinforces the emotions Amata already feels: “A woman’s anxiety and anger” (VII.455-6). She is a constant disobedient to her husband, and loyal to Turnus. However, her hatred of the Trojans and madness make her unsuitable for Aeneas.
Camilla, another Latin warrior, shows the qualities of a Roman ideal woman. She is loyal to her male leader (in her instance, Turnus), and she sacrifices her life for her cause. She is proud and courageous, asking Turnus “Let’s try war’s initial dangers” (XI.665-6). After her death, she told a Tuscan, “This is no little glory…to be under the spearhead Camilla.” (XI.908-10). She shows strength even in her own demise (XI.1081-3). She is positively portrayed in The Aeneid. Turnus praises her as the “pride to Italy…above everything praise or reward” (XI.669-72). However, she’s an Amazon-like woman. Dido also exhibits very male behavior and is unfit to be a Queen of Rome. Aeneas might find her Amazonian archetype to be too competitive because she has an unchanging mind and body.
Only Lavinia, out of all the Aeneid women, is chosen to be Aeneas’ wife. She is adamant that her parents will choose her husband. She also loves her mother very much, as shown by her “hot cheeks…bathed with tears” (XII.89), when she hears her threaten suicide if Turnus dies. She is moved by her mother’s suicide. Her love for her mother is again displayed when she sees it. She also expressed her regret and shame over her mother’s death and for the loss of her people. (“Her beautiful eyes held down” XI.636). Much like Helen who Virgil spares but exonerates in The Aeneid. So it is clear that Lavinia cannot be blamed for the deaths of so few people.
Lavinia’s ethnicity may lead one to believe that her bloodline is influenced by Amata/Camilia, the Latins who are strong in loyalty to their culture. Her social standing is another important factor in her suitability as Aeneas’s wife. She is already a princess of Latium so she has the genealogical merit to marry Aeneas, a half-god. Not unlike Dido, she is European in race and non-Trojan like Creusa. This gives her the opportunity to form a completely new nontrojan non Latin Roman race with Aeneas.
In the opening stanzas to The Aeneid, Virgil states that it was difficult to found the race Rome (I.49). Part of the difficulty was to find a wife for Aeneas. Aeneas travels the Mediterranean from the ashes and Troy to Carthage and on to Latium. He meets many women but none are suitable for him as his founding partner in the new nation of Rome. Virgil does not explore Lavinia as the perfect woman, though she assumes she is betrothed at the end.
