Invitus, Regina: Aeneas Cast as the Unwilling and Unfit Hero

Abstract

A particular instance of intertextuality that has received much critical attention is a line of the Aeneid spoken by Aeneas to Dido in the underworld: invitus, regina, tuo de litore cessi (6.460). Its striking similarity to a line from Catullus 66 spoken by a lock of hair (invita, o regina, tuo de vertice cessi; 39) has led to a variety of scholarly explanations. In this thesis I examine the major interpretations, emphasizing the readings that focus on the effect this borrowing has on our understanding of Aeneas as a character, and arguing that his quotation of this line primarily causes him to appear hesitant and mock-heroic. In order to expand the interpretation of Aeneas' words, I also examine the poem of Catullus and its feminine tone, as well as similes and descriptions of Aeneas in the Aeneid that similarly cast doubt on the appropriateness of his relationship to Dido and his adequacy as an epic hero.