Searching for Dido in the Latin Epics of Colonial Mexico

Abstract

summary:

Dido is a common feature of early modern imitations of the Aeneid, but there is no Dido figure in extant Latin epics from the Americas. This paper argues that this lacuna is a form of colonial loss and traces her absence from these Latin texts to her elimination from Jesuit curriculum and Jesuit textbooks in the Americas. These pedagogical texts shaped the composition of Latin epic by Jesuit students. Through this case study, I suggest that Latin from the Americas provides an opportunity for classicists to contribute to the interdisciplinary study of colonial loss.