Aenid Book 4, one big spoiler.

In the continuing epic of the Aeneid, Aeneas lands on Dido’s island after a huge storm (created by Juno and Aeolus) and multiple shipwrecks. Venus/ Aphrodite, Aeneas’s mother, conspired with Juno that if Aeneas remains on Queen Dido’s island, Juno would stop trying to kill him. Venus sends down Cupid/ Eros, in the shape of Aeneas’s prepubescent son, to sit on Dido’s lap and seduce her. Lovely. Aeneas tells his tale of woe about the fall of Troy, and it’s all well and dramatic. The problem is, Dido swore to remain chaste and never to love anyone else after the death of her husband Sychaeus. That goes out the window. Her sister Anna encourages her to get it one with Aeneas, mainly because a strong alliance and a male leader would show everyone clamoring at Carthage’s door that Carthage is strong and able and well-protected.

Soon enough Dido’s got it bad. With the conspiracy between Juno and Venus going on, it’s easy enough to whip up a storm. everyone scatters across fields and Dido and Aeneas take refuge in the same cave. Alone. The thunder roars and the nymphs howl, the goddess Juno is the pronuba and sure enough, they perform the… *ahem*... marriage rituals, and they’re married! At least Dido thinks so…

Rumour flies through the city. Literally. With as many tongues and eyes as feathers, screeching and growing with every word, until she walks with her feet on the ground and head in the clouds. She arrives in the land of king Iarbas, whose father is Jupiter, and Dido’s rejected suitor. Iarbas can’t decide if he’s more upset about being rejected, or losing Dido’s land and power. Either way he runs crying to daddy. And Daddy takes a good look at what’s going on down in Carthage.

Jupiter sends own the messenger Mercury to censure Aeneas and tell him to move his butt founding Italy/ Latium, after all, the Fates are ultimately in command. Aeneas realizes he’s cheating his son Ascanius/ Iulus (long story about that name) out of promised fields and kingdoms, and then TRIES TO SNEAK OUT OF CARTHAGE WITHOUT TELLING DIDO. *much outraged profanity*.

Dido finds out. Obviously. When she confronts Aeneas, he acquiesces, and admits his plan to leave, and LIES ABOUT TRYING TO SNEAK OFF. He says who can evade a lover’s notice? Liar. He explains that his (now dead) father keeps appearing in his dreams and telling him to get a move on, and then Mercury, and maybe it’s time to leave. He says this all very formally and stiffly and emotionlessly. Dido is NOT happy. Aeneas continues preparing to leave, rather relieved to be rid of Dido.

Then there are a bunch of weird portents and omens. Water on her alters turns to black and her wine into blood and she hears voices from her (original) husband's shrine. Pretty creepy stuff. Then Dido decides to kill herself, exactly as she had threatened to do when she first yelled at Aeneas. Abusive relationships 101. She tells Anna to make a funeral pyre on the beach, claiming that she just wants to burn all of Aeneas’s stuff, as one typically does. She starts second guessing herself, wondering if she should follow the Trojans (as Aeneas to so kindly did NOT offer)  but remembers her guilt of having betrayed the memory of Sychaeus, and decides to do it. Everyone sleeps.

When Dido wakes up she sees the Trojan ships leaving, and wishes she had killed Aeneas. She pray to curse them and that they all die and her people will become enemies with theirs (OMG! Foreshadowing! Gasp!). After Anna builds the funeral pyre, he makes her leave so she has some time alone with Aeneas’ memory. Then she climbs on top of the pyre and stabs herself to death. With Aeneas’ sword. Ouch. Anna, seeing this happening from afar jumps of the pyre to try to save Dido but it’s too late. Juno sends down the goddess Iris (also the goddess of rainbows and such) to take a lock of Dido’s hair so she can die. Dido dies and curses Aeneas with her last breath.

As he is sailing away, Aeneas sees the smoke of the funeral pyre and knows that Dido has killed herself. He doesn't seem to care much.