Daughter of the king of Tyre, Dido fled from Tyre after her husband's murder, and founded Carthage (in present-day Tunisia).
Virgil's 'Aeneid' (Books 1 and 4) recounts how Aeneas and his followers from Troy were shipwrecked at Carthage, and he and Dido fell in love. However, Aeneas was destined by Jupiter to found Rome, and abandoned Dido.
She then committed suicide by throwing herself on the fire, in which the belongings left behind by Aeneas were burned, and stabbing herself with his sword.
