A Night in Cyprus (Verg. Aen. 1.657-697)
abstract
In a short and unprecedented episode of Book 1, the Aeneid has Venus swap Iulus and Cupid: the goddess transfers Iulus to Cyprus for one night only, and has Cupid impersonate Iulus at the court of Carthage. This paper examines the reasons why the model of Cleopatra and Caesarion is relevant to the episode, in particular via the political significance of the Cypriot location and the reference to Cleopatra’s visual propaganda.
Keywords: Body doubles • Venus • impersonation • Carthage and Alexandria in the Aeneid • Civil wars at Rome • Cleopatra • Cyprus • Aphrodite • Augustus • Caesarion • Virgil • Roman epic and politics