| |
Author’s Afterword
The second time I was living in Tunis, North Africa, what is now modern-day Carthage, I heard the story of the young woman who started the city.
Her story was fascinating, and one I’d never heard before. I loved the idea of someone who was facing real difficulties and turned what was surely meant to be an insult, only being allowed to own the land covered by an ox hide, into one of the greatest cities in the ancient world, by the trick of cutting the ox hide into a massive circle.
Queen Elissa and her brother, Pygmalion, both inherited their father’s throne. Shortly after, Pygmalion had her husband killed in order to steal their vast wealth and Queen Elissa fled the country of Tyre for a new home, halfway around the known world, in Northern Africa. Pygmalion didn’t ever follow her, but King Iarbas, who was already living there did want to marry her.
Queen Elissa probably didn’t have red hair, but many Tunisians actually do, something very unusual for this part of the world, and I thought it would make a nice touch. Modern day Tunisia is a Muslim country, though the rules they follow aren’t as strict as many other parts of the Muslim world. Sadly, the country has been poor for many years, and development efforts are slow, but I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some very wonderful people there (and am even related to one!). Many Tunisians make their livings from tourism, the olive oil industry, running small shops, and in customer service centers for France.
Most of Queen Elissa’s story is recorded in the Aeneid, written by Virgil, about 800 years after these events, and is based on oral history and lost records. In it she’s named Dido, but I didn’t think that would make a very queenly name, so I used the name the Tunisians do.