Dido and Aeneas is the only opera created by Henry Purcell that adheres to today's understanding of the opera genre. Moreover, it is generally one of the first operas written in England. This work uses the classical mythological legend of the tragic love between Dido, a refugee from Tire who became the queen of Carthage, and Aeneas, who voluntarily left the city of Troy to fulfill his God-given task of founding the city of Rome. The mutual love between these characters is prevented from living by each of their personal fateful missions, as a result of which it is doomed to a tragic end. Aeneas, fulfilling his task, obeying fate, leaves Dido, who dies of a broken heart.
The legend of Dido and Aeneas was first given meaning in the epic poem "Aeneid" by the Roman poet Virgil (70-19 BC). The concept of exile is extremely significant in this story: both main characters are exiles, which leads to their meeting and love in Carthage, and ultimately separates them. Nevertheless, Aeneas submits to his fate and, determined to fulfill the task given by God, leaves his beloved Dido, who, not bearing the parting with her lover, condemns herself not only to the loss of the status of queen, but also to farewell to this world.