Campania, Latium, and Rome

<p>Campania receives very full treatment by Kassandra. Naples is especially prominent, and the relevant section ends at the poem’s exact middle point. This is a deliberate emphasizing device: Naples was of maritime importance in the Roman war against Hannibal and earlier. Hannibal’s visit to the oracle of the dead at Campanian Aornos is hinted at by Kassandra. The important narrative about Aineias and the twins Romulus and Remus is examined for topicality in the 190s. Dido’s surprising absence from the <italic>Alexandra</italic> is noted and explained.</p>