Crossing the Borders

All of Mercury’s three interventions in the Aeneid are engaged in a profound intertextual dialogue with Homer and Apollonius. Mercury’s first visit to Carthage (Aen. 1.297–304) echoes Athena’s intervention at Od. 13.300–2, and also the only intervention of Hermes as messenger/emissary of Zeus in the Argonautica (Arg. 3.584–8). This suggests a parallelism between Dido and Aeetes that will resurface again at Aen. 4.563–4 and 604–6. Furthermore, Jupiter’s sending of Mercury to Carthage and the god’s flight recall both Zeus’ sending of Hermes to Ogygia in the Odyssey and Aphrodite’s sending of Eros to Aea. Vergil’s fundamental model for Jupiter’s dispatch of Mercury to Aeneas (Aen. 4.219–78) is Zeus’ dispatch of Hermes to Calypso to free Odysseus at Od. 5.28–42. Finally, Mercury’s dream apparition to Aeneas (Aen. 4.553–70) is modeled on Hermes’ second visit to Priam at Il. 24.677–95.