Commentary Par IX 85

For the context offered by the citation of Aeneid IV.622-629, see Balfour (Balf.1995.1), p. 137.  He points out that IV.628, 'litora litoribus contraria' (shore with opposing shore), recognized by some as the source of Dante's 'tra ' discordanti liti' (between its opposing shores) is drawn from Dido's penultimate utterance, her curse on Aeneas and his offspring.  'Dante's allusion to Dido's curse, therefore, underlines the far-reaching consequences of Aeneas's illicit love, for the conflict between Islamic East and Christian West is, for Dante, a continuation of the enmity between Carthage and Rome.'

Awareness of this reference is surprisingly limited; no one before Balfour drew anything like his conclusions.  The only early commentator to notice the Virgilian provenance of this verse was the Ottimo (DDP Ottimo.Par.IX.82-90).  More than 500 years were to pass before another, the classicizing Tommaseo (DDP Tommaseo.Par.IX.85-87), gave the passage a second chance.  He was followed by Scartazzini, Campi, and only a few others, including Casini/Barbi and Bosco/Reggio.