Book 4 of the Aeneid is the test of resolve for the classic hero, Aeneas. In every heroic story, there is a period of time where their true motivations and devotion to the cause are tested, such as when Luke Skywalker leaves Yoda's tutelage on Dagobah to rescue his friends in spite of the consequences of departure from his duty.
In the Aeneid, Aeneas falls in love with Dido, and his attention and devotion are diverted towards her instead of his task of building the new city. The Gods remind him of the importance of his journey, and he eventually comes to his senses and returns to the task at hand, regardless of how upsetting it is to leave Dido. In doing so, he proves to be a true hero, putting the fate of his people and the will of the Gods above his own personal desires.
In Book IV, Aeneas falls in love with Dido, the queen of Carthage. The two engage in a passionate love affair which culminates in Dido wanting to make Aeneas her consort. However, Aeneas chooses to leave Dido and continue his quest to found a new home for his people.
This narrative development is significant in The Aeneid for many reasons. Firstly, it shows that Aeneas is vulnerable and not made of stone. He can fall in love and be tempted to stray from his duty. Secondly, it makes Aeneas seem more selfless and heroic when he does give up romance for duty to his people. Lastly, it highlights one of the epic's major themes: the individual giving up his own selfish interests for the sake of something greater.
In most epics, the hero must make sacrifices in order to fulfill his or her personal quest. This is part of transcending one's own desires to do something greater. Aeneas does this, though Dido does not. Dido's fate—killing herself out of grief and effectively abandoning her people by leaving them without a ruler—is meant as a contrast to Aeneas's.
So in the end, Book IV is a vital stage in Aeneas's heroic journey, a place to show he is willing to do the right thing in putting aside his own interests for the sake of a noble cause.
Book 4 is pivotal to the book's thematic structure. Aeneas's quest is a heroic one; he has been charged with the sacred duty of founding a new city, a city that will one day become Rome. Like any future Roman hero, Aeneas understands the supreme importance of bringing honor to his ancestors and descendants. Founding the city of Rome will redound to the glory of his family name forever. It is imperative, then, for Aeneas to hold firm to his quest, not to allow anything to distract him from performing his vital role in this grand divine plan.
The events of book 4 represent a real test to Aeneas's overriding sense of duty. He falls head over heels in love with Dido, losing sight of his sole purpose in life. For her part, Dido also neglects her duties as Queen of Carthage, allowing her city to go to wrack and ruin. The gods are worried; it seems that Aeneas is putting his heart before his duty. So Jupiter dispatches Mercury, the winged messenger, to remind Aeneas of his destiny and to tell him that he must leave for Italy.
Aeneas loves Dido dearly, but he has to be strong; he has to display the kind of noble manliness expected of Roman heroes. He must put aside all personal feelings and carry on with his heroic quest. And he does. Aeneas has passed a difficult test; and now he has also learned that in founding a new civilization, especially one sanctioned by the gods, the individual is of relatively little importance. That applies to Aeneas every bit as much as to Dido.
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