In his famous work "The Prince," Machiavelli refers to the story of Aeneas and Dido in Book 15, Chapter 5. He uses the example of Dido's betrayal by Aeneas as a cautionary tale for rulers, arguing that it is dangerous to trust someone who is more powerful than you.
Machiavelli's quote is:
> "But since men are bad and will not keep faith with you, you also need not keep faith with them."
He uses the story of Dido and Aeneas to illustrate this point, highlighting that Aeneas's abandonment of Dido, despite their vows of love and commitment, ultimately serves as a lesson in the importance of power and self-preservation.