Belus (Tyre) Explained

Belus was a legendary king of Tyre in Virgil's Aeneid and other Latin works.^[1] He was said to have been the father of Dido of Carthage, Pygmalion of Tyre, and Anna.^[2] The historical father of these figures was the king Mattan I (reigned 840 BC – 832 BCE), also known as ('Gift of the Lord'), which classicist T. T. Duke suggests was made into the name Belus as a hypocorism.^[3]

See also

• Other people and places named Belus
• King of Tyre, list of historical kings of Tyre
• Melqart, Baal of Tyre

Notes and References

1. The typical Roman rendering of the Akkadian Bel and Northwest Semitic Baʿal (both meaning "Lord") as a theonym, personal name, or title.
2. Virgil. Aeneid Book 1, Line 729.
3. Duke . T. T. . Review: The World of the Phoenicians . The Classical Journal . The Classical Association of the Middle West and South . 65 . 3 . 1969 . 0009-8353 . 3296263 . 135 . 25 May 2022.