notes
328: parvulus: diminutives belong to intimate, familiar language, and so are very rare in epic style; their natural home in poetry is the personal lyric and satire. This is the only occurrence of a diminutive adjective in the whole Aeneid. Thus parvulus here is a very remarkable word, and Vergil’s use of it shows Dido not as an epic heroine but as a real and tender woman (Austin).