- In Chapter 46, Lady Reason recounts the story of Dido, who fled from her jealous and murderous brother Pygmalion in order to found a new city in Africa called Carthage. Her brother eventually found out about this and sent his armies to attack her. Dido gave all her loyal followers the chance to back out and save themselves, but they stuck with her and helped her finish the city in time to defend it successfully.
- Lady Reason also talks about Ops, a woman who used to be queen of the island of Crete. Her husband had a dream one night that whatever son he had with Ops would end up killing him and taking the throne, so he ordered his servants to kill whatever male children Ops gave birth to.
- Somehow, Ops managed to save her three sons from death, and all of them went on to become Roman gods. Lady Reason admits that the Romans were fools for worshipping anyone but the one true Christian God, but she still respects how much status a woman like Ops was able to achieve in their culture.
- Finally, Lady Reason closes Book I of The City of Ladies with the story of Lavinia, who also used cunning to save her son from murder. This son would go on to be the father of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome.
- Now, the walls for the City of Ladies are finished, and its time for one of Lady Reason's two sisters to have a chance to speak with Christine.