The Adventures of Aeneas
A Long Journey Towards a New Home
Aeneas was a Trojan hero who escaped the destruction of Troy and, according to Roman legend, began the family line that eventually produced Romulus and Remus. He was the son of the goddess Venus and the mortal Anchises. The poet Virgil made him the hero of the Aeneid, Rome’s great national epic, written during the rule of Augustus. Aeneas is not usually the strongest or funniest person in the story. His special quality is pietas, a Roman idea combining duty to family, gods and community. I admire him most when he keeps moving even though he has lost almost everything.
Aeneas first appears in Greek stories about the Trojan War. He is a respected Trojan fighter, related to King Priam’s family, and the gods save him because he has a future beyond Troy. When Greek soldiers enter the city using the wooden horse, Aeneas tries to fight. The ghost of the fallen prince Hector warns him that Troy cannot be saved. Aeneas escapes carrying his elderly father Anchises on his back, holding his son Ascanius by the hand and bringing the household gods called the Penates. His wife Creusa is lost in the confusion, and her spirit tells him to seek a new land.Aeneas gathers other Trojan survivors and sails across the Mediterranean. Their journey is difficult because Juno hates the Trojans and fears that their descendants will destroy her favourite city, Carthage. Storms scatter the ships, strange prophecies confuse the travellers and monsters block their route. They meet the Harpies, visit the island of the Cyclopes and hold funeral games for Anchises in Sicily. Unlike the Greek wanderer Odysseus, Aeneas is not trying to return to his old home. He must accept that home is gone and build a future somewhere he has never seen.
A storm drives the Trojans to Carthage, where Queen Dido welcomes them. Venus and Juno arrange events so Dido falls deeply in love with Aeneas. For a time he seems ready to remain, but Jupiter sends Mercury to remind him of his destiny in Italy. Aeneas leaves. Heartbroken and furious, Dido dies and curses his descendants. Virgil’s Roman audience knew that Rome and Carthage later fought three devastating wars, so the personal tragedy also explains a historic rivalry. Aeneas follows his duty, but the poem does not pretend his choice causes no pain.⬅ Back
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The curious mind behind Mythfits Society
Hi! I’m Jocelyn, and I created Mythfits Society to make discovering ancient myths easier, more interesting and much more fun.
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