Aeneas
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Aeneas was the son of the goddess Venus and Anchises, a member of Trojan royalty. He was raised by nymphs after his birth on Mount Ida, and when he was five years old he was brought to Anchises. Because he named Venus as the mother of Aeneas, Anchises was maimed by Zeus. Aeneas grew to be a great soldier; he was the commander of the Dardanian troops, which were under the high command of Hector, son of Priam and greatest of all Trojans. Aeneas fought bravely in the Trojan War, and defended Ilium valiantly after Achilles had driven him from Mount Ida. Aeneas was seriously wounded, but his mother and Leto pulled him from the battlefield, and Artemis healed him. Apollo urged him to return and challenge Achilles for domination, but Poseidon refused to let him return, saying that destiny would decide the eventual ruler of Troy.

When Aeneas could no longer defend Troy, Aeneas fled, carrying his father on his back. He also took the household gods of the Trojans (penates) with him. Aeneas' wife, Creüsa, became separated from him and perished; their son Ascanius remained with Aeneas.

In the summer, Aeneas sailed away with twenty shiploads of men. They intended to sail to Thrace, but the ghost of Polydorus, the son of Priam, warned them away. They sailed on to the island of Delos, where the king Anius, an old friend of Anchises, advised them to seek their "ancient mother." Anchises thought that this referred to the island Crete, so they sailed there. However, Aeneas met with much misery and famine on Crete. The penates told them to sail on to Italy.

As Aeneas sailed on, he met with several misadventures. He and his ships were plundered by the Harpies near the Strophades Islands, and on the island of Sicily they barely escaped the fate of the Cyclopes. Anchises, the father of Aeneas, died on Sicily.

One of Aeneas' greatest and most powerful enemies was Juno. She resented the fact that Aeneas was the son of Venus, and also still held a grudge that Paris, a Trojan, chose Venus as the most beautiful. She also knew that Rome, the city Aeneas would someday found, would destroy Carthage, her favorite city. No doubt, Juno wanted Aeneas to die. However, it was already foretold by the Fates that Aeneas would eventually found Rome. This did not stop Juno from trying, however. She requested that Aeolus, keeper of the winds, create a tremendous storm that would sink Aeneas and his men. In return Juno promised Aeolus the most beautiful of the nymphs as a bride. Poseidon, however, did not approve of anyone messing with his seas, nor of Juno's meddling, so he quietly allowed Aeneas to survive the storms. He and his ships landed at Carthage.

Carthage had been founded by a woman named Dido, and she was still queen at the time of Aeneas' arrival. She was very beautiful, and a widow. As Aeneas was a widower, Juno saw this as a perfect opportunity to have Dido and Aeneas fall in love with each other, thereby keeping Aeneas from ever reaching Italy. However, Venus intervened first, and had Cupid shoot an arrow into Dido. Then Venus disguised herself as a huntress and told Aeneas and his best friend, Achates, to go to Carthage to meet the queen. Venus also clouded them in a mist so that they could reach the queen without being harmed or detained. Upon seeing Aeneas, Dido, known for having a heart of stone, fell deeply in love.

Dido held a huge feast for Aeneas and his men. Aeneas told his tale of misery, and of the fall of Troy. Afterwards, Dido told him that all she had was his to share. She did all she could for Aeneas and his men. All she asked for in return was Aeneas' love. As time passed, the idea of leaving the paradise and the arms of a beautiful queen seemed more and more difficult. Juno was quite pleased with the events, but Jupiter had to make sure the Fates were obeyed- even he did not go against their will. Jupiter had Mercury go to Carthage and speak with Aeneas. Mercury asked Aeneas, "How long are you going to waste time here in idle luxury? The ruler of heaven himself has sent me to you. He bids you depart and seek the kingdom which is your destiny." Aeneas at once felt invigorated with the task that lay ahead, but at the same time he did not want to hurt Dido. So, he told his men to secretly prepare a ship for immediate departure. Dido found out, and ran to Aeneas. She begged him not to leave, saying that she loved him and was good to him beyond any other. Aeneas admitted that he, loved her, but he had not nmarried her and was free to leave when he chose. He also said he had been commanded by Jupiter to depart. She again pleaded with him; however, her voice broke with tears, and she fled and hid. With that, Aeneas and men left very quickly. With a word Dido could have killed them all, but they escaped without injury. When he looked back on Carthage, Aeneas noticed a huge fire. He then knew it was a funeral pyre, for Dido had killed herself.

Aeneas and his men made it to Italy with little trouble, but a huge storm had killed his pilot, Palinurus. The prophet Helenus had told Aeneas that when he reached Italy he would have to seek out Sibyl, who would tell him what he must do. She said she must guide him into the Underworld, where Aeneas' father Anchises would tell him where to settle. First, Aeneas and Achates had to find the golden bough, which would allow Aeneas to enter and leave the Underworld. They found the golden bough with the assistance of Venus, who led them to it with two of her doves. Sibyl and Aeneas immediately started on their way to Hades. Along the way Aeneas encountered almost every imaginable misery, but he was brave enough to go on. Charon, the ferryman, did not want to take Aeneas across, but when he saw the golden bough he relented. Then Sibyl threw a drugged honey cake to Cerberus who ate it hungrily. The cake soon had its effect, for the monster slumped forward and slept, allowing them to pass by safely. Later, Aeneas and Sibyl came to the Fields of Mourning, where those driven to suicide by unrequited love must remain. There Aeneas saw Dido. This greatly moved Aeneas, and he shed many tears for his and her misery. Finally Aeneas and Sibyl came to the Elysian Fields, the final home of Anchises. It was a paradise of fields and trees, where peace and happiness were everywhere. On the other side of Lethe, the river of forgetfulness, Anchises showed Aeneas his future descendants, the Romans. Anchises told the deeds of several, men that time would never forget. Anchises then told Aeneas how to best forge his way to establish his city. The two men parted, and Aeneas returned to Earth.

Back in Italy, things could have gone quite smoothly if it had not been for Juno, who was still out to destroy Aeneas. Using her wiley ways, she made the two most powerful peoples in Italy, the Latins and Rutulians, bitter enemies of the Trojans.

Latinus, a great-grandson and King of the city Latium, had been told by the spirit of his father Faunus to make sure that his daughter and only child, Lavinia, should not marry a man of Italy, but only a foreigner. The children of Lavinia and the foreign man would be a race that would rule the world. Therefore, when Aeneas arrived in Italy, Latinus thought that he had found his man. Latinus received Aeneas and his party, and swore his friendship. He also told Aeneas of his daughter, forbidden to marry anyone but a foreigner.

Juno, however, had other designs. She commanded one of the Furies, Alecto, to have war waged over the land. Alecto had a three-pronged plan to do so. First, Alecto gave Queen Amata, wife of Latinus, the idea that any marriage between her daughter Lavinia and Aeneas should be forbidden. Alecto then went to Turnus, King of the Rutulians, and convinced him that any man that married Lavinia should be a mortal enemy; at the time, Turnus was a favored suitor of Lavinia. At once Turnus gathered an army and marched on Latium to prevent any treaty between the Trojans and King Latinus.

The third part of Alecto's was the most devious and staged. In the fields of the Latins there lived a tame stag; it was so gentle and beautiful, and the girl that tended it was so well loved, that all the farmers and their families revered it, and it was famous throughout the lands. Anyone that killed it would have been punished. A foreigner would have been killed on sight. Such a crime would have brought the entire nation against the perpetrator. Alecto decided that the perpetrator would be Aeneas' young son, Ascanius. One day, when he was out hunting with his young friends, Ascanius was led by the Fury to the stag, where Ascanius shot and wounded the stag. The stag ran to its home, and died in the arms of its mistress. Alecto them made sure that news spread quickly, so that all the farmers of the land wanted the head of young Ascanius and any other Trojan they found. This news reached King Latinus at the same time that he learned of the stag's death, and the arrival of King Turnus at his gates. With his wife also furious at him, Latinus, quite old, decided that he would retire to his castle and let fate decide the results.

The entire city was ready for a war, and Aeneas had no help from any natives. Fighting against the Trojans were the Rutulians, the Latins, and a band of warrior women led by the maiden Camilla. Aeneas' only hope came in the form of a dream, where Father Tiber spoke to him. He told Aeneas to go to a poor little town ruled by a king named Evander. Evander called his little territory Arcady, which was the name of his former land in Greece during the Golden Age. Near Arcady lived the Etruscans, who were once ruled by the king Mezentius, a cruel warrior and ally of Turnus. So cruel was Mezentius that the Etruscans threw him out of power. Before they could kill him, Mezentius escaped. The Etruscans knew Mezentius fought with Turnus, so they might be willing to fight against Turnus and help Aeneas. Aeneas went from Arcady to Etruria to enlist their aid. In the meantime, as the Rutulian army was approaching, Aeneas told his men not to launch an offensive. The Etruscans sent their best soldiers, and Evander sent his son Pallas to be a lieutenant under Aeneas. When Aeneas returns, there was nothing but carnage. The Trojans and Etruscans managed to kill all their enemies. At the end, Aeneas and Turnus had one-on-one combat, and at this point, Aeneas was no longer human, but some sort of god. Once Turnus was vanquished, peace came to Italy, and Aeneas married Lavinia, and became the founder of Rome.

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Aeneas activity

KEY TEST WORDS: (Know the material behind these items.)
Aeneas was the son of the goddess Venus, (Aphrodite), and the Trojan prince Anchises. He was cared for by a nymph of Mount Ida and educated by Chiron the centaur. He was the husband of Creusa, the mother of Ascanius, (Iulus). He fought with great valor in the Trojan War. On his way to his"promised land," Italy, (Hesperia), he was received kindly by Dido in Carthage. In Italy he became the founder of the Roman race, and married Lavinia, daughter of King Latinus.

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FOOTNOTES:
Aeneas' adventures parallel those of Odysseus. Most of Aeneas' life is recounted in Virgil's Aeneid.

SOURCES:
James Isaacs
Edith Hamilton's Mythology
"Manual of Mythology" by Alexander S. Murray.
Virgil's Aeneid