Aeneas

hero

Αἰνείας

Trojan survivor who founded Rome

Aeneas was a Trojan prince, son of Aphrodite, who survived Troy's fall and became the ancestor of Rome.

The Myth

Aeneas carried his father Anchises on his back through burning Troy. Virgil's Aeneid made him the Roman national hero. He wandered to Carthage (Dido), descended to the underworld, and settled in Latium. His descendants Romulus and Remus founded Rome.

Parents

Anchises and Aphrodite

Children

Ascanius/Iulus

Symbols

father on backhearth godsgolden bough

Fun Fact

The Julian dynasty claimed descent from Aeneas through Iulus, making Caesar and Augustus kin to Venus.

Words We Inherited

English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:

Aeneid