Aeneas

Aeneas (Greek Αἰνείας, Latin Aeneas Aeneas German ) is a major figure in the Greek / Roman mythology and early history. He comes from a collateral line of the Trojan ruling family and is the son of Anchises with the goddess Aphrodite ( Roman Venus). Aeneas is considered the progenitor of the Romans.

Aeneas in Homer

In Homer's Iliad, Aeneas is a Trojan prince from a collateral line of the royal family and leader of the Dardan ( allies of the Trojans). After Hector he is regarded as the bravest of the Trojans. During the Trojan War, he was severely wounded in combat with Diomedes and would have died if his mother had not suffered him, the goddess was wounded by Diomedes angry at the wrist. Apollo enveloped the two into a protective fog and struck the injured Aeneas from the battle to the citadel of Pergamus, in his temple located there. In the sanctuary Leto and Artemis healed Aeneas and the made ​​him stronger than before.

Aeneas myth

In mythological narratives to Homer is reported by the rescue of Aeneas from Troy and setting his journey westward. Together with his father Anchises, he carries on his shoulders, and his son Ascanius, also called Iulus, he can escape from the burning Troy. Even the Palladium he can take, but his wife Creusa he loses. While escaping from Troy, Aeneas gathers a group of escaped Trojans around.

The journeys of Aeneas from Troy to be told by the Roman poet Virgil in the Aeneid, the most detailed representation of the Aeneas saga that eventually led to the founding of the city of Alba Longa, should emerge from the one day Rome.

So tells Virgil that the Trojans ( Dardanians ) first take a ride on fast ships to Samothrace, but put off by a dreadful sign of this place, strive for other countries and islands. Pursued by the goddess Hera, she put a long odyssey back, among other things, to North Africa with the visit of newly founded Carthage, where Aeneas whose Queen Dido gets to know who falls in love with him and after the separation commits suicide.

Finally, orders them by an oracle of Apollo, the "old mother " visit that turns out to be Italy. In the sixth book of the Aeneid tells Virgil, like Aeneas travels to Hades (where he meets Dido again, which has since committed suicide with grief and turns away in silence to his speech ) and return to the world of the living, thanks to a magical mistletoe can.

From Latinus, king of Latium, Aeneas is well received and woos his daughter Lavinia. After he has been in a duel against his rival and former spouse of Lavinia, rotation, enforced, he marries her and founds her honor the city Lavinium. She gives him another son Silvius. Later, he takes on the younger sister of Dido (Anna Perenna ), but which then commits suicide when she realizes the jealousy of Lavinia.

In a fight to have been displaced Aeneas (like Heracles ) in the sky ( Olympus ). Finally, he was declared a God ( Indiges ).

Later, Aeneas ' son Iulus founded the " Mother City" of Rome Alba Longa. The Julier, to Gaius Julius Caesar and his adopted son Octavian to rely on him and the mythological descent from the goddess of love. Silvius is according to Virgil, Aeneid 6, 763, have been succeeded his brother in Alba. All the kings of Alba, which followed Silvius bore the name as a cognomen (eg Numitor Silvius ). From Iulus ' or Silvius ' gender - Aeneas Silvius about who might be also Silvius himself, and Latinus Silvius - came the twin brothers Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome; through it was Aeneas as the ancestor of the Roman people.

The origin of Rome, and thus Troy was that throughout the Middle Ages popular, and is found for Brutus of Britain, the founder king of Britain.

Pedigree of Aeneas

The basis is the list of the kings of Alba Longa in Livy. ( However, in Livy Silvius, the father of Aeneas Silvius, son of Ascanius. )

Ancient sources

  • Homer, Iliad, II, 819-21; V, 217-575; XIII, 455-544; XX, 75-352;
  • Libraries of Apollodorus 3.12.2, Epitome 3.32-4.2, 5:21
  • Virgil, Aeneid;
  • Ovid, Metamorphoses XIV, 581-608;
  • Ovid, Heroides, VII
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