Aeneas

Also Ai·nei·as

[ih-nee-uhs]

noun

Classical Mythology.

1. a Trojan hero, the reputed ancestor of the Romans: protagonist of the Aeneid.

Aeneas

/ ɪˈniːəs /

noun

1. classical myth a Trojan prince, the son of Anchises and Aphrodite, who escaped the sack of Troy and sailed to Italy via Carthage and Sicily. After seven years, he and his followers established themselves near the site of the future Rome

Aeneas

1. A famous warrior of classical mythology; a leader in the Trojan War (see also Trojan War) on the Trojan side. After the fall of Troy, Aeneas fled with his father and son and was shipwrecked at Carthage in northern Africa. There Dido, the queen of Carthage, fell in love with him and ultimately committed suicide when she realized that Aeneas could not stay with her forever. After many trials, Aeneas arrived in what is now Italy. The ancient Romans believed that they were descended from the followers of Aeneas.

Because he carried his elderly father out of the ruined Troy on his back, Aeneas represents filial devotion and duty.

Aeneas is the hero of the Aeneid of Virgil.

The doomed love of Aeneas and Dido has been a source for artistic creation since ancient times.