Aeneas is a Trojan hero whose story became central to Roman ideas about ancestry and destiny. Homer presents him as a warrior saved from death during the Trojan War. Centuries later, Virgil’s Aeneid makes his escape from Troy and journey to Italy the foundation of a Roman national epic.
Family and escape
Aeneas is the son of the goddess Aphrodite, called Venus by the Romans, and the mortal Anchises. In Virgil’s account he carries Anchises from burning Troy, leads survivors away, and protects the household gods. His wife Creusa is lost during the escape.
Journey and conflict
Storms and divine opposition drive the Trojans across the Mediterranean. Aeneas visits Carthage, where his departure leads to Dido’s death, and descends to the underworld to hear about Rome’s future. In Italy he fights Turnus before securing a place for his people.
Ancestor, not founder of Rome
Aeneas is associated with Lavinium and a line of rulers at Alba Longa. Roman tradition places Romulus and Remus many generations later. Calling Aeneas the direct founder of the city of Rome skips that genealogy and turns an ancestral claim into a simpler statement than the sources support.