Aeneas

Aeneas/ɪˈniːəs/possiblyderivedfromGreekword,whichmeanspraise.InGreco-Romanmythology,hewasaTrojanhero,thesonoftheprinceAnchisesandthegoddessAphrodite(Venus).HisfatherwasthesecondcousinofKingPriamofTroy,makingAeneasPriam'ssecondcousin,onceremoved.HeisacharacterinGreekmythologyandismentionedinHomer'sIliad,andreceivesfulltreatmentinRomanmythologyasthelegendaryfounderofwhatwouldbecomeAncientRome,mostextensivelyinVirgil'sAeneid.HebecamethefirsttrueheroofRome.IntheIliad,Aeneasisaminorcharacter,whereheistwicesavedfromdeathbythegodsasifforanas-yetunknowndestiny.HeistheleaderoftheTrojans'Dardanianallies,aswellasathirdcousinandprincipallieutenantofHector,sonoftheTrojankingPriam.Aeneas'smotherAphroditefrequentlycomestohisaidonthebattlefield;heisafavoriteofApollo.AphroditeandApollorescueAeneasfromcombatwithDiomedesofArgos,whonearlykillshim,andcarryhimawaytoPergamosforhealing.EvenPoseidon,whonormallyfavorstheGreeks,comestoAeneas'srescueafterhefallsundertheassaultofAchilles,notingthatAeneas,thoughfromajuniorbranchoftheroyalfamily,isdestinedtobecomekingoftheTrojanpeople.Hekills28peopleintheTrojanWar,andhiscareerduringthatwarisretoldbyRomanhistorianGaiusJuliusHyginusinhisFabulae.Aeneashadanextensivefamilytree.Hiswet-nursewasCaieta,andheisthefatherofAscaniuswithCreusa,andofSilviuswithLavinia.Ascanius,alsoknownasIulus(orJulius),foundedAlbaLongaandwasthefirstinalongseriesofkings.AccordingtothemythologyoutlinedbyVirgilintheAeneid,RomulusandRemuswerebothdescendantsofAeneasthroughtheirmotherRheaSilvia,makingAeneasprogenitoroftheRomanpeople.Someearlysourcescallhimtheirfatherorgrandfather,butconsideringthecommonlyaccepteddatesofthefallofTroyandthefoundingofRome,thisseemsunlikely.TheJulianfamilyofRome,mostnotablyJuliusCæsarandAugustus,tracedtheirlineagetoAscaniusandAeneas,thustothegoddessAphrodite.ThroughtheJulians,thePalemonidsmakethisclaim.ThelegendarykingsofBritaintracetheirfamilythroughagrandsonofAeneas,Brutus.