Aeneas
Aeneas wasn’t just a Trojan prince, he was a refugee with a destiny. Son of a mortal prince and the goddess of love, Aphrodite, he walked a path between humanity and divinity. While his legend is briefly mentioned in Greek myths, it’s in Roman mythology where he truly shines. There, he’s hailed as the ancestor of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, weaving his fate directly into the fabric of the Roman Empire.
Parents: Anchises and Aphrodite
Consort: Creusa
Children: Ascanius/Iulus
Birth
A touch of mischief was Aphrodite’s specialty. Known for ensnaring the hearts of mortals, she found herself on the receiving end of Zeus’ playful retaliation. He ignited a spark of desire within her heart, leading her to Anchises, a handsome Trojan prince tending his cattle on Mount Ida. Aphrodite, usually the weaver of love’s webs, was captivated by Anchises’ beauty. Disguised as a stunning Phrygian princess, she descended upon him, leaving him breathless before revealing her true divinity.
Their union, a night of passion under the watchful gaze of Mount Ida, would have consequences. Aphrodite, ever the cunning goddess, assured Anchises of protection and a son, the mighty Aeneas. But there was a price – their encounter must remain a secret, a whisper lost in the wind. With that, Aphrodite entrusted the newborn Aeneas to the nymphs of Mount Ida, to be raised until his fifth year, when fate would reunite him with his unknowing father.
Trojan War
In the Trojan War, Aeneas led the Dardanian Trojans, a contingent fighting alongside Hector, but whispers followed him. His mother, the goddess Aphrodite, imbued him with a touch of the divine. This perhaps explains why he enjoyed the battlefield protection of not just Aphrodite, but also gods like Apollo and even Poseidon, who usually favored the Greeks.
But unlike his fellow Trojans, Aeneas wasn’t destined to fall at Troy. Roman literature, particularly Virgil’s epic Aeneid, tells a different story. Aeneas, marked by fate, became one of the few Trojan survivors. He embarked on a perilous journey, eventually landing in Italy. This wasn’t just any landing; it was the dawn of a legacy. Here, in this foreign land, Aeneas laid the groundwork for a future empire. His descendants, Romulus and Remus, would go on to found Rome, forever linking the Trojan hero to the rise of a mighty civilization.
