Who Aeneas is
Aeneas escapes the burning city of Troy with his father Anchises and his young son Ascanius. He carries his father on his shoulders and takes his son by the hand. These acts show the loyalty that shapes his role as both a father and a leader.
He is brave, but Virgil also shows him afraid, exhausted and grieving. After a storm scatters his fleet, he finds food for his companions and tries to encourage them.
What Aeneas wants
Aeneas must carry Troy's household gods across the sea and establish a new home in Italy. His mission promises a future for his people, but it leaves little room for his own happiness. The poem calls his dutiful loyalty pietas, a bond to gods, family and community.
Aeneas and the others in the story
Dido, the queen of Carthage, welcomes the shipwrecked Trojans and falls in love with Aeneas. He helps her build Carthage until Mercury reminds him of Italy and his son's future.
His mother Venus protects him, while Juno works to prevent the Trojans from reaching their destination. Their opposing efforts place his human choices within a larger struggle among the gods.
Questions
Who is Aeneas in The Aeneid?
Aeneas is a prince of Troy who leads its survivors toward a new home in Italy.
What does Aeneas have to do with Rome?
He is fated to found the people from whom Rome will come, rather than build Rome himself.
Is Aeneas a god?
Aeneas is a Trojan prince, not a god, though his mother Venus is a goddess.