The Aeneid
Characters and Epithets
- Mortals:
o Aeneas – leader of the Trojans, destined to found Rome, “Pious Aeneas,”
“Goodly Aeneas”
o Achates – Friend of Aeneas, accompanies him to Carthadge in book 1
o Ascanius/Iulus – Son of Aeneas
o Anchises – Father of Aeneas, has died.
o Dido – Queen of Carthadge, a refugee and has lost her husband
o Anna – Dido’s sister and handmaid
o Creusa – Aeneas’ first wife, lost in the commotion in the fall of Troy
o The Sibyl – Takes Aeneas through the Underworld
o Turnus – Betrothed to Lavinia
o Amata – Queen of Latium
o Latinus – King of Latium
o Lavinia – Daughter of Latinus
o Evander – King of Arcadia and the Etruscans
o Pallas – Son of Evander
o Mezentius – one of Turnus’ men
o Lausus – Mezentius’ son
o Acoetes – Pallas’ guardian
o Tarchon – On Aeneas’ side, king of Sicily
o Camilla – Amazonian warrior
- Gods and Immortals
o Juno – Queen of the Gods, hates Aeneas and does not want to see his
purpose fulfilled.
o Venus – Mother of Aeneas, goddess of love, wants to aid him in his quest
o Jupiter – King of the Gods, is neutral
o Cupid – Son of Venus, aids Venus in enchanting Dido with ‘furor’
o King Aeolus – King of the clouds, sends a storm in Book 1
o Neptune – Stops the storm, god of the sea
o Cybele – mother of the gods, turns Aeneas’ ships to sea nymphs
Juturnua – Turnus’ sister
Themes
- Divine intervention
- Fate
- Piety
Literary contexts
- The glory of Rome: Virgil wrote the Aeneid during the Golden Age of the Roman
Empire, under the auspices of Augustus. Virgil’s purpose was to write a myth of
Rome’s origins that would emphasise the grandeur and legitimise the success of the
empire. Aeneas justifies his settlement in Latium in the same manner that the
empire justified its settlement in numerous other foreign territories. Virgil works
backward, connecting the political and social situation of his down day with inherited
Characters and Epithets
- Mortals:
o Aeneas – leader of the Trojans, destined to found Rome, “Pious Aeneas,”
“Goodly Aeneas”
o Achates – Friend of Aeneas, accompanies him to Carthadge in book 1
o Ascanius/Iulus – Son of Aeneas
o Anchises – Father of Aeneas, has died.
o Dido – Queen of Carthadge, a refugee and has lost her husband
o Anna – Dido’s sister and handmaid
o Creusa – Aeneas’ first wife, lost in the commotion in the fall of Troy
o The Sibyl – Takes Aeneas through the Underworld
o Turnus – Betrothed to Lavinia
o Amata – Queen of Latium
o Latinus – King of Latium
o Lavinia – Daughter of Latinus
o Evander – King of Arcadia and the Etruscans
o Pallas – Son of Evander
o Mezentius – one of Turnus’ men
o Lausus – Mezentius’ son
o Acoetes – Pallas’ guardian
o Tarchon – On Aeneas’ side, king of Sicily
o Camilla – Amazonian warrior
- Gods and Immortals
o Juno – Queen of the Gods, hates Aeneas and does not want to see his
purpose fulfilled.
o Venus – Mother of Aeneas, goddess of love, wants to aid him in his quest
o Jupiter – King of the Gods, is neutral
o Cupid – Son of Venus, aids Venus in enchanting Dido with ‘furor’
o King Aeolus – King of the clouds, sends a storm in Book 1
o Neptune – Stops the storm, god of the sea
o Cybele – mother of the gods, turns Aeneas’ ships to sea nymphs
Juturnua – Turnus’ sister
Themes
- Divine intervention
- Fate
- Piety
Literary contexts
- The glory of Rome: Virgil wrote the Aeneid during the Golden Age of the Roman
Empire, under the auspices of Augustus. Virgil’s purpose was to write a myth of
Rome’s origins that would emphasise the grandeur and legitimise the success of the
empire. Aeneas justifies his settlement in Latium in the same manner that the
empire justified its settlement in numerous other foreign territories. Virgil works
backward, connecting the political and social situation of his down day with inherited
