Virgil’s Aeneid: the characters of the epic poem and a summary of their adventures within the various books on the adventures of Aeneas.
AENEID CHARACTERS: NAMES AND ANALYSIS
The Aeneid is a poem by Virgil composed of twelve books and narrates the mythical events of the Trojan hero Aeneas , from the abandonment of his land, Troy, until his arrival in Lazio, where he founds a community that will be the origin of Rome and the Roman people. As with the other two very famous ancient poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey , also in the Aeneid we meet characters who have shaped subsequent literature, men, women and divinities that you must know carefully. Are you sure you know them all? Today we offer you the description and analysis of the protagonists of the Virgilian poem!
DESCRIPTION OF CHARACTERS AENEID
Well, let’s not waste time: there are really many protagonists in Virgil’s poem, but thanks to this contribution you will no longer have difficulty remembering them.
Male characters in Virgil’s Aeneid:
- Aeneas: son of Anchises and the goddess of beauty, Venus. A brave warrior during the siege of Troy from which he escapes, leaving behind the burning city, with his wife Creusa, his son Ascanius (or Julus) and carrying his old father Anchises on his shoulders. Virgil built the Aeneid on Aeneas’ travels until he reached Latium; but above all on the connection with Rome so that the founder of the city was present in Greek mythology, but, at the same time, an enemy of the Greeks.
- Ascanius or Iulus : son of Aeneas and Creusa, he will come with his father to Italy and will found the lineage from which Romulus and Remus will descend. From Iulus according to Augustan propaganda derived the gens iulia, to which Gaius Julius Caesar and Octavian Augustus belonged.
- Anchises: father of Aeneas, follows his son in his wanderings from Troy to Drepanum, where he dies. Hero of Troy, son of Capys and Themisto, he was cousin of Priam.
- Latin: King of Latium, grants his daughter Lavinia, already promised in marriage to Turnus, to Aeneas.
- Turnus: he is the antagonist of Aeneas, betrothed to Lavinia and king of the Rutuli.
- Pallas: young fighter allied with Aeneas against Turnus, dies bravely on the battlefield.
- Euryalus and Nisus : young fighters who die bravely on the battlefield.
- Polydorus: son of Priam sent to Thrace to protect him, but was instead killed by the king of that land.
- Laocoon: priest of Apollo and son of Priam. He is killed with his sons by a sea monster while trying to prevent the horse from entering Troy.
Female characters in Virgil’s Aeneid:
- Dido: is a mythological figure, a Phoenician queen who founded Carthage and was previously queen of Tyre. According to Virgil’s narrative, she falls in love with Aeneas and, desperate for his departure, kills herself.
- Anna : Dido’s sister
- Creusa: Aeneas’ first wife, gets lost during the escape from Troy
- Lavinia: According to Virgil and Livy, Lavinia was the daughter of Latinus, the eponymous king of the Latins, an ancient people of central Italy, and Amata, his wife. Lavinia had initially been promised in marriage to Turnus, king of the Rutuli. After Aeneas landed in Latium, she was given in marriage to the Trojan leader to seal the new alliance.
- Cumaean Sibyl: A priestess of Apollo who foretells oracles. She accompanies Aeneas to Hades and foretells his fate.
Mythological characters of the underworld:
- Charon: Infernal ferryman across the river Acheron
- Cerberus: monstrous three-headed dog, he is the guardian of the underworld.
- Minos: mythical king of Crete, becomes judge of the dead in Hades.
The deities of the Aeneid:
- Jupiter: An impartial deity representing balance.
- Juno: a deity who has always been an enemy of the Trojans and therefore also of Aeneas.
- Minerva : goddess of wisdom, enemy of the Trojans
- Venus: mother goddess of Aeneas, his protector.
AENEID SUMMARY
Now that we have the complete picture of Virgil’s protagonists, here is the summary of the Latin poem and all the resources for further study:
