Aeneas was a character in the Iliad of Homer. He was a general of his people in Dardania who sided with the Trojan army against the Greeks. Aeneas wasn’t just a regular man he was also demi-god who born from the union of a Greek goddess named Aphrodite and a Dardanian prince. Why put a legend on the Bible Timeline Chart? Because the legends are mixed up with the history of the Greeks and Romans. It’s interesting to see where they fit into the true facts of world history. Dardania was a nearby kingdom that was situated next to Troy. One day the goddess Aphrodite was disguised as a Phrygian princess and she went to a prince of Dardania named Anchises. She engaged had a fling with him that lasted for about two weeks. After the session had ended, she reappeared to him nine months later with his child. Aphrodite cared for Aeneas, but she didn’t want to raise her son. So she turned his care over to a group of nymphs and then she sent him to live with his father Anchises. This is why she showed up at his palace once Aeneas was a boy. Many years later when the boy was a man he was a general in the army of Dardania.
During the Trojan War, Aeneas fought bravely on the battlefield against the Greeks. Even though he fought well he had the added advantage of divine protection. Appolo and Aphrodite went out their way to keep Aeneas from dying in this war. They protected him from death on a number of occasions. In one instance, he was about to be killed by Diomedes of Argos but Aphrodite and Apollo intervenes and carries him away to Pergamos. After receiving healing in Pergamos, he heads back to the battle. During a confrontation with Achilles, Aeneas is almost killed again but the god Poseidon rescues him from this fate.
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Once the war is over, Aeneas takes a band of followers from Troy and his homeland Dardania and leads them toward Italy. He was supposed to have carried his father on his shoulders during the journey. He was also aided by his son. Aeneas carried two statues in his hand that represented the gods of Troy. They eventually traveled in ships once they reached the waters of the Mesopotamian Sea.
They wandered around the Mesopotamian Sea for six years before reaching the ancient Phoenician city of Carthage. The goddess Juno apparently caused a lot of confusion from storms she sent against them. Once they arrived at Carthage, Aeneas somehow managed to start a year long love affair with the queen Dido. The queen encouraged Aeneas and his people to live in Carthage, but Aphrodite sent Mercury to urge Aeneas to keep traveling to Italy since that was his ultimate purpose. He then secretly left queen Dido’s land with his people and headed north to Italy. Dido was heart broken and committed suicide.
Aeneas next stop was on the island of Sicily and he eventually arrived at the kingdom of the Latins. Once there he was welcomed by Latinus but soon learned that his daughter Lavinia would marry another man from a different land. Latinus realized that Aeneas was this man and he called on the goddess Juno to help him get rid of him. A war broke out between the Latins and the Trojans. Aeneas forces prevailed. After winning this victory, he set up a city called Lavinium. Aeneas soon learned about Dido’s fate and when Lavinia found out she became extremely jealous. Aeneas eventually killed himself because he could not deal with her jealous rage. Before Aeneas died he had a son named Silvius with Lavinia. Silvius is credited with Romulus as the founding fathers of Rome.
Alba Longa was an ancient city of the people of Latium.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeneas
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/aeneid.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iliad