JENEAS, a Trojan prince, was the son of Anchises and Venus. He claimed his descent horn Tros, the third king of Troy, from whom the city and people re ceived their name. During the Trojan war, /Eneas and Antenor were the only two who were inclined to peace ; and insisted, that Helen should be given up. For this, they have been unjustly suspected of having betrayed the Trojan cause, When Troy was taken by the Greeks, Lneas, with a few friends, valiantly opposed them in the streets ; but finding himself unable to withstand their number, he made his escape amidst the flames, carry ing his father Anchises upon his shoulders, and leading the young Ascanius by the hand. In his flight, he lost his wife Creusa, who, lingering behind, and having mis sed her way, was probably slain in the general massacre. Lneas, having collected such of his countrymen as had escaped the fury of the enemy, retired to Mount Ida. There, having built a fleet, he embarked his family and household gods, and set sail in search of new settlements. After having encountered various dangers, both by sea and land, and having lost his father in the island of Sici ly, he was driven by stress of weather upon the coast of Africa. Here, according to Virgil, Lneas was hospita bly received by Queen Dido, who, falling violently in love with him, offered to share with him the govern ment of Carthage. But as historians place the build ing of Carthage three centuries later than the destruc tion of Troy, this anachronism must be considered mere ly as an embellishment of the poet. Leaving Africa,
he landed in Italy, and married Lavinia, the daughter of Latinus, king of the Aborigines. Ile then built the city Lavinium, near the place where he had landed, inten ding to settle in it with his countrymen. But Timms, king of the Rutuli, to whom Lavinia had formerly been betrothed, enraged, that a stranger should be preferred before him, made war upon Latinus and Lucas. A bat tle was fought, in which Latinus was slain, and the army of Turnus completely routed. Upon this, Lucas suc ceeded to the throne of Latium ; and the better to secure the affections of his new subjects, united both nations under the name of Latins. About four years after the death of Latinus, Lneas was slain in battle, fighting against Mezentius, king of the Tuscans. After his death, he was invoked by the name of Jupiter Indiges ; and from him the Romans pretended to derive their ori gin. The trails and misfortunes of this prince form the subject of Virgil's beautiful poem, which, from his name, is called the /Eneid. See Dionusius Hal. i. cap. 11. Livy i. cap. 1. Plut. in Ronal. &rah°, xiii. Flo•us, i. cap. 1. Justin, lib. xx. cap. 1.; lib, xxxi, cap. 8, Dictus Crft, v. (p)