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Aeneas


In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas (/ˈnəs/;Greek: Αἰνείας, Aineías, possibly derived from Greek αἰνή meaning "praised") was a Trojan hero, the son of the prince Anchises and the goddess Venus (Aphrodite). His father was a first cousin of King Priam of Troy (both being grandsons of Ilus, founder of Troy), making Aeneas a second cousin to Priam's children (such as Hector and Paris). He is a character in Greek mythology and is mentioned in Homer's Iliad. Aeneas receives full treatment in Roman mythology, most extensively in Virgil's Aeneid, where he is an ancestor of Romulus and Remus. He became the first true hero of Rome. Snorri Sturluson identifies him with the Norse Æsir Vidarr.

Aeneas is the Latin spelling of Greek Αἰνείας (Aineías). In the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, Aeneas is first introduced with Aphrodite naming him Αἰνείας (Aineías) for the αὶνóν ἄχος ("terrible grief") he caused her, where Aineías derives from the adjective αὶνóν (ainon, meaning "terrible"). It is a popular etymology for the name, apparently exploited by Homer in the Iliad. Later in the Medieval period there were writers who held that, because the Aeneid was written by a philosopher it is meant to be read philosophically. As such, in the "natural order", the meaning of Aeneas' name combines Greek ennos ("dweller") and demas ("body"), which becomes ennaios, meaning "in-dweller" (i.e. as a god inhabiting a mortal body). However, there is no certainty regarding the origin of his name.


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