The Adventures of Aeneas
By Ben Roberts, Patrick Gommel,
Amanda Wilson, Jin Kang
Heroic Qualities and Flaws
• The main character of the story is
Aeneas and he is an archetypal hero
• His qualities are he is brave, strong,
intelligent, loyal, strong-minded,
devoted to his task, and one of the
most famous heroes who fought in
the Trojan War.
• His flaws are he is slightly greedy
and he had a slight weakness for
women.
Journey/Quest/Task Events
• Task: Aeneas needs to sail to Italy and start the
Roman race. (pg. 321)
• Quest: If he wants to reach the underworld,
Aeneas needs to get the golden bough. (pg. 331)
• Task: Aeneas must defeat Turnus during war in
order to marry Lavinia and start the Roman race.
(pg. 343)
Journey Events
• Journey: After he defeats Turnus, he learns the
art and science of other countries and
incorporates them into his state. He also learned
he was destined to bring the people of earth
under his empire, to impose rule of submissive
non-resistance, spare the humble, and crush the
proud. (pg. 344)
Motifs and Themes
• Some reoccurring motifs in this story
are courage and bravery.
• Other motifs are rags to riches, when
Dido gives Aeneas everything after
his ship got wrecked, and forbidden
love, Dido and Aeneas can’t be
together because then Aeneas can’t
complete his task.
• The main theme of this story is that if
you have courage and bravery, you
can accomplish anything.
• Other themes are fate cannot be
avoided.
Major Archetypes
• Juno: malicious acts, causes
troubles for Aeneas, villainous
and supernatural force
• Neptune: Juno’s brother,
inadvertently helps Aeneas,
supernatural force
• Venus: protects Aeneas and his
literal mother,
earth mother
• Alecto and Aeolus: helps Juno by
trying to prevent Aeneas from
reaching his goal,
supernatural force
Major Archetypes
• Dido: beautiful widow, temptress
• Lavinia: wife,
damsel in distress
• Aeneas: needs to start the Roman race, courageous,
brave, intelligent,
hero
• Aeneas’s father: gives Aeneas advice how to make his
home in Italy and avoid hardships,
wise old man
• Doves: helps Aeneas find the golden bough,
helpful animals
Major Archetypes
•
•
•
•
Hell: underworld, darkness, death
Sea: chaotic when stormy, dangerous
Three: separate tasks
Cocytus and Acheron:
junction of two great
rivers of the underworld,
separation between those
living and those dead who
need to reach the
underworld, life
Story Summary
• Aeneas has to sails away from Troy because the Greeks won the Trojan War.
• Aeneas gets a dream that he must go to Italy and start the Roman race.
• While sailing, Aeneas meets Andromache and Helenus who gives Aeneas
advice about his journey.
• Aeneas arrives at Sicily. A poor man, who was one of Ulysses’ sailors, warns
Aeneas and his crew about the Cyclopes and they are able to escape just in
time.
• Juno resented the Trojans and planned to drown Aeneas during a storm.
• Neptune intervenes and stops the storm from drowning Aeneas. He helps
Aeneas land on Carthage.
Story Summary
• Juno plans to have Aeneas to fall in love with Dido so he wouldn’t be able finish his
task, but Venus prevents that from happening.
• Dido falls in love with Aeneas and gives him everything.
• Aeneas decides to continues his journey and leaves Dido. Dido dies of a broken
heart.
• Aeneas meets Sibyl of Cumae
and she tells him that he must
go to the underworld to get
advice from his father.
• Charon takes them across the rivers
of the underworld. They give the
Cerberus cake so it will let them
pass. They pass the Fields of
Mourning where Aeneas sees Dido.
• Aeneas’s father gives his son advice
on how to endure the hardships.
Story Summary
• Aeneas lands near the City of Latium and King Latinus
wishes Aeneas to marry his daughter Laviana.
• Aeneas’ son Ascanius kills a pet stag which was praised
by the people of Latium because of Juno. This causes
the people of Latium to be hostile to the Trojans.
• Aeneas wants to marry Lavina but King of Rutulians,
Turnus tries to stop them by waging war. Turnus makes
an alliance with Mezentius and Camilla.
• Aeneas visits the King of Evander. The king advise
them to gain support from the Etruscans. The
Etruscans join Aeneas to fight against Turnus and
Mezentius.
• Euryalus and Nisus were on Turnus’s side but joins
Aeneas. They are however killed.
• Finally Turnus and Aeneas fight each other and Aeneas
wins. Aeneas was able to start the Roman race.
Lessons and Cultural Values
• Gods have human like qualities
such as sympathy and anger.
• Society back then is portrayed as
violent but are intellectual.
• Lots of war and fighting occurs
during this time.
• Women are seen as evil or
corrupting like how Dido was
trying to prevent
Aeneas from reaching his
task.
• Fate cannot be avoided.