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How does Aeneas’s journey lead to the legendary origins of Rome?

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Ancient Roman mosaic showing the poet Virgil seated and writing, flanked by the muses Clio and Melpomene, displayed in a decorative border. — Virgil Virgil (centre) holding a scroll with a quotation from the *Aeneid* and flanked by the muses Clio and Melpomene, mosaic, early 3rd century ce; in the Bardo National Museum, Tunis, Tunisia.

In Virgil’s Aeneid, the journey of Aeneas serves as the foundational myth that links the fall of Troy to the eventual rise of Rome.1

Following the destruction of Troy, Aeneas is commanded by a divine vision to flee and establish a new city in the west. His arduous voyage across the Mediterranean—marked by trials in Carthage and beyond—culminates in his arrival at the mouth of the Tiber River in Italy. Upon landing, Aeneas secures his place through a marriage alliance with Lavinia, the daughter of King Latinus, and a successful war against the local leader Turnus.1

This victory leads to the founding of Lavinium, which serves as the parent town of Alba Longa. According to the tradition later solidified by Roman historians, the royal line of Alba Longa eventually produced the twins Romulus and Remus, who founded the city of Rome itself. Through this narrative, Virgil portrays Aeneas as the "first of the Romans," whose devotion to duty (pietas) and obedience to the gods established the moral and historical origins of the Roman nation.123