Aeneas was the son of Venus and Prince of Troy. He escaped from the city with a band of Trojans and wandered through the Mediterranean. He landed in Thessaly and on Crete, but was denied either place as a home. His men struggled with the Harpies and one of the beasts foretold a terrible journey ahead of them. They landed on an island ruled by a Trojan prophet, Andromache, who had been released from servitude by the death of her master. They left her and stopped on the island of the Cyclopes, trying to avoid Scylla and Charybdis. They found a Greek man abandoned there by Ulysses. Juno, still seething with hatred for the Trojans, whipped up a great storm, and the ships landed in North Africa, near the city of Carthage. Carthage was ruled by a woman named Dido, who was a refugee from unfavorable circumstances in Sidon. Venus had Cupid make her fall in love with Aeneas and help him. "It was a simple matter for Venus to bring about a meeting between the two." Part 4, Chapter 4, pg. 325. Dido thought that their relationship was like a marriage, but Aeneas did not see it this way. When Mercury came to make Aeneas leave and go to his destined home in Italy, he told his men to prepare in secret. Dido found out and was enraged, accusing him of betraying her. He told her that they were not married and he was compelled by fate to leave. As he pulled away from the city, she killed herself on a pyre.
They sailed to a place in Italy called Cumae, where the Sibyl guided Aeneas to the underworld to seek the advice of his father. His father showed him the future generations of Rome waiting to ascend to the real world. He also met Dido there, but she refused to speak to him. Aeneas saw the most savage parts of the underworld and exited with the Sibyl.
Juno stirred up the anger of the native Italians. Their King knew that his daughter was destined to marry a foreigner, but his wife was opposed to a marriage with the Trojans. She favored a marriage to a native man named Turnus. Turnus, hearing about the proposed marriage, led his people to war. Meanwhile, Juno had one of the furies instigate war between the Trojans and the people of the forest. Aeneas' son was manipulated into killing a pet deer. The resulting conflict quickly erupted into a full-scale war. Aeneas was sent up river to seek allies from King Evander. The King was friendly and hospitable, and told him the history of the surrounding land. He also offered his son Pallas and 500 horsemen. Unfortunately, his was a poor nation and he could not offer more. Instead, he advised Aeneas that there was a warlike tribe upstream that had been cursed; only a foreigner could lead the tribe. They wanted revenge against one of the allies of Turnus.
While Aeneas gathered allies, the enemy surrounded the Trojan camp. They fought bravely around the fortifications. Two Trojans attempted to escape and warn Aeneas, but they were killed brutally:
"In their haste, the two friends got separated and Euryalus took the wrong path. Nisus wild with anxiety turned back to find him. Unseen himself he saw him in the hands of troopers. How could he rescue him?" Part 4, Chapter 4, pg. 341
They perished. Aeneas returned and there were many battles. Pallas was killed and all the Italian champions fell except for Turnus. Turnus and Aeneas fought in a final duel and Aeneas defeated him. Turnus begged for mercy, but Aeneas refused, and killed him.
