Anchises

Anchises is a figure in Greek and Roman mythology, described as a Trojan noble and a member of the royal house of Troy. In traditional genealogies he is listed as the son of Capys and Telecleia, though details vary among sources. He is best known as the father of Aeneas, the Trojan hero who, in myth, is destined to found a new city in Italy. The mother of Aeneas is the goddess Aphrodite (Venus), who, according to myth, caused Anchises to fall in love with her and revealed her divine nature to him.

In literature, Anchises is most prominent in the Roman epic tradition. In Virgil’s Aeneid, he appears as an aged, wise father figure whom the hero visits in the underworld. There Anchises provides guidance to Aeneas and recounts prophecies about Rome’s future and the destiny of its people. The encounter emphasizes pietas, or dutiful respect to the gods, family, and country, and it frames Aeneas’s journey as part of a divine plan.

Anchises has also been depicted in art and poetry as a symbol of the Trojan lineage and the intimate connection between mortals and divine beings. His story underscores themes of legacy, piety, and fate within the broader myth of the fall of Troy and the founding myths that lead to the Roman tradition. Overall, Anchises functions as a conduit for exploring the human aspects of myth and the lineage that leads to Aeneas and, in Roman mythology, to Rome itself.