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achates

Achates is a name with several historical and literary associations. The most prominent is a figure from ancient Roman literature: Achates is the loyal companion of Aeneas in Virgil’s Aeneid. Described as a faithful friend and trusted confidant, Achates accompanies Aeneas on his perilous journey from the fallen Troy to the shores of Italy, sharing in hardships, offering practical counsel, and helping to sustain morale during the founding myth of Rome.

Geographically, Achates refers to an ancient river in Sicily. In classical sources the river is known as

In sum, Achates is best known as a faithful Trojan ally in Roman epic and as the

Achates,
and
it
is
associated
with
the
region
around
the
modern
town
of
Acate
in
southeastern
Sicily.
The
name
Achates
has
also
figured
in
the
etymology
of
the
gemstone
agate,
with
the
idea
that
the
stone
was
first
identified
or
described
in
connection
with
the
Achates
river
region;
the
Greek
term
achátēs
was
used
for
agate
and
later
gave
rise
to
the
English
word.
ancient
name
of
a
Sicilian
river,
with
a
linguistic
legacy
tied
to
the
name
of
the
gemstone
agate.
The
term
appears
in
classical
literature,
geography,
and
the
history
of
nomenclature,
reflecting
its
diverse
cultural
footprint.