The Aeneid. A Latin epic poem that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who fled the fall of Troy and travelled to Italy

Virgil's epic poem, 'The Aeneid', chronicles Aeneas's arduous journey after the fall of Troy. Guided by divine will, he sails the Mediterranean, enduring a storm raised by Juno that lands him in Carthage. There, he recounts the dramatic fall of Troy, including the wooden horse and his escape with Anchises and Ascanius, to Queen Dido. Book IV details Dido's passionate love for Aeneas, his fated departure to found Rome, and her subsequent suicide.
Book V describes Aeneas holding funeral games for his father Anchises in Sicily before continuing his journey, marked by the loss of his pilot Palinurus. In Book VI, Aeneas descends into the Underworld with the Sibyl, where he encounters Dido, witnesses Tartarus, and in Elysium, his father Anchises reveals the future glory of Rome and its descendants. Arriving in Latium (Book VII), King Latinus offers his daughter Lavinia to Aeneas, but Juno, through the Fury Alecto, incites Queen Amata and Turnus, Lavinia's suitor, to war.
Book VIII sees Aeneas seeking alliances with Evander and the Tuscans, while Venus arranges for Vulcan to forge divine armor, including a shield depicting future Roman triumphs. Book IX details Turnus's attack on the Trojan camp in Aeneas's absence, and the heroic but tragic mission of Nisus and Euryalus. The war escalates in Book X, with a council of the gods debating intervention, and fierce battles leading to the deaths of young heroes Pallas, Lausus, and Mezentius.
Book XI covers the funeral for Pallas, a truce, and the valorous death of the warrior maiden Camilla. The poem culminates in Book XII with a challenge for single combat between Aeneas and Turnus. Despite a broken truce and Aeneas being wounded, he is miraculously healed by Venus. Jove persuades Juno to cease her interference, ensuring the Latins retain their identity while assimilating the Trojans.
Aeneas, enraged by Turnus wearing Pallas's belt, delivers the fatal blow, concluding the epic with Turnus's death and the foundation of Rome's destiny.