Genealogy and Origins

Origins with Aeneas
Livy establishes Aeneas as the one who created the term ‘Latin’ to refer to the Aborigines and the Trojans so as to create an alliance between the regional ethnic groups (1.2 = RECW 2.2, p. 25). Livy also asserts that Aeneas founded the city Lavinium, while it was his descendant Romulus who founded the city of Rome (1.3-4 = RECW 2.3-4. pp 25-26).

Virgil:  gives a much more fantastical story behind the founding of Rome and asserts that Aeneas was spoken to by the Lares of his house, who told him that Crete was not the area he was destined to settle. Virgil also says that Juno ordered Aeneas to allow the Latins to retain their customs, rather than being forced to assimilate with the Trojans (3.94-113 and 12.818-840 = RECW 2.7-8 pp 29-30).

