Creation Myth part 3: The Romans

 While the true Roman origin myth varies from source to source and the Romans themselves were - as a rule- not myth makers there are some stories about how the land we now know as Italy and their folk came to be. 

Myths or stories from ancient Romans times about how the world was created are practically non-existent and are usually told through the Greek story but with Romanized names.

One of the earliest to relate the story (reminiscent to Homer's Odyssey) was the poet Virgil in his epic Aeneid. The same Virgil who also was the guide of Dante Alighieri through the 9 circles of hell in his famous book "The Divine Comedy". 

In this story, our hero, with the help of his mother Venus escaped Troy with his father (a mortal named Anchises) and a number of his fellow soldiers before the city was completely overtaken by the Greeks. This story and its connection to the Trojan Wars gave the Romans a link to the ancient Trojan culture. It should be noted that the story of the Trojan Horse comes from Virgil, though mentioned in Homer's Odyssey. We'll call it creative freedom.

With Venus's assistance, the defeated Trojans leave the city and set sail for Italy, where it has been foretold that Aeneid would found a city. They first sail to Greece where they, as told in the Odyssey, are blown of course. Eventually they end up in the African city of Carthage where our hero meets the lovely Queen Dido, falls in love, and soon forgets his true purpose. Love will do that for you, that's very much true.

Ultimately the god Mercury intervenes and reminds Aeneid of his destiny, causing him to reluctantly leave Africa and his love behind. Unable to deal with this loss and her true love leaving her Queen Dido commits suicide by throwing herself on a burning pyre.

Upon landing at Cumae Aeneid consults the oracle Sybil, who leads him into Hades (the underworld) where he not only encounters the fallen enemies of his past and Queen Dido but also his recently deceased father who tells him of a great and magnificent city his descendants would establish.

Later, after reaching the mouth of the river Tiber, the wayward Trojans enter into a war with King Turnus of the Rutuli. Venus appeals to the Vulcan to make Aeneid new armor and weapons as he has also done for the great hero Achilles (I will cover him in a different post). Turnus was finally defeated and killed in a man to man duel. A peace treaty is ultimately reached with our hero Aeneid marrying the king's daughter.

The children of Aeneid and the king's daughters are Romulus and Remus. The founders of Rome.

I will cover them in the next post since I feel this story is big enough for it.

For now this is it. This is the best and most clear story I could find on the establishment and creation of the old world according to Roman Mythology. I know it is not necessarily a world creation myth but as I said in the beginning the Romans by rule weren't myth makers.

Their beliefs were for the most part in family and state and religious aspects were mostly imported from Greece.

The story of Romulus and Remus I will cover as soon as possible! I hope to be able to get it out before the weekend.

So stay tuned!