The household gods of her father were stolen by Aeneas, who took them from the city of Troy as it fell to the Greeks. This act is recounted in Virgil’s Aeneid, where Aeneas carries the Penates—the sacred images of his household and ancestral gods—out of the burning city to found a new Trojan settlement in Italy.
The Story in the Aeneid
In Book 2 of the Aeneid, Aeneas describes the final night of Troy. After the Greeks have entered the city through the famous wooden horse, the Trojan hero Hector appears to Aeneas in a dream, urging him to flee and take the household gods with him. Later, as Aeneas fights the Greeks in the chaotic streets, he rushes back to his father’s house. His father Anchises initially refuses to leave, but after a divine sign—a flame that plays harmlessly around the head of Ascanius, Aeneas’s son—Anchises agrees to go. Aeneas then says, “You, my father, take the sacred images of our household gods in your hands; for me, fresh from battle and bloodshed, it would be wrong to touch them until I have washed in a running stream.” So Anchises carries the Penates, and Aeneas leads his family out of Troy, with his son Ascanius at his side.
Who Were the Penates?
The Penates were Roman household deities, guardians of the storeroom (from penus, meaning provisions). Every Roman household had them, typically small statues or images kept in a shrine near the hearth. They protected the family’s food, prosperity, and well-being. In the context of the Aeneid, the Penates of Aeneas’s household are not just personal family gods; they are also the sacred relics of the Trojan state. By carrying them out of Troy, Aeneas ensures the continuity of Trojan religious practice and destiny. The poet later describes these same Penates as being destined to be transferred to Lavinium, the city Aeneas will found in Latium, and eventually to Rome itself. Thus, the theft—or rescue, depending on perspective—is a foundational act in Roman mythology, linking the future Roman people to the ancient Trojans.
Why Did Aeneas Take Them?
Aeneas did not take the Penates for personal gain or sacrilege; he took them to fulfill a divine mandate. The gods had decreed that the Trojans would found a new empire, and the household gods were essential to that mission. In the Aeneid, the Penates themselves appear to Aeneas in a dream while he is on Crete, telling him that he has misunderstood his destination and that he must sail to Hesperia (Italy). This shows that the gods were actively guiding Aeneas and that the Penates were not merely passive objects but active participants in the destiny of the Trojan people. The act of taking them was a sacred duty, not a theft in the ordinary sense. In Roman religious practice, it was considered a grave offense to remove another family’s Penates, but Aeneas was not stealing from a living father; he was rescuing the ancestral gods of his own household from destruction.
The Father’s Role: Anchises
The “father” in the question is Anchises, Aeneas’s mortal father. In the Aeneid, Anchises is a central figure in the escape. He is an old man, too weak to walk quickly, so Aeneas carries him on his shoulders. The image of Aeneas carrying his father, with his son holding his hand, is one of the most famous scenes in classical literature—a symbol of filial piety and the transmission of tradition across generations. Anchises, as the patriarch, is the rightful keeper of the household gods. When he takes them into his hands, he is performing his role as the head of the family. Later, Anchises dies in Sicily before reaching Italy, but the Penates continue with Aeneas. The transfer of the gods from father to son is a key moment in the narrative, symbolizing the passing of authority and the continuity of the Trojan line.
Other Versions of the Story
Virgil’s Aeneid is the most famous account, but it is not the only one. Earlier Greek and Roman sources had different versions of Aeneas’s escape. In some versions, Aeneas betrays Troy to the Greeks, and in others, he simply flees without any mention of the Penates. The Greek historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus, writing in the first century BCE, records a tradition in which Aeneas takes the sacred objects, but also notes that some say he was allowed to leave by the Greeks because of his piety. The Roman poet Ennius, writing in the second century BCE, also mentioned Aeneas carrying the Penates, but his work survives only in fragments. The version we know best is Virgil’s, which was composed under the patronage of Augustus and was intended to give Rome a heroic origin story. Virgil’s account became the canonical one, but it is worth remembering that mythology is not fixed; it evolves with each retelling.
What Happened to the Penates After Troy?
According to Virgil, after Aeneas leaves Troy, he carries the Penates on his long journey across the Mediterranean. They are with him in Carthage, where he tells the story to Queen Dido. They are with him when he visits the underworld in Book 6, where his father Anchises shows him the future heroes of Rome. Finally, after Aeneas lands in Latium and defeats the native tribes, he fulfills the prophecy by founding the city of Lavinium. There, he establishes the Penates in a new temple. Roman tradition held that these very Penates were later brought to Rome, where they were housed in a temple on the Velian Hill. The Roman historian Livy mentions that the Penates of Aeneas were preserved in a temple at Lavinium, and that Roman magistrates would sometimes make sacrifices there. This connection gave the Roman state a direct link to the Trojan gods, reinforcing the idea that Rome was the heir to Troy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Aeneas actually steal the gods, or was he rescuing them?
In the context of the Aeneid, Aeneas is rescuing the household gods from being destroyed by the Greeks. The word “steal” implies a wrongful taking, but Aeneas is acting under divine instruction and with the blessing of his father. He is preserving the sacred objects for the future of his people, not depriving anyone of them. In Roman religious terms, it was a pious act.
Who were the household gods in Roman religion?
The household gods were the Penates and the Lares. The Penates protected the pantry and storeroom, while the Lares were guardian spirits of the household and family. Together, they were worshipped at the family hearth. Each home had a small shrine, called a lararium, where these images were kept and honored with daily offerings.
Why is this story important in Roman mythology?
The story is important because it establishes the Trojan origin of the Roman people, which was a central theme in Roman identity. It also shows the importance of piety (pietas)—the duty to gods, family, and country—which was a key Roman virtue. Aeneas’s actions set a model for Roman behavior, and the Penates became symbols of Rome’s divine destiny.
Are the Penates the same as the Lares?
No, they are distinct but often associated. The Penates were originally gods of the storeroom, while the Lares were spirits of the ancestors or the household. Over time, the terms were sometimes used interchangeably, but in the Aeneid, the Penates are specifically the ancestral gods of the Trojan royal family, not the Lares.
Did the Greeks have a similar concept of household gods?
Yes, the Greeks had household deities called Hestia (goddess of the hearth) and Zeus Herkeios (protector of the enclosure). They also had small statues of gods in their homes, but the concept of a set of Penates as a distinct group is more Roman. The Greek hero Aeneas, however, was a figure in Greek mythology before Virgil made him Roman.
Is there any historical evidence for the Penates of Aeneas?
There is no archaeological evidence that the specific Penates of Aeneas existed, as they are mythological objects. However, the Romans did have a temple to the Penates in Rome, and they claimed that the statues inside were the ones Aeneas brought from Troy. This was a matter of religious belief, not historical fact. The story served to legitimize Roman religion and state.
Related
- Mayan Gods for Kids: Easy Guide
- Maya Gods English Unit? Meaning & Sources
- Mayan Gods Text: Names, Meanings & Sources
How pages are sourced and corrected: Sources and editorial policy.