Ascanius is a legendary king of Alba Longa and is the son of the Trojan hero Aeneas. He is a character of Roman mythology, and has a divine lineage, being the son of Aeneas, who is son of Venus and the hero Anchises, a relative of Priam; thus Ascanius has divine ascendents by both parents, being descendant of Jupiter, Juno and Dardanus. He is also legendarily an ancestor of Romulus, Remus and the Gens Julia. Together with his father, he is a major character in the Aeneid, and he is depicted as one of founders of the Roman race.
Famous quotes containing the word ascanius:
“High on a throne of his own labors reared.
At his right hand our young Ascanius sate,
Rome’s other hope and pillar of the state.
His brows thick fogs, instead of glories, grace,
And lambent dullness played around his face.”
—John Dryden (1631–1700)