Aeneas became an extremely popular figure during the days of the first Roman emperors (that is, in the 1st century BCE – 1st century CE) which probably resulted from the fact that the Julius family, of which Caesar was a member, was also supposed to come from Aphrodite.
Aeneas was most often depicted when he escaped from Troy, as in the case of the terracotta above.
Aeneas is the middle figure – a bearded man in full armour. In his left hand, he carries his father, wrapped in Anchises’ mantle, and with his right hand, he is supporting his son, Ascanius, in a Phrygian cap that emphasizes the Asian roots of the three.
