Dardanus

New - 20 March 2010

The Mother of All Family Trees

Generations 64 - 85

Dardanus

Generation No. 64*

*The generation number must of necessity be essentially arbitrary. Part of the problem in having a degree of consistency as to generations is the number of males marrying much younger females (i.e., one generation marrying into what should reasonably be a younger generation). Also, and as an occasional consequence of the first point, different lines often yield different numbers of generations. We know, for example, that Claudius should be a contemporary of Jesus (and Mary Magdalene), but we also know (assume) that Claudius’ 5th generation descendent (a female) married Jesus’ 3rd generation descendant (a male). (Obviously the Jesus line was not begetting at the same rate as the Roman Imperials.) On the other hand, simply to track things as clearly as possible, Jesus has been assumed to be the 100th generation from Tiamat, and therefore as an aid to the reader, any number higher than 100 can be more easily reckoned to back to Mary and JC. Backtracking from their common ancestor, Dardanus can then be arbitrarily assigned the rank of Generation No. 65. So there!

 

1. Jupiter - Electra

Jupiter is assumed herein to be Enki -- see also Enki and Nin-khursag -- who is apparently putting in something that is a bit more than yet another cameo appearance... i.e., his “repeated incantations” are truly a thing of wonder and praise, and continue to generate interest... sons... daughters... heroes... and mighty men of old. Enki/Jupiter then will be instituting in the subsequent generation the latest son of “god” (the latter being aka the “Lord of Earth”). The new kid/son-of-god on the block is named Dardanus.

Enki’s most recent paramour, and co-conspirator is the Dardanian production, is Electra (meaning "amber," "shining," and/or "bright"). She is a Pleiad and therefore one of the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione. Electra was also the wife of Corythus, affectionately known as Corythus the Cuckolded. His wife was reportedly raped/seduced/taken by Enki, and thereafter gave birth to Dardanus, the latter who became the founder of Troy, ancestor of Priam and his house. According to one legend, Electra was the lost Pleiad, disappearing in grief after the destruction of Troy. She was called Atlantis by Ovid, and thus helped to personify the family of the Pleiades. (There is also the Pleiades star cluster being chased across the sky by the constellation of Orion... but that's another myth.)

[Incidentally, the city and story of Troy were once thought to have been pure myth, fantasy, and/or the result of poetic (i.e., Homeric) license, but then the city was magically transformed into an historical site (and going along for the ride, the credibility of the story)... once evidence cropped up showing the city to be where it was expected to be.]

2. Teucer [64]... unknown*

*We might have replaced the “unknown” nomenclature with “anonymous,” but this Anonymous chap has already been credited (or blamed) for entirely too much stuff. So... until the DNA tests on paternity are received, we will assume an unknown parentage -- aka as a UFO (Unidentified Fatherly Originator).

King Teucer (also Teucrus) was said to have been the son of the river Scamander and of the nymph Idaea... suggesting he was something of a “water sign”. Prior to the arrival of Dardanus, the land that would one day come to be called the Troad, was known as Teucria and its inhabitants were referred to as Teucrians -- obviously named after King Teucer. (It's good to be king.) Batea, King Teucer's daughter, was given in marriage to Dardanus -- they were still giving away daughters in those days... as well as other door prizes for Royals on the run. After Teucer's death the land came to be known as Dardania. Despite all of the name changes, however... in later times, the people of Troy often referred to themselves as "Teucrians"... which would undoubtedly warmed old Teucer's heart.

Scamander (Skamandros, Xanthus), besides being Teucer's old man, was a river god, son of Oceanus and Tethys... albeit sometimes, the son of Zeus [aka Enki]. By Idaea, he fathered King Teucer. Technically then, Teucer could have been grandfathered by Enki, as well as Enki becoming the father of Teucer's future son-in-law. Enki definitely had a “hands-on” approach in dealing with humans.

Scamander is reported to have fought on the side of the Trojans during the Trojan War -- leading to the song: Down by the River Side. Such an appearance at the time of Troy would clearly making Scamander a near-immortal (i.e., very long lived) god in that fathering Teucer would have had to have been done about 250 years before the Trojan War. As for his reasons in choosing sides, Scamander apparently did so because the Greek soldier Achilles had insulted him. [The “crime of arrogance’ is surprisingly common.]

In that regard, Scamander was also said to have attempted to kill Achilles three times, but that the hero was saved by the intervention of Hera, Athena, and Hephaestus. Meanwhile, the Scamander River flowed from Mount Ida [Mater Idaea ("Idaean Mother)] across the plain beneath the city of Troy, joining the Hellespont north of the city. The Achaeans, according to Homer, had set up their camp near its mouth, and their battles with the Trojans were fought on the plain of Scamander.

According to Homer, he was called Xanthos by gods and Scamander by men, which might indicate that the former name refers to the god and the latter one to the river itself.

Generation No. 65

1. Dardanus [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

From Wikipedia, there is the Family Tree Romana. It can be a useful chart as a reference, while at the same time reading some of the gory details of the tree's inhabitants.

Dardanus ("burned up", from the verb dardapto: to wear, to slay, to burn up) was a son of Enki (aka Zeus) in a liaison with Electra, daughter of Atlas.

Married: Batea (Bataea)

Children:

Ilus I
Erichthonius
Idaea (Idaea is also the name sake for the Idaean mountains and Mount Ida, where she built a temple to the Mother of the Gods (that is to Cybele) and instituted mysteries and ceremonies still observed in Phrygia in Dionysus' time.
Zacynthus (first settler on an island afterwards named Zacynthus)

According to Wikipedia,

“Troas or The Troad is the historical name of the Biga peninsula in the northwestern part of Anatolia,Turkey. Bounded by the Dardanelles to the northwest, by the Aegean Sea to the west and separated from the rest of Anatolia by the massif that forms Mount Ida, the Troad is drained by two main rivers, the Scamander (Karamenderes) and the Simois, which join at the area containing the ruins of Troy. Grenikos, Kebren, Simoeis, Rhesos, Rhodios, Heptaporos and Aisepos were seven rivers of the Troad and the names of the river gods that inhabited each river.

“The region later known as the Troad was called Wilusa by the Hittites. Hittite texts indicate a number of Ahhiyawan raids on Wilusa during the 13th century BC, which may have resulted with the overthrow of king Walmu. Archeological surveys show that the powerful kingdom that apparently held sway over northwestern Anatolia was based at Troy.

“The kings of Pergamum later ceded the territory of the Troad to the Roman Republic. Under the Empire, the territory of the Troad became part of the province of Asia; under the later Byzantine Empire, it was included in the thema of the Aegean Islands. Following its conquest by the Ottoman Empire, the Troad formed part of the sanjak of Biga." [In other words, in one form or another, Troy is decidedly real.]

Dardanus originally hailed from Arcadia (according to Dionysius of Halicarnassus), where he and his elder brother Iasus (Iasion) reigned as kings in a dynasty whose immediate predecessor was Atlas. Dardanus married Chryse, daughter of Pallas, by whom he fathered two sons: Idaeus and Dymas.

Just when things were relatively cool, there was a great flood -- although, presumably, NOT the Great Flood. This is because Dardanus is circa 1400 - 1500 BCE, and thus a contemporary with Moses and the Exodus and long, long after THE Great Flood that preceded Adam's reign... or at the very least, the time of Noah, aka Ziasudra. The survivors of the flood, previously living on mountains that had magically become islands, split into two groups. One group hung in there (rebuilding from scratch) and made Deimas (Dymas) their king while the others sailed away, eventually settling on the island of Samothrace. There Iasus (Iasion) was reportedly slain by Zeus [in this case, Enlil?] for lying with Demeter. Dardanus and his people found the new digs poor (and prone to interventions by jealous gods). Accordingly, most of them set sail for Asia.

Which is one testimony. Another account is by Virgil in his Aeneid. Virgil has Aeneas [71st generation... See below] in a dream learn from his ancestral Penates that "Dardanus and Father Iasius" and the Penates themselves originally came from Hesperia which was afterward renamed "Italy." This tradition holds that Dardanus was a Tyrrhenian prince, and that his mother Electra was married to Corythus, king of Tarquinia. [This account is probably false, not to mention politically motivated by Roman revisionists.]

Other accounts make no mention of Arcadia or Hesperia, though they sometimes mention a flood and speak of Dardanus sailing on a hide-raft (as part of the flood story?) from Samothrace to the Troad near Abydos. All accounts agree that Dardanus came to the Troad from Samothrace and was there welcomed by King Teucer and that Dardanus married Batea the daughter of Teucer. (Dionysius mentions that Dardanus' first wife Chryse, by the way, had died in the flood.) Dardanus received land on Mount Ida from his father-in-law. There Dardanus founded the city of Dardania.

It's noteworthy that Dardanus and the extraordinary earth-shaking/submerging events involved in his life and times are contemporary with Moses and the Exodus... the latter an impressive collection of earth-shaking events in and of themselves. This might suggest that life in these times was fraught with peril... at least in the eastern Mediterranean and adjacent locales. This would also account for Dardanus’ motivation in setting sail for greener (and slightly dryer) pastures in Asia... and apparently without his wife, Chryse.

One last account identifies Dardanus with a biblical Darda who is said to be a son of Zerah. This claim is debatable, on the one hand, due to Zerah's name being similar to that of Zeus's and his wife, Hera. Also, according to the Old Testament, Zerah was Pharez's twin brother, making both of them sons of Judah... i.e., he who bore Juda, founder of the tribe that bears the same name. However, Pharez is generation no. 29, or about 400 years prior to Dardanus. This claim is accordingly probably nonsensical... but it makes pretty good press... and for example, the background for operas such as ones by Jean-Philippe Rameau (1739), Carl Stamitz (1770) and Antonio Sacchini (1784)

2. Batea [65] Teucer [64]...unknown

Batea (Bateia. Bataea, Iphise) was said to be the daughter or (less commonly) the aunt of King Teucer, ruler of a tribe known as the Teucrians (Teucri). The Teucrians inhabited the area of northwest Asia Minor later called the Troad (Troas), the latter another name for the Trojans. Batea married King Dardanus, son of Zeus and Electra, and whom Teucer named as his heir. Batea gave her name to a hill in the Troad, one mentioned in the Iliad. By Dardanus, Batea was the mother of Ilus, Erichthonius, Zacynthus, and Idaea. Greek mythology also recounts Arisbe, a daughter of Teucer, as being the wife of Dardanus. Accordingly, Arisbe and Batea are usually assumed to be the same person.

Generation No. 66

1. Erichthonius [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

King Erichthonius of Dardania was the son of Dardanus or Darda, King of Dardania, and Batea, (although some legends say his mother was Olizone, descendant of Phineus).

Married: Astyoche (daughter of Simoeis)

Children: Tros

All that is known of Erichthonius comes from Homer, who says (in Samuel Butler's translation of the Iliad):

"In the beginning Dardanos was the son of Zeus, and founded Dardania, for Ilion was not yet established on the plain for men to dwell in, and her people still abode on the spurs of many-fountained Ida. Dardanos had a son, King Erichthonios, who was wealthiest of all men living; he had three thousand mares that fed by the water-meadows, they and their foals with them. Boreas was enamored of them as they were feeding, and coveted them in the semblance of a dark-maned stallion. Twelve filly foals did they conceive and bear him, and these, as they sped over the fertile plain, would go bounding on over the ripe ears of wheat and not break them; or again when they would disport themselves on the broad back of Ocean they could gallop on the crest of a breaker. Erichthonios begat Tros, king of the Trojans, and Tros had three noble sons, Ilos, Assarakos, and Ganymede [the latter] who was comeliest of mortal men; wherefore the gods carried him off to be Zeus' cupbearer, for his beauty's sake, that he might dwell among the immortals."

2. Ilus I [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Ilus I was the first son and logical heir of Dardanus. However, Ilus I died childless, such that his brother Erichthonius gained the kingship.

Generation No. 67

Tros [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Tros was a ruler of Troy and the son of Erichthonius (or by some accounts, Ilus I), from whom he inherited the throne. He is the eponym of Troy, also named Ilion for his son Ilus II.

Married: Callirrhoe (daughter of the River God Scamander, or Acallaris, daughter of Eumedes)

Children:
Ilus II (Son of Tros)
Assaracus
Ganymede

When Zeus abducted Ganymede, Tros grieved for his son. Sympathetic to the plight of a father, Zeus/Enki sent Hermes with two horses so swift they could run over water. Hermes also assured Tros that Ganymede was immortal and would be the cupbearer of the gods, a position of great distinction.

[Horses surfing over oceanic breakers, by the way, appear to be a bit of a motif in this line. It should be noted, however, that horses were sacred to Poseidon (aka Enki/Zeus), and accordingly this might actually make a bit of sense. Horses were also extraordinarily valuable, and a great indicator of wealth and power in any royal reins.]

In variant versions Ganymede is son of Laomedon son of Ilus II (son of Tros). We will ignore such variants as being not much more than deviants... or just inconveniants.

Generation No. 68

1. Ilus II (Ilos) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Ilus II is the founder of the city called Ilion (latinized as Ilium) to which he gave his name... or else it was taken without his knowledge or consent. Times were chaotic in those days. When Ilion became the chief city of the Trojan people, it also masqueraded under the name of Troy... i.e., for dear old Dad.

Married: Eurydice (daughter of Adrastus)... or Leucippe

Children:
Laomedon
Themiste (or Themis), who married Capys
Telecleia, who married Cisseus

Ilus II won the wrestling prize at games held by the King of Phrygia and received fifty youths and maidens as his reward. This makes it shockingly clear that the conduct of the modern Olympic Games has evolved over the years... or de-evolved, depending upon your viewpoint. These days, about all the competitors... even winners... receive now are plentiful supplies of condoms (no kidding). On the other hand, there was no requirement to commit suicide by taking others with one... just to receive one's just due of virgins and youths. That’s probably a step in the right direction.

The King of Phrygia, meanwhile, and on the advice of an oracle, gave Ilus II a cow (with an option that the cow could be traded for a sack of beans), and asked Ilus to found a city where ever it should lie down. Ilus did so. Ilus then prayed to Zeus for a sign and at once saw the Palladium fallen from heaven and lying before his tent. Curiously, he was immediately blinded for the impiety of looking on the image -- the gods really do weird things. He regained his sight after making offerings to Athena.

Ilus preferred his new city of Ilium to his hometown of Dardania (probably on the basis of its fifty youths and maidens being provided for his various pleasures and amusements). On his father's death he remained there -- showing that you can't keep the kids down on the farm... especially when they're off following a cow looking for a soft place to flop. In the process, Ilus bestowed the rule of Dardania on his brother Assaracus, thereby splitting the Trojans into two kingdoms.

2. Assaracus [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Assaracus was the second son of King Tros of Dardania. He inherited the throne when his elder brother Ilus preferred to reign instead over his newly founded city of Ilium (which also became known as Troy).

Married: Aigesta

Children: Capys.

3. Ganymede [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Ganymede is one more in a long line of divine heroes hailing from Troy. As a Trojan prince, son of Tros and Callirrhoe, he was also the younger brother of Ilus and Assaracus. As the third and youngest child, he was singularly blessed... as are all third childs. In his case, Ganymede was the most attractive among mortals... while for others, it's astounding brilliance, wit, and personality. Beauty is, of course, transitory, but Ganymede's was such that he was quickly noticed (discovered), and just as quickly abducted by Zeus, who showed up in the form of an eagle... for whatever weird reason that Zeus might have had... and thereafter Ganymede was to serve as cupbearer to the gods... and... incidentally... as Zeus's beloved. All the gods were filled with joy to see the youth -- a happy Zeus is a happy Olympus. Except, of course, for Zeus' primary consort, Hera. She despised Ganymede.

Meanwhile, back at the (horse) ranch, Tros was distraught over losing his third son. As compensation Zeus had Hermes deliver a gift of two immortal horses, so swift they could run over water. The genesis for this Ganymede story has been interpretations from one of numerous Akkadian seals that depict the hero-king Etana riding heavenwards on an eagle. Muses have always used clever and distinctive means to inspire or motivate an author.

(Other accounts suggest the gift was a golden vine. Still other accounts insist that it was a golden wine that made the drinker swear he saw horses surfing the ocean waves... or performing other Hollywood special effects.)

In a possible alternative... and the romantically preferred... version, the Titan Eos, dawn-goddess and connoisseur of male beauty, kidnapped Ganymede... for her own nefarious purposes. This is the same Eos, by the way, who had kidnapped Tithonus, whose immortality had been granted, but where said immortality had not included eternal youth. Tithonus indeed lived forever but grew more and more ancient, eventually turning into a cricket, a classic example of the myth-element of the Boon with a Catch... not to mention the proverbial fine print. Bummer!

As a Trojan, Ganymede is identified as part of the earliest, pre-Hellenic level of Aegean history. Plato's Laws states the opinion that the Ganymede myth had been invented by the Cretans [the latter who were Goddess lovers even in the time of Theseus]. At the same time (literally), Minoan Crete [**] was a power center of pre-Greek culture. Accordingly, Plato may have been manufacturing a reason for his bias and/or distain for goddess and/or Minoan related matters... when he had his character indignantly declare himself unalterably opposed to the "pleasure [...] against nature" theme of the Ganymede myth being imported into Greece. Homer, on the other hand, doesn't dwell on the erotic aspect of Ganymede's abduction, but it is certainly in an erotic context that the goddess refers to Ganymede's blond Trojan beauty in the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, mentioning Zeus's love for Trojan Ganymede as part of her enticement of Trojan Anchises. [See below, as Aphrodite’s lover = Aeneas! (Generation No. 71)]

[**] The Minoan [Cretan] Civilization was a Bronze Age civilization which arose on the island of Crete, and was... Minoan. The Minoan culture flourished from approximately 2700 to 1450 BC. Mycenaean Greek culture thereafter became dominant at Minoan sites in Crete. This transition was apparently due to a region wide catastrophe... possibly the “great flood” that sent Dardanus looking for higher ground (such as Mount Ida). [Neptune, god of the sea (and earthquakes), was in general not the best buddy for much of mankind... and if you didn't treat his favorite animals, horses, with respect, Neptune could become extremely angry... which had the potential for a lot of destruction for locations susceptible to flooding and earthquakes.]

Meanwhile, the Minoan religion focused on female deities, with females officiating. Horrors! Statues of priestesses in Minoan culture as well as frescoes showing men and women participating in the same sports such as bull-leaping, suggests strongly that the men and women of Crete held equal social status. This was just the kind of thing to disturb the typically patriarchal mind (e.g., Plato's). And then to add insult to perceived injury, inheritance in Crete was thought to have been matrilineal. The frescos also include many depictions of people, with the genders distinguished by color: the men's skin being reddish-brown, the women's white.

Concentration of wealth played a large role in the structure of Minoan society. Multi room constructions were discovered in even the ‘poor’ areas of town, revealing a social equality and approximately even distribution of wealth... a trait that was positively liberal in some circles!

The Minoans were, in fact, a major thorn in the side (in lieu of a missing rib) of the patriarchal, mainland Greeks. Thus Plato’s indignant character’s reaction. This might also account for Zeus claiming ownership over Ganymede, in lieu of Eos’ claim. A dawn goddess just can’t get a break in some societies.

There is a moon of Jupiter named after Ganymede, one of four discovered by Galileo Galilei. For the etymology of his name, Robert Graves, in his book, The Greek Myths, offers the opinion that the name implies a meaning of: "rejoicing in virility."

Generation No. 69

1. Laomedon [69] Ilus II (=Eurydice (daughter of Adrastus), or Leucippe) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Laomedon was a Trojan king, son of Ilus II, and [either nephew, father, distant cousin, paramour, mentor, and/or] brother of Ganymede.

Married:
Leucippe;
Strymo (or Rhoeo)
The nymph Abarbarea

Children:
By Leucippe
Tithonus (assumed to be Laomedon's eldest legitimate son -- and kidnapped by Eos)

By Strymo:
Priam (originally Podarces)
Astyoche
Lampus
Hicetaon
Clytius
Cilla
Proclia
Aethilla
Clytodora

By Abarbarea
Bucolion

Laomedon owned several horses with divine parentage, with whom Anchises [critical generation No. 70] secretly bred his own mares. Laomedon also came in handy when Poseidon and Apollo, having offended Zeus, were sent to serve the King. Laomedon had them build huge walls around the city and as an added inducement for good behavior, promised to reward them appropriately. It was a promise he then refused to keep. In vengeance, before the Trojan War, Poseidon sent a sea monster to attack Troy. Seems fair.

[Astoundingly, just prior to the completion of the filming of the 2004 blockbuster movie, Troy ("loosely based on Homer's Iliad"), the totally manufactured set (located far from the actual site of Troy) was nevertheless abruptly destroyed by a sea monster in the form of a near-typhoon. Apparently, Poseidon's grudge has no real limits in time and space.]

In hopes of appeasing Poseidon, Laomedon planned on sacrificing his daughter Hesione to the god... thus continuing the tradition of using one’s children as cannon fodder in order to appease some deity, god, or anyone pretending same. Fortunately, Heracles (along with Oicles and Telamon) rescued Hesione at the last minute and killed a threatening monster. The obviously untrustworthy Laomedon had then promised Heracles, et al, magic horses as a reward for their deeds, but... surprise, surprise... he broke his word. Consequently, Heracles and his allies took vengeance by putting Troy to siege, killing Laomedon and all his sons save Podarces. The latter saved his own life by giving Heracles a golden veil that Hesione had made. Podarces was thereafter called Priam... from priamai, 'to buy'). Telamon then took Hesione as a war prize and married her; they had a son, Teucer. [The latter sounds a bit like the father-in-law of Dardanus... but the timing is all wrong.]

It’s also worth noting that with Troy being under all of these sieges over the years... this just might explain the many levels of the archaeological digs at Troy... number of sieges equals number of levels?

2. Themiste [69] Ilus II (=Eurydice) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Themiste was the daughter of Ilus II and Eurydice, sister of Laomedon and mother of Anchises by her husband Capys, son of Assaracus. Themis thereby provides a critical link in the generational follies, making the important connection to her grandson, Aeneas.

3. Capys [69] Assaracus (=Aigesta) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Capys was a name attributed to three individuals:

• A son of Assaracus and Aigesta or Themiste or Clytodora (daughter of Laomedon) or Hieromneme, and father of Anchises and so grandfather of Aeneas. He, or a different Capys, founded the city of Capua.

• The Trojan who warned his fellow Trojans not to bring the Trojan horse into the city.

• A descendant of Aeneas and king of Alba Longa.

For our nefarious MOAFT purposes, we will choose the first option... such as it is.

Generation No. 70

1. Priam (Podarces) [70] Laomedon (=Strymo) [69] Ilus (=Eurydice) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Priam first came to the attention of the historians when he saved himself from the wrath of Heracles by giving him a golden veil embroidered by his youngest sister, Hesione. After this, Podarces changed his name to Priam, a name whose etymology was supposedly based on priatos ("ransomed"). Curiously, his PR department finally came up to speed, and more modern... mostly biased... scholarship derives Priam's nomenclature from Luwian compound Priimuua... meaning "exceptionally courageous". The fact the Luwian language was primarily spoken in eastern Turkey... and Troy is located in extreme western Turkey... did not pose an insurmountable problem for such scholarship. Again... a bit of poetic license.

Married:
Arisbe
Hecuba (or Hecebe), daughter of the Phrygian king Dymas
--- numerous others, including concubines

Children:
By Arisbe
Aesacus (who died prior to the advent of the Trojan War)

By Hercuba
Hector (Priam's eldest son by Hecuba, and heir to the Trojan throne)
Paris (the cause of the Trojan War)
Helenus (known to be prophetic)
Cassandra (also known to be prophetic, but never believed)
Ilione (eldest daughter)
Deiphobus
Troilus
Polites
Creusa (wife of Aeneas)
Laodice (wife of Helicaon)
Polyxena (who was slaughtered on the grave of Achilles)
Polydorus (his youngest son)
--- all together, some fifty sons and nineteen daughters

It has been suggested by Hittite sources, specifically the Manapa-Tarhunta letter that there is historical basis for the archetype of King Priam. The letter describes one Piyama-Radu as a troublesome rebel who overthrew a Hittite client king and thereafter established his own rule over the city of Troy (mentioned as Wilusa in Hittite). There is also mention of an Alaksandu, suggested to be Paris Alexander (King Priam's son from the Iliad), a later ruler of the city of Wilusa who established peace between Wilusa and Hatti. Otherwise... we're pretty well stuck with Homer's version.

2. Anchises [70] Capys and Themiste [69] Assaracus (=Aigesta) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Anchises was a son of Capys and Themiste (the latter the daughter of Ilus II, son of Tros). Anchises was a prince from Dardania, a territory neighboring Troy. His major claim to fame in Greek mythology is that he was a mortal lover of the goddess Aphrodite (and in Roman mythology, the lover of Venus). Accordingly, one would have to conclude that being Aphrodite's lover was an astoundingly good claim to fame. Furthermore, Aphrodite can be thought of as one aspect of Inanna... the latter being the grand-daughter of Enki and Nin-khursag. Thus, the offspring of Anchises and Inanna, Aeneas, has a very impressive genealogical pedigree.

One version of this romantic tale is that Aphrodite pretended to be a Phrygian princess and seduced Anchises for nearly two weeks of lovemaking... thereby guaranteeing his status as hero! Anchises learned that his lover was a goddess only nine months later, when... surprise, surprise!... she revealed herself and presented him with the infant Aeneas. Anchises wisely took full credit for his claim to fame... as well as the kid. Otherwise a goddess scorned makes the fury of hell look like a spa or upscale resort.

Divine Consort: Aphrodite (aka Venus, Inanna)

Married: Eriopis

Children:
By Aphrodite
Aeneas

By Eriopis
Hippodameia, a naiad (their eldest daughter... "the darling of her father and mother", who married her cousin Alcathous)
et al

Anchises bred... in addition to a goddess and wife... his mares with the divine stallions owned by King Laomedon. However, he made the mistake of bragging about his liaison (breeding) with Aphrodite, and as a result Zeus, the king of the gods, hit him with a thunderbolt which left him lame. [Kiss and tell is often a bad idea... and with goddesses, it’s a really, really, very bad idea. Hubris in ancient Greece was always a much-derided character flaw.]

After the defeat of Troy in the Trojan War, the elderly Anchises was carried from the burning city by his son Aeneas, accompanied by Aeneas' wife Creusa, who died in the escape attempt, and small son Ascanius. Anchises himself died and was buried in Sicily many years later. Aeneas later visited Hades and saw his father again in the Elysian Fields... probably still brooding about his tiff with Aphrodite... who being a very long lived goddess... also had a very long memory.

Speaking of memorable females, we should also include for reference purposes (and because one of our principal ancestors may have had a productive sexual liaison with her):

Pandora (Eve) ("giver of all", "all-endowed") has been claimed to be the first woman. In Pandora’s appearance on the stage of history, it has been alleged that each god helped create her by giving her unique gifts... whereas in the guise of Eve, she was pretty much left to her human and god like genetics. According to reports, Zeus ordered Hephaestus to mould her out of Earth as part of the punishment of mankind for Prometheus' theft of the secret of fire, and all the gods joined in offering this "beautiful evil" seductive gifts. By another name, she is Anesidora, "she who sends up gifts," up implying "from below" within the earth. According to the story as given to this reporter, Pandora opened a jar [some witnesses claim a “box”], and thereby, allegedly, released all the evils on mankind... a serious charge, according to the local District Attorney. The DA, however, has not provided the specifications on the particular evils, aside from various unnamed plagues and diseases. Reportedly, only Hope was still inside once she had closed the jar. Pandora has pleaded she opened the jar out of simple curiosity and not as a malicious act... a defense unlikely to sway any reasonable jury.

The case against Pandora is in fact ancient, appearing in several distinct Greek versions (thus allowing for any plea of reasonable doubt). Pandora's case has also been interpreted in many ways... making jury selection somewhat problematic. Meanwhile, the ACLU has filed a “friends of the court” brief that the case against Pandora is nothing more than an ill-conceived and biased case of theodicy, whose only purpose is in addressing the question of why there is evil in the world. Furthermore, there have routinely been numerous stories of jars or urns containing blessings and evils bestowed upon mankind. One such story quotes Homer's Iliad as allegedly translated as:

“The immortals know no care, yet the lot they spin for man is full of sorrow; on the floor of Zeus' palace there stand two urns, the one filled with evil gifts, and the other with good ones. He for whom Zeus the lord of thunder mixes the gifts he sends, will meet now with good and now with evil fortune; but he to whom Zeus sends none but evil gifts will be pointed at by the finger of scorn, the hand of famine will pursue him to the ends of the world, and he will go up and down the face of the earth, respected neither by gods nor men.”

[See also Isaiah 45: 7... "I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things." I.e., Zeus in the guise of Enlil or Jehovah.]

And so, why has Pandora been singled out? It is not at all clear and reeks of discrimination... the type normally phrased in the language of "original sin" or the evil nature of Eve/women for all time. Unfortunately, the individual identified as Homer does not appear to be otherwise known, aside for an exceptional degree of poetic license. Accordingly, Pandora’s defense attorney is very unlikely to call Homer as a character witness.

3. Latinus [70] Odysseus (=Circe) (or Pandora)...

Latinus (Lavinius) was a king of the Latins. He was the son of Odysseus and Circe. Latinus ruled the Tyrsenoi, that is to say, probably the Etruscans. He apparently did so with his brothers Ardeas and Telegonus. Latinus is also referred to, by much later authors, as the son of Pandora [see above], and the brother of Graecus... although according to Hesiod, Graecus had three brothers, Hellen, Magnitas and Macedon with the former being the father of Doros, Xouthos and Aeolos. Their mother Pandora was the daughter of Deucalion and Pyrrha.

It might appear that Pandora's parents were... well... Great Flood survivors. It might also suggest that there was a lot of flood surviving going about... at least for the ones who later made history. Equally clear is the fact that these ancient times were not particularly conducive to the financial health of companies specializing in offering flood insurance.

Married: Amata

Children: Lavinia

Latinus hosted Aeneas's army of exiled Trojans and offered them the option of reorganizing their life in Latium. His daughter Lavinia had been promised to Turnus, king of the Rutuli, but Faunus and the gods insisted that he give her instead to Aeneas. Turnus consequently declared war on Aeneas and was killed two weeks into the conflict. Ascanius, the son of Aeneas, later founded the Alba Longa and was the first in a long series of kings leading to Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome.

It is probably worth noting that Troy was given extraordinary status by the ancient world. Anyone who was looking to be included in Who's Who of the Ancient Mediterranean wanted to boast of having ancestors from Troy... even if such boasting was subtle, and avoided the plague of committing hubris. Troy was also important in that the Trojan War was not merely a conflict between nation states, but was a battle royal between gods and goddesses. Homer in fact, put the deities on the front lines in the Iliad... while the 2004 movie, Troy, was roundly criticized for a total lack of god and goddess involvement. This might in fact explain the bad luck of the movie makers in losing a huge set to weather... and the fact that the movie became one of the most expensive in history. The gods and goddesses do have long memories.

Accordingly, so as not to make the same mistake, we will digress momentarily with a few notes on:

The Trojan War

The Trojan Ward... uh... Trojan War... was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy stole Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. But that's just the put up job, designed to somehow pin the blame on humans and to make it sound as if the gods and goddesses were either innocent... or simply unreal.

In our mythical-historical reality, the war more likely originated from a quarrel between the goddesses Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite. The strong difference of opinion had erupted when Eris, the goddess of strife and discord, had given them a golden apple, sometimes known as the Apple of Discord, marked "for the fairest". Zeus, being able to see problems with apportioning out the Apple among the goddesses, sent them instead to Priam's younger son, Paris, who... being young and woefully inexperienced with women (not to mention goddesses)... judged that Aphrodite was the "fairest" and that therefore she should receive the Apple. (And he actually thought that the losers would be gracious and walk away!)

More to the point, however, Aphrodite had already promised that she would make Helen, the most beautiful of all women (and parenthetically the wife of Menelaus) fall in love with Paris... in exchange of receiving the golden Apple... (bribing a jury of one was already in vogue, even in those ancient days). Paris promptly claimed his prize and hauled her back to Troy. Agamemnon, king of Mycenae and the brother of Helen's husband Menelaus, led an expedition of Achaean troops to Troy and besieged the city for ten years... purely because of Paris' insult.

After the deaths of many heroes, extras, innocent bystanders, and friendly fire victims... including the Achaeans Achilles and Ajax, and the Trojans Hector and Paris... the city fell to the ruse of the Trojan Horse. The Achaeans slaughtered the Trojans (except for some of the women and children whom they kept or sold as slaves) and desecrated the temples, thus earning the gods' wrath. Few of the Achaeans returned safely to their homes and many founded colonies in distant shores. The Romans later traced their origin to Aeneas, one of the Trojans, who was said to have led the surviving Trojans to modern day Italy.

Or at least, that was the tale that gained popular support... i.e., blaming it all on women whose flaws include vanity, jealousy, vengeance... and so forth and so on. Alternatively, however, there is Zeus... the product to two generations of sons overthrowing their sons, and who consequently was always just a bit paranoid on when his time might comes. In effect, Zeus had come to believe that there were too many people populating the earth -- a trait he shared with Enlil, who complained incessantly about humans disturbing his sleep. Zeus/Enlil had already, allegedly, done his thing with the Great Flood. But now he saw the opportunity to "use the Trojan War as a means to depopulate the Earth, especially of his demigod descendants." Zeus was in effect, hedging his bets. There was just too much royalty (demigod) bastards running about.

There is even more to these tales of intrigue (see, for example, Wikipedia's version), involving specifically the agendas and motives of the various gods and goddesses playing games with the human fodder. Suffice it to say that the gods and goddesses were active players, intervening as supporters of various sides in the conflict... and in general making themselves a royal pain... pardon the pun... in the... conflict. And the fact a blockbuster movie can be made which ignores their parts in the drama... is just more of Hollywood's blindness... and hubris.

On the other hand... where one assumes no gods and goddesses as being real... there are the bits about the historical realities over and above divine interventions.

The Ancient Greeks, for example, assumed the Trojan War was a historical event that had taken place in the 13th or 12th century BC, at a site located in modern day Turkey near the Dardanelles. Being somewhat closer to the action, they may in fact have been a bit more credible. By modern times, however, both the war and the city were widely believed to be non-historical. Then in 1870 CE, German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann excavated a site in this area which he identified as Troy. His claim was quickly discounted, but is now accepted by most scholars. Those who believe that the stories of the Trojan War derive from a specific historical conflict usually date it to the 12th or 11th centuries BCE, often preferring the dates given by Eratosthenes, 1194–1184 BC, which roughly corresponds with archaeological evidence of a catastrophic burning of Troy VIIa.

Not unexpectedly, numerous sources give a wide variety of dates for the fall of Troy. They usually derive these dates from the genealogies of kings. Ephorus gives 1135 BC, Sosibius 1172 BC, Eratosthenes 1184 BC/1183 BC, Timaeus 1193 BC, the Parian marble 1209 BC/1208 BC, Dicaearchus 1212 BC, Herodotus around 1250 BC, Eretes 1291 BC, and Douris 1334 BC. The glorious and rich city Homer describes was believed to be Troy VI by many twentieth century authors, destroyed in 1275 BC, probably by an earthquake. Its follower Troy VIIa, destroyed by fire at some point during the 1180s BC, was long considered a poorer city, but since the excavation campaign of 1988 it has risen to be the most likely candidate.

In the immediate aftermath of the fall of Troy, Antenor, who had given hospitality to Menelaus and Odysseus when they asked for the return of Helen, and who had advocated so, was spared, along with his family. Aeneas took his father, Anchises, on his back and fled, and, according to Apollodorus, was allowed to go purely because of his piety. The Greeks burned the city and divided the spoils. Cassandra was awarded to Agamemnon. Neoptolemus got Andromache, wife of Hector, and Odysseus was given Hecuba, Priam's wife. The Achaeans threw Hector's infant son Astyanax down from the walls of Troy, either out of simple, mindless cruelty and hate, or else to end the royal line, and thereby reduce the possibility of a son's revenge. Of course, Agamenmon was killed by his wife upon his return, Odysseus took enough wrong turns on the journey home to fill a humorous book of ill-fated travel adventures, and in general, the Greeks did only slightly better than the Trojans. And eventually, the Greeks would get to face the Persian Empire, arriving pretty much from the direction of Troy... albeit via the land north of the Aegean.

 
 
Generation No. 71

1. Creusa [71] Priam [70] Laomedon [69] Ilus II (=Eurydice) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

The name, Creusa, means simply "princess". She married Aeneas, but apparently did not manage to leave Troy alive. Her son, Ascanius, however, did manage to depart with Aeneas.

2. Aeneas [71] Anchises (=Inanna/Aphrodite/Venus) [70] Capys (=Themiste) [69] Assaracus (=Aigesta) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

or

2. Aeneas [71] Inanna (=Anchises) [7] Ningal (=Nanna) [6] Enki and Nin-khursag* [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

*With the fifth generation also corresponding to Enlil and Ninlil -- See Figure 1 of Tiamat.

Aeneas was a Trojan hero, the son of prince Anchises and the goddess Venus/Aphrodite/Inanna -- the latter implying that Aeneas was the great-grandson of Enki and Nin-khursag (as well as Enlil and Ninlil). His father was also the second cousin of King Priam of Troy. The journey of Aeneas from Troy, (led by Venus, his mother) which led to the founding of the City of Rome, is recounted in Virgil's Aeneid. Aeneas is considered an important figure in Greek and Roman history. He is a character in Homer's Iliad, Quintus Smyrnaeus' Posthomerica, and Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida. Aeneas was known for his skills in combat during the battle of Troy.

Married:
Creusa
Lavinia

Children:
By Creusa
Ascanius

By Lavinia
Silvius (I)

Aeneas was the leader of Troy's Dardanian allies (Trojan descendants of Dardanus). He was also a principal lieutenant of Hector, son of the Trojan king Priam. Aeneas's mother Aphrodite frequently came to his aid on the battlefield. (Thanks, Mom!) He was also a favorite of Apollo, and, as it turned out, Poseidon. Poseidon, who normally sided with the Greeks -- he was still carrying that grudge -- came to Aeneas's rescue when our boy fell under the assault of Achilles. His reasoning, apparently, was that Aeneas, despite his being from a junior branch of the royal family, was nevertheless destined to become king of the Trojan people... thus suggesting a motive of a great-grandfather for Aeneas. In another case, Aphrodite and Apollo rescued Aeneas from combat with Diomedes of Argos, who had nearly killed him. The goddess and god carried him away instead to heal at Pergamon.

Pergamon itself was quite a place. Its Great Altar, for example, was sufficiently impressive -- and the fact that it was apparently dedicated to Zeus, that John of Patmos may have referred to it as "Satan's Throne" in his Book of Revelation (2:12-13). Pergamon also boasted, among other things, a temple to Serapis... and more to the point -- albeit a few kilometers south -- the Sanctuary of Asclepius (also known as the Asclepieion), the god of healing. In this place people with health problems could bathe in the water of the sacred spring, and in the patients' dreams Asclepius would appear in a vision to tell them how to cure their illness. Of course, the battle scars of Aeneas would also have been a pretty good clue.

[Serapis, a syncretic Hellenistic-Egyptian god (sometimes thought of as a cross between Zeus and Osiris), is mentioned here in that the author was once mistaken for being Serapis. Besides the obvious physical characteristics (see also the other representations in the Serapis link)... there is also the idea of having a three-headed dog as a pet to sit beside one's throne.]

Meanwhile, thanks to Mom and uncle Apollo, Aeneas is one of the few Trojans not killed in battle or , for that matter, enslaved when Troy fell. In fact, while the Greeks were sacking Troy, Aeneas, after being commanded by the gods to flee, gathered a group, collectively known as the Aeneads, who then traveled to Italy (with the Rollaids -- it was a sea journey), and became progenitors of the Romans. The Aeneads included Aeneas's trumpeter Misenus, his father Anchises, his friends Achates, Sergestus and Acmon, the healer Lapyx, the steady helmsman Palinurus, and his son Ascanius. Aeneas carried with him the Lares and Penates, the statues of the household gods of Troy, and transplanted them to Italy. Thereafter, Aeneas carried a card with him which said, "Have gods; will travel."

[In the process of transporting said gods to a new land, they took on new names. Thus Zeus became known as Jupiter; Hera as Juno, Hermes as Mercury, Ares as Mars... and so forth.]

After a brief, but fierce storm sent up against the group at Hera’s/Juno's request, and after several failed attempts to found cities -- along with roughly six years of wandering -- Aeneas and his fleet finally made landfall at Carthage. Aeneas then gallantly had a year long affair with the Carthaginian queen Dido (also known as Elissa, chairwoman of the Carthaginian Welcoming Committee). Dido promptly proposed that the Trojans settle in her land and that she and Aeneas reign jointly over their peoples. This rather clever arrangement was in fact designed to benefit Juno (aka Hera), who had been told that her favorite city would eventually be defeated by the Trojans' descendants. (The things gods and goddesses do to get around and otherwise circumvent prophecies!) But of course, the Fates intervened (indirectly) and the messenger god Mercury was sent by Jupiter and Venus to remind Aeneas of his journey and his purpose, thus compelling him to leave secretly and continue on his way.

When the jilted Dido learned of this, she ordered her sister Anna to construct a pyre to get rid of whatever possessions Aeneas had left behind by him in his haste to leave. [The old "lost in the fire" excuse.] Standing on it, Dido uttered a curse that would forever pit Carthage against Rome. She then committed suicide by stabbing herself with the same sword she gave Aeneas when they first met and then falling on the pyre. Anna, in typical sibling compatibility (or rivalry), reproached the mortally wounded Dido! (Oh, get over it, honey; the guy's not worth it! ...or words to that effect.]

Meanwhile, Juno, looking down on the tragedy and moved by Dido's plight, sends Iris to make Dido's passage to Hades quicker and less painful. Later when Aeneas traveled to Hades, he called to her ghost but she neither spoke nor acknowledged him. [A woman scorned... you know the bit.]

The Aenead love-em-and-leave-um troop, meanwhile, had made a pit stop on the island of Sicily during the course of their journey, before going to Carthage. Then following the romantic sojourn in Carthage, the Trojans returned to Sicily where they were welcomed by Acestes, king of the region and son of the river Crinisus by a Dardanian woman. A bit later, Latinus, king of the Latins, welcomed Aeneas's army of exiled Trojans and let them reorganize their life in Latium.

After Aeneas death, his mother, Venus asked Jupiter to make her son immortal. Jupiter agreed and the river god Numicus cleansed Aeneas of all his mortal parts and Venus anointed him with Ambrosia and Nectar, making him a god. Aeneas was recognized as the god Jupiter Indiges.

3. Lavinia [71] Latinus [70] Odysseus (=Circe) (or Pandora)...

Lavinia was the daughter of Latinus and Amata. She had been promised to Turnus, king of the Rutuli, but her father, Latinus, who was hosting Aeneas’ army of exiled Trojans (after their abrupt departure from Carthage), had received a prophecy that Lavinia would be betrothed to one from another land. Aeneas seemed to admirably fit the bill. Latinus heeded the prophecy.

[It's amazing what one can rationalize with heeding prophecy.]

The spurned Turnus consequently declared war on Aeneas... albeit at the urging of Juno... who was still fighting the last war (Trojan). Despite his being aligned with King Mezentius of the Etruscans and Queen Amata of the Latins, Aeneas' forces prevailed... big surprise! Better yet, Turnus was killed and his people were captured. But even while Aeneas was victorious, unfortunately (or fortunately) Latinus died in the war as well. Aeneas promptly founded the city of Lavinium, named after his wife. He later welcomed Dido's sister, Anna Perenna. The exact specifications of Aeneas' welcome of Anna are not known, but let us just point out that Anna committed suicide after learning of Lavinia's jealousy. (Clearly the Perenna sisters were serious drama queens... or else simply had a bit of a death wish.)

Aeneas and Lavinia had one son, Silvius (I).

Generation No. 72

1. Ascanius [72] Aeneas (=Creusa; d. of Priam) [71] Anchises (=Inanna/Aphrodite/Venus) [70] Capys (=Themiste) [69] Assaracus (=Aigesta) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Ascanius had escaped from Troy with his father, Aeneas. Ascanius later fought in the Italian Wars. He was also known as Iulus, Julius, or Ascanius Julius. By any name, he eventually founded the Alba Longa and was accordingly the first in a long series of kings. Romulus and Remus were both descendants of Ascanius and Aeneas through their mother Rhea Silvia, making Aeneas progenitor of the Roman people. The Julian family of Rome, most notably Julius Caesar and Augustus, traced their lineage back to Ascanius and Aeneas, and to the goddess Venus. (Can you blame them?) The legendary kings of Britain also traced their family tree through a grandson of Aeneas, Brutus.

Virgil in the Aeneid: replaced the Greek name Ascanius with Iulus and thereby linked the Julian family of Rome to earlier histories. The emperor Augustus, who commissioned the work, was a great patron of the arts... not to mention self-promotion and ensuring the publication of his glorious family tree. And obviously, the Aeneid's credibility must be suspect, what with Augustus undoubtedly having censorship rights over any nasty skeletons in the family closet... not to mention the potential for wholesale and unbridled creative book-keeping in Who was Who. Furthermore, the end result was that as a member of the Julian family, Augustus could claim to have three major Olympian gods in his ancestry: (Venus; Jupiter; and Mars; aka Inanna, Enki, and Ares)... which is of course precisely why he encouraged his many poets to write at such lengths on such topics. This is Public Relations in its hay day.

Interestingly enough, Ascanius, in the Aeneid, is reputed to be the first to coin the words, "annuit coeptis," the root phrase of what later became a motto of the United States of America.

Annuit cœptis comes from the Aeneid, which reads, Jupiter omnipotens, audacibus annue cœptis. It is a prayer by Ascanius, the son of the hero of the story, Aeneas, which translates to, "Jupiter Almighty, favour [my] bold undertakings." It is also one of two mottos (the other being Novus ordo seclorum) on the reverse side of the Great Seal of the United States. Taken from the Latin words annuo (nod, approve) and cœpta (beginnings, undertakings), it is in modern times literally translated (i.e., modified to be politically correct) as: "He [God] approves (or has approved) [our] undertaking(s)". The very idea that the United States was acting for Jupiter’s favour (as opposed to "God")... was simply untenable to the moderns.

 

2. Silvius (I) [72] Aeneas (=Lavinia) [71] Anchises (=Inanna/Aphrodite/Venus) [70] Capys (=Themiste) [69] Assaracus (=Aigesta) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Silvius I was the son of Aeneas and Lavinia. He succeeded Ascanius as King of Alba Longa. All the kings of Alba following Silvius bore the name as their cognomen. It was trendy.

Generation No. 73

1. Silvius (II) [73] Ascanius [72] Aeneas (=Creusa; d. of Priam) [70] Capys (=Themiste) [69] Assaracus (=Aigesta) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Silvius II was the son of Ascanius, in the line from Priam of Troy to Brutus of Britain... which is a fairly long line when you think about it... roughly 1500 miles as the crow flies.

[It's worth referring to the family tree given, among other places, in the Wikipedia article on Ascanius. The tree shows that Silvius (I) was a key link in the descent from Anchises (and Aphrodite) via Aeneas to Romulus and Remus, while Silvius (II) was the link from Aeneas via Ascanius to Brutus and the kings of Britain. The Roman numerals are used here purely for the purposes of keeping track of the generations.

[[After all, Roman numerals probably stemmed from Etruscan symbols, the latter culture which did not develop until circa 800 BCE. Inasmuch as the times spoken of here are circa 1150 BCE, the locals likely didn't even have the numerals to apply to their various generations.]]

2. Aeneas Silvius [73] Silvius (I) [72] Aeneas (=Lavinia) [71] Anchises (=Inanna) [70] Capys (=Themiste) [69] Assaracus (=Aigesta) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Aeneas Silvius was the third in the list of the kings of Alba Longa in Latium. The Silvii regarded him as the founder of their house. Dionysius of Halicarnassus ascribed to him a reign of 31 years. According to Livy and Dionysius the heir of Aeneas Silvius was named Latinus Silvius.

Generation No. 74

1. Brutus of Britain [74] Silvius (II) [73] Ascanius [72] Aeneas (=Creusa; d. of Priam) [70] Capys (=Themiste) [69] Assaracus (=Aigesta) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Brutus (or Brute) of Troy was a descendant of the Trojan hero Aeneas (as well as King Priam), and was known in medieval Britain as the eponymous founder and first king of Britain. The story first appears in the Historia Britonum, a 9th century historical compilation attributed to Nennius, but is best known from the account given by the 12th century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae.

The Historia tells how Aeneas settled in Italy after the Trojan War, and how his son Ascanius founded Alba Longa, one of the precursors of Rome. Ascanius married, and his wife became pregnant. A magician, asked to predict the child's future, said it would be a boy and that he would be the bravest and most beloved in Italy. Enraged... and just a little self-centered... Ascanius had the magician put to death. The mother subsequently died in childbirth.

The boy was named Brutus. He later accidentally killed his father with an arrow and was banished from Italy... making the magician’s prediction somewhat less than definitive. After wandering among the islands of the Tyrrhenian Sea and through Gaul, Brutus eventually founded the city of Tours. Then, just for the heck of it, or perhaps to make a name for himself, Brutus headed for Britain. Despite any prior names floating about the island's population, Brutus named the place after himself, and quickly began to fill it with his descendants. His reign can be synchronized to the time when the High Priest Eli was judge in Israel, and the Ark of the Covenant was being carted off (literally) by the Philistines.

A variant version of the Historia Britonum allows Brutus to trace his genealogy back to Ham, the son of Noah. Another chapter traces Brutus's genealogy differently, making him the great-grandson of the Roman king Numa Pompilius [despite the fact that Brutus lived roughly four hundred years prior to Numa Pompilius, circa 700 BCE]. Supposedly, Numa was himself a son of Ascanius, and could trace his descent from Noah's son Japheth.

Not unexpectedly, these Christianizing traditions conflict with the classical Trojan genealogies... not to mention incorporating a 400 or so years error. The Christianized Brutus also supposedly had brothers named Francus, Alamanus and Romanus, all ancestors of significant European nations. The problem for the Christians in this scenario had always been how to deal with the legendary founder of British royalty... particularly when said founder was descended from goddesses and gods such as Inanna (aka Aphrodite) and Enki. They typically get around the problem by simply dropping 400 or so years and finding a relatively near-term Roman ancestor to do the begatting.

Keeping all the intervening years intact, however, one can, from here, trace Brutus’ heritage via the Legendary Kings of Britain.

2. Latinus Silvius [74] Aeneas Silvius [73] Silvius (I) [72] Aeneas (=Lavinia) [71] Anchises (=Inanna) [70] Capys (=Themiste) [69] Assaracus (=Aigesta) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Latinus Silvius was the fourth king of Alba Longa. One might suspect the name says it all.

Generation No. 75

Alba [75] Latinus Silvius [74] Aeneas Silvius [73] Silvius (I) [72] Aeneas (=Lavinia) [71] Anchises (=Inanna) [70] Capys (=Themiste) [69] Assaracus (=Aigesta) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Alba was the fifth king of Alba Longa... not to be confused with Abba... of more recent vintage.
 
 

Generation No. 76

Atys [76] Alba [75] Latinus Silvius [74] Aeneas Silvius [73] Silvius (I) [72] Aeneas (=Lavinia) [71] Anchises (=Inanna) [70] Capys (=Themiste) [69] Assaracus (=Aigesta) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Atys was a descendant of Alba and the sixth king of Alba Longa.

Generation No. 77

Capys [77] Atys [76] Alba [75] Latinus Silvius [74] Aeneas Silvius [73] Silvius (I) [72] Aeneas (=Lavinia) [71] Anchises (=Inanna) [70] Capys (=Themiste) [69] Assaracus (=Aigesta) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Capys was the seventh king of Alba Longa -- just in case you’re keeping count. According to Roman sources, in the Etruscan language the word "capys" meant 'hawk' or 'falcon' (or possibly 'eagle' or 'vulture')... either that or Chicken Hawk. (Wait! the latter was probably "chany"... or maybe a variant.)

Generation No. 78

Capetus [78] Capys [77] Atys [76] Alba [75] Latinus Silvius [74] Aeneas Silvius [73] Silvius (I) [72] Aeneas (=Lavinia) [71] Anchises (=Inanna) [70] Capys (=Themiste) [69] Assaracus (=Aigesta) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Capetus was the eighth king of Alba Longa.

Generation No. 79

Tibernius Silvius [79] Capetus [78] Capys [77] Atys [76] Alba [75] Latinus Silvius [74] Aeneas Silvius [73] Silvius (I) [72] Aeneas (=Lavinia) [71] Anchises (=Inanna) [70] Capys (=Themiste) [69] Assaracus (=Aigesta) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Tibernius Silvius was the ninth king of Alba Longa. He was the successor (and probably son) of Capetus, the eighth king of Alba Longa.

The only tradition specifically attached to Tibernius is that he was drowned while crossing the river then known as the Albula, but which was ever after known to the Latins as the Tiberis. [It’s a helluva way to get a river named after you!] This ancient river formed the boundary of Latium and Etruria, and the city of Rome was later founded on a group of seven hills overlooking its banks. After his death, Tibernius was revered as the god of the river. In the earliest days of Rome, the cult of Tibernius survived at the Volturnia, the archaic festival of Volturnus.

Generation No. 80

Agrippa [80] Tibernius Silvius [79] Capetus [78] Capys [77] Atys [76] Alba [75] Latinus Silvius [74] Aeneas Silvius [73] Silvius (I) [72] Aeneas (=Lavinia) [71] Anchises (=Inanna) [70] Capys (=Themiste) [69] Assaracus (=Aigesta) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Agrippa was a king of Alba Longa. He was allegedly the namesake of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Augustus’ friend and son in law.

Generation No. 81

Romulus Silvius [81] Agrippa [80] Tibernius Silvius [79] Capetus [78] Capys [77] Atys [76] Alba [75] Latinus Silvius [74] Aeneas Silvius [73] Silvius (I) [72] Aeneas (=Lavinia) [71] Anchises (=Inanna) [70] Capys (=Themiste) [69] Assaracus (=Aigesta) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Romulus Silvius was a king of Alba Longa.

Generation No. 82

Aventinus [82] Romulus Silvius [81] Agrippa [80] Tibernius Silvius [79] Capetus [78] Capys [77] Atys [76] Alba [75] Latinus Silvius [74] Aeneas Silvius [73] Silvius (I) [72] Aeneas (=Lavinia) [71] Anchises (=Inanna) [70] Capys (=Themiste) [69] Assaracus (=Aigesta) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu & Lahamu [2] Tiamat & Absu [1]

Aventinus, one of the kings of Alba Longa, was buried on the Aventine Hill, which may have been later named after him. He is said to have reigned thirty-seven years, and to have been succeeded by Procas, the father of Amulius.

"The Aventine is a hill in the city of Rome. It is accepted that it derives its name from birds (aves) which, rising from the Tiber, nested there (as we read in the eighth book of a suitable home for the nests of ill-omened birds). This is because of a king of the Aboriginal Italians, Aventinus by name, who was both killed and buried there - just as the Alban king Aventinus was, he who was succeeded by Procas. Varro, however, states that amongst the Roman people, the Sabines accepted this mountain when it was offered them by Romulus, and called it the Aventine after the Aventus river in its area. It is therefore accepted that these different opinions came later, for in the beginning it was called Aventinus after either the birds or the Aboriginal King: from which it is accepted that the son of Hercules mentioned here took his name from that of the hill, not vice versa."

Generation No. 83

Procas [83] Aventinus [82] Romulus Silvius [81] Agrippa [80] Tibernius Silvius [79] Capetus [78] Capys [77] Atys [76] Alba [75] Latinus Silvius [74] Aeneas Silvius [73] Silvius (I) [72] Aeneas (=Lavinia) [71] Anchises (=Inanna) [70] Capys (=Themiste) [69] Assaracus (=Aigesta) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Procas was a king of Alba Longa, as well as the father of Amulius and Numitor.

Generation No. 84

1. Numitor [84] Procas [83] Aventinus [82] Romulus Silvius [81] Agrippa [80] Tibernius Silvius [79] Capetus [78] Capys [77] Atys [76] Alba [75] Latinus Silvius [74] Aeneas Silvius [73] Silvius (I) [72] Aeneas (=Lavinia) [71] Anchises (=Inanna) [70] Capys (=Themiste) [69] Assaracus (=Aigesta) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Numitor was a king of Alba Longa, son of Procas, and the father of Rhea Silvia. The king was overthrown by his brother, Amulius, and thrown out of his kingdom where he had ruled. Amulius also murdered his sons, in a partially vain effort to remove power from his brother for himself. His grandsons, however, Romulus and Remus, reinstated Numitor after killing Amulius.

2. Amulius [84] Procas [83] Aventinus [82] Romulus Silvius [81] Agrippa [80] Tibernius Silvius [79] Capetus [78] Capys [77] Atys [76] Alba [75] Latinus Silvius [74] Aeneas Silvius [73] Silvius (I) [72] Aeneas (=Lavinia) [71] Anchises (=Inanna) [70] Capys (=Themiste) [69] Assaracus (=Aigesta) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Amulius was the brother of Numitor and son of Procas. He was the hostile uncle of Romulus and Remus' mother. His brother, Numitor, was the King of Alba Longa. After Amulius overthrew him and took the throne, the new king forced Rhea Silvia, Numitor's daughter, to become a Vestal Virgin. As a priestess of Vesta, she would... theoretically... never bear any sons that might overthrow him. However, Rhea Silvia was impregnated by the god Mars, resulting in the birth of Romulus and Remus. Where there's a will... particularly a royal or god-like will... there's a way.

Amulius... apparently a bit perturbed by this chain of family-oriented events... made the next obvious move and buried Rhea Silvia alive and threw her sons into the river Tiber. Perhaps a bit overdone, but the plan did have the characteristic of being definitive. As for the excuse used for such drastic actions, Amulius claimed that she had violated her oaths of chastity, and thus deserved her (and her son's) fate(s). Inasmuch as getting pregnant is traditionally considered to be reasonably good evidence of such chastity violations, this excuse seemed to have sufficed for political correctness. As for the offspring... anyone not capable of defending themselves is pretty much cannon fodder for powerful males.

Meanwhile, Down by the Riverside, the twins were found by the relatively recently promoted river-god, Tibernius (remember him; the king who had drowned many generations ago... but who in the interim had apparently learned to swim?). Tibernius gave the two infant males to a she-wolf to suckle -- pretty much standard fare in those days... albeit unwanted children were typically just thrown to the wolves. The fact that the she-wolf might have been something of an anarchist in wolf circles... was not necessarily something understood by Tibernius.

In any case, Tibernius then saved and, according to one version of the story, married Rhea Silvia -- apparently as a reward for his heroic behavior (in the face of a very angry Amulius). However, as evidenced by the return to life demonstrated by the Pirates of the Caribbean... history... this only meant that Rhea had to tolerate a few barnacles in her wedding bed. (A bit of a bummer after having had sex with a god.) Romulus and Remus went on to found Rome and overthrow Amulius, reinstating their grandfather Numitor as king of Alba Longa. It’s the reason one has grandchildren... to reinvigorate the family tree.

Generation No. 85

Rhea Silvia [85] Numitor [84] Procas [83] Aventinus [82] Romulus Silvius [81] Agrippa [80] Tibernius Silvius [79] Capetus [78] Capys [77] Atys [76] Alba [75] Latinus Silvius [74] Aeneas Silvius [73] Silvius (I) [72] Aeneas (=Lavinia) [71] Anchises (=Inanna) [70] Capys (=Themiste) [69] Assaracus (=Aigesta) [68] Tros (=Callirrhoe; or Acallaris) [67] Erichthonius (=Astyoche) [66] Dardanus (=Batea) [65] -- Enki (=Electra) [5] Anu and Antu [4] Anshar and Kishar [3] Lahmu and Lahamu [2] Tiamat and Absu [1]

Rhea Silvia was the daughter of Numitor, king of Alba Longa and a direct descendant of Aeneas. When Numitor's younger brother Amulius seized the throne and killed Numitor's sons, Amulius forced Rhea Silvia to become a Vestal Virgin, a priestess to the goddess Vesta, so that the line of Numitor would have no heirs. Did we mention that Vestal Virgins were sworn to celibacy for a period of thirty years? After that, apparently, it was pretty much making up for lost time.

Rhea Silvia claimed that the god Mars then came upon her and seduced her in the forest, thereby conceiving the twins. It’s as good a story as any... but it doesn’t make it clear the degree to which Rhea might have resisted the god’s advances. When the obviously prudish Amulius learned of this, he imprisoned (or buried alive) Rhea Silvia and ordered a servant to kill the twins. However, the servant instead set them adrift in the river Tiber... knowingly or unknowingly taking a page from Tiye’s plans for Moses. Conveniently, the river overflowed its banks, leaving the infants in a pool by the bank, where a she-wolf, who had just lost her own cubs, suckled them. Subsequently, Tibernius rescued the boys, and they were raised by his wife Larentia. Romulus and Remus went on to found Rome and overthrow Amulius, reinstating Numitor as King of Alba Longa.

[Curious how this same story told from Mom's point of view differs from Dad's. Ce la vie.]

Obviously, the claim of a “virgin” (vestal or otherwise) being impregnated by a god (or a spirit of a god... but nonetheless ending up just as pregnant) sounds vaguely familiar. The curious aspect, however, is that both stories just might well have been true. At the same time, an interesting morsel is that the number of divine interventions/encounters of the begatting kind from the time of Romulus and Remus (circa 750 BCE) to the time of Jesus... were becoming noticeably rarer... and beginning in the CE era, the idea totally drops out of favor. This might be explained by the change in head honchos happening in 600 BCE, when Enki and the Age of Pisces (Neptune/Enki) initiated a new age of Man... in particular, one without the gods and goddesses getting involved in intimate ways.

With that in mind... We can now turn to the Dynamic Duo themselves: Romulus and Remus!

Mythical History