Lavinia

In Roman mythology, Lavinia (Latin: Lāuīnĭa) was the daughter of Latinus and Amata.

Latinus, the wise king of the Latins, hosted Aeneas' army of exiled Trojans and let them reorganize their life in Latium. His daughter Lavinia had been promised to Turnus, king of the Rutuli, but Latinus preferred to offer her to Aeneas; Turnus consequently declared war on Aeneas (at the urging of Juno). The outcome was that Turnus was killed and his people captured. According to Livy Aeneas was victorious but Latinus died in the war. Ascanius, also called Iulus, the son of Aeneas, founded Alba Longa and was the first in a long series of kings and ancestor of the Patrician Julian line.

Aeneas and Lavinia had one son, Silvius. Aeneas named the city Lavinium after her.

Sources

• Virgil. Aeneid. VII.

Appearances in works by other creators

In Ursula K. Le Guin's 2008 novel Lavinia, the character of Lavinia and her relationship with Aeneas is expanded and elaborated, giving insight into the life of a king's daughter in ancient Italy. The narrative is intriguing in that the narrator, Lavinia, says that she would not have a life without Virgil, implying that she knows she is only a myth.