Turnus

Turnus was the king of Rutulia and an enemy of Aeneas. Turnus was either the son of Pilumnus and Danae, who was the daughter of Acrisius, or he was the son of King Daunus of Rutulia and Venilia. Turnus was also the brother of Juturna, the goddess of spring and wife of Janus.

In Roman myths, Turnus was mainly known in Vergil's Aeneid where he was a leader in the war against Aeneas and the Trojan refugees. Juno (Hera) who hated all Trojans since the Judgment of Paris, had persecuted Aeneas ever since he left Troy to find a new home.

Turnus wanted to marry Lavinia, the daughter of King Latinus. The old king favoured Aeneas, mainly because a prophecy said that his daughter would marry a foreign prince, but Latinus' wife Amata and Juno both supported Turnus. Both queen and goddess incited the Latins and the Rutulians against Aeneas and the Trojans. Turnus' jealousy caused him to declare war upon the Trojans.

Though Turnus killed many Trojans and their allies, the Rutulian leader was eventually killed in single combat against Aeneas. The Aeneid ended with Turnus' death.