Acestes in Roman tradition
King Acestes receives Aeneas and the surviving Trojans when they reach Sicily after seven years of wandering. He is the King of Segesta, son of Crinisus, and a ruler of Sicilian Trojan heritage who offers the travellers shelter. After Anchises dies, Acestes protects the funeral games held in his honour, until Juno sends a storm that drives the fleet towards Carthage.
The quick answers
Who is Acestes?
Acestes is a Roman being associated with kingship of Segesta, Sicilian Trojan heritage, hospitality to Aeneas and the Trojans, archery contests, ancestral funeral games.Source
Source
- Roman Mythology
- Classical Mythology a to Z
- The Ramayana
- The Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki: An Epic of Ancient India, Volume VI: YuddhakāṇḊa
- Creation Myths of the World: Parts I-II
- The Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki: An Epic of Ancient India, Volume VII: Uttarakāṇḍa
What is Acestes associated with?
kingship of Segesta, Sicilian Trojan heritage, hospitality to Aeneas and the Trojans, archery contests, ancestral funeral gamesSource
Source
- Roman Mythology
- Classical Mythology a to Z
- The Ramayana
- The Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki: An Epic of Ancient India, Volume VI: YuddhakāṇḊa
- Creation Myths of the World: Parts I-II
What family links are recorded for Acestes?
Father: Numitor.
Acestes’s family, at a glance
Parents above, children below, and the figure’s consorts named in between, the same family data as the fact box, laid out as a chart instead of a field list.
The names Acestes answers to
Aegestes
Variant form of Acestes's name
SourceClassical Mythology a to Z
Akestes
Greek form of the name Acestes
SourceClassical Mythology a to Z
Segestan King
Ruler of Segesta in Sicily
SourceThe Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki: An Epic of Ancient India, Volume VII: Uttarakāṇḍa
The myths of Acestes
1 myth, each traced to its primary text and corpus sources.
Acestes Welcomes Aeneas in Sicily
Aeneas led the surviving Trojans away from Troy after the Greeks destroyed the city. He took a small fleet and sailed in search of a new homeland in Italy. Seven years passed after Troy’s fall. During that time, the Trojans endured storms, hunger, fear, and long journeys across the sea.
The fleet reached Sicily and came ashore in the kingdom of Acestes. Acestes ruled the Sicilian Elymians, and he received the Trojans as they entered his land. They had lost their ancestral city and still searched for a place where they could settle. Acestes gave them shelter and allowed them to rest among his people.
Aeneas’s father, Anchises, died after the Trojans reached Sicily. Aeneas and his companions mourned the old man while they remained under Acestes’ protection. They held funeral games for Anchises, and the Sicilian king supported the Trojans during their grief. His welcome gave the fleet a safe refuge after its long voyage.
The Trojans did not remain in Sicily. Juno summoned a storm, and the storm struck their ships. Aeneas and his companions were driven away from Acestes’ kingdom. They left Sicily and sailed towards Carthage, while Acestes remained behind in his land.
In the modern world
No modern rework confirmed yet.
3 sources· checked 2026-08-19
- 1Roman MythologyT1
- 2the ancient sourcesT1
Quote
“Acestes receives Aeneas and the Trojans in Sicily, shelters them after Anchises’ death, and remains behind when a storm drives the fleet towards Carthage.”
the ancient sources
- 3Roman MythologyT1
What this page is built from
About this page
Written and maintained by MythSource. Last reviewed not yet recorded. How a page gets built.
2 sources are cited on this page, primary texts and corpus scholarship, listed below.
Cite this page
MythSource. (n.d.). Acestes. https://www.mythsource.com/figures/acestes
"Acestes." MythSource, n.d., www.mythsource.com/figures/acestes.
"Acestes." MythSource. n.d. https://www.mythsource.com/figures/acestes.
The mythology summaries and identity fields on this page are grounded in the primary texts and scholarship above. The appearance table records candidates separately; only reviewed joins are presented as modern reworks in Overview.
The film
The Underdrawing video on Acestes embeds here once it publishes.