Amata

King Latinus and Queen Amata had a daughter, princess Lavinia, who was fought over fiercely by two epic heroes -- Aeneas and Turnus -- near the end of the Aeneid.

Amata in ancient Roman mythology was the wife of King Latinus and mother of princess Lavinia. Amata, against the wishes of her husband, favored Lavinia to marry Turnus, while her husband favored a marriage to the Trojan hero Aeneas. Amata was a minor character in The Aeneid by Virgil who wrote the epic poem in dactylic hexameter.

Further information

• See Elizabeth Vandiver's course The Aeneid by The Teaching Company.