On reaching Cumae, a town in western Italy, Aeneas went to the temple of Apollo, which had been designed by Daedalus. There he found the Sibyl, who prophesied that he must wage war to gain a bride and establish a city. Aeneas persuaded the Sibyl to direct him through the underworld, where he wanted to see his father Anchises. He must obtain the Golden Bough of Proserpina to enter. Then the Sibyl led him into the earth beside Lake Avernus. Descending into the realm of the dead, they saw specters, Charon the ferryman, all sorts of departed spirits, including the pouting Dido. They finally came to the Elysian Fields, which was reserved for the blessed dead. There they met Anchises, who described the operations of the cosmos, the way men are purified to enter Elysium, and the long line of Aeneas' descendants who would rule Rome and make it great, right down to Augustus Caesar. Then Aeneas and his guide made their way back to the world of the living, where Aeneas joined his comrades. They sailed north along the coast and up the Tiber River.
At last Aeneas has arrived at his destined home. The place was Latium, ruled by a King Latinus who had a beautiful daughter named Lavinia. It was foretold that Lavinia would marry a foreigner. When Aeneas arrived Latinus gave him a warm welcome, but Queen Amata wanted Lavinia to marry the Rutulian, Turnus. Turnus became furiously jealous of Aeneas, for he loved Lavinia and wished to marry her. The people of Latium resented these upstart Trojans. So when Juno caused Iulus, the son of Aeneas, to kill a pet deer, war broke out between the Trojans and all the neighboring peoples, who assembled under Turnus, a strong and fearless warrior. The Volscians joined the massing forces and were led by Camilla, the beautiful virgin warrior.
Knowing that a huge army was gathering against him and his men, Aeneas ordered a camp built. One night the river god Tiber appeared to him, telling him to travel upriver to Pallanteum and seek aid. In Pallanteum Aeneas was given two hundred men by Evander, who disliked Latinus and his people. Evander's own son Pallas also joined Aeneas. And Evander advised the hero to get further help from the Etruscans of the north, who hated Mezentius, their renegade king who had sided with Turnus. Venus brought Aeneas armor made by Vulcan. On the shield were several scenes depicting the future history of Rome.
