
Latinus was King of the Latins during the 12th century BC.
Biography[]
Latinus was the son of Odysseus and Circe, and he ruled over the Latins with his brothers Ardeas and Telegonus. He married Amata, and he had one child, Lavinia. In 1176 BC, he hosted Aeneas' army of Trojan refugees and offered them the chance to reorganize their life in Latium. His wife Amata wished for Lavinia to be married to the Rutuli king Turnus, but Pan and the gods insisted that she be married to Aeneas instead, leading to war between the Aeneads and the Rutuli. After two weeks, Aeneas slew Turnus and defeated the Rutuli, and Amata hanged herself out of despair. Latinus allied with the Aeneads, and, when Latinus died, Aeneas made Lavinium the new Latin capital, having become the new Latin king.