Aeneas: From Trojan Hero to Healed Paralytic
1. Aeneas the Trojan Hero: Homer and Virgil’s Legacy
The name Aeneas is famous in classical tradition long before appearing in the New Testament.
Homer’s Iliad
Aeneas is the son of Anchises (a mortal) and Aphrodite (Venus).
He is favored and protected by Apollo, Poseidon, and his mother Aphrodite.
Poseidon’s prophecy (Iliad 20:306–8) foretold that Aeneas and his descendants would rule after the fall of Troy.
Virgil’s Aeneid
Written in the 1st century BCE, Virgil’s epic casts Aeneas as the progenitor of Rome.
Themes of piety (toward gods, family, and people) dominate his portrayal.
Iconic images include Aeneas carrying his father Anchises from Troy and rescuing sacred objects.
The Aeneid connects Aeneas’ destiny to the reign of Augustus, giving theological weight to Roman imperialism.
In this tradition, Aeneas embodies dignity, piety, and destiny—a hero meant to carry the hopes of a people.
2. Aeneas in Greek Culture and Naming Traditions
The name Aeneas derives from the Greek root ain- (“praise”). While immortalized in Homer and Virgil, it also functioned as a common Greek name:
A Corinthian Aeneas appears in Thucydides (4:119).
Xenophon mentions an Arcadian general, “Aeneas Tacticus,” who authored a treatise on military strategy.
In Jewish history, Josephus records an emissary named Aeneas in the late 2nd century BCE.
Thus, while tied to Trojan legend, the name circulated broadly. In Acts, the man named Aeneas likely bore it not because of Virgil’s epic but because it was recognized, dignified, and Greek.
3. Aeneas in Acts 9: From Paralysis to Healing
The New Testament introduces Aeneas not as a hero but as a man in desperate need:
“Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed. And Peter said to him, ‘Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.’ And immediately he rose. And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.” (Acts 9:32–35).
Key observations
Location: Lydda (modern Lod), a town in Judea with both Jewish and Hellenistic influences.
Condition: Bedridden and paralyzed for eight years, symbolizing helplessness.
Healing: Peter’s words are clear—Jesus Christ heals you. The authority is not Peter’s but Christ’s.
Impact: The miracle sparks evangelistic revival, as many turn to the Lord.
This Aeneas moves from weakness to witness, from paralysis to participation in God’s kingdom.
4. Parallels and Contrasts: Hero Aeneas vs. Healed Aeneas
The two Aeneases—the Trojan hero and the Lyddan paralytic—could not be more different, yet their comparison is illuminating.
Classical Aeneas
Strong warrior, destined ruler.
Protected by gods, linked to empire.
Embodiment of piety and national destiny.
Biblical Aeneas
Weak, bedridden, dependent.
Healed by Christ’s authority, not his own strength.
Embodiment of grace and gospel power.
The juxtaposition highlights a theological truth: Christ redeems the powerless, not the powerful. The Gospel overturns the world’s values by elevating the broken through divine grace.
5. Theological Reflection: The True Lord of Praise
The name Aeneas means “praise,” and in Acts his story becomes a catalyst for worship.
Healing leads to evangelism: “All the residents of Lydda and Sharon turned to the Lord.”
Jesus Christ heals: Peter emphasizes Christ as the true agent of power.
Praise redirected: Whereas Virgil’s Aeneas served as propaganda for Rome’s glory, Acts’ Aeneas becomes a testimony to God’s glory.
This shift reframes the meaning of the name: the true praise is not for human heroes but for the Lord who heals and saves.
6. Gospel Connection: From Cultural Heroes to the Risen Christ
The story of Aeneas invites reflection on where salvation and hope are found.
Rome’s destiny: Virgil’s Aeneas symbolized the empire’s mission, but Rome’s empire eventually crumbled.
Christ’s kingdom: The healing of Aeneas testifies to a kingdom that advances not through war but through compassion, healing, and the Spirit’s power.
Resurrection motif: Just as Christ raised the paralyzed Aeneas, so he raises the spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:4–6).
Thus, the biblical Aeneas becomes a signpost pointing away from the empire of Augustus and toward the eternal reign of Christ.
Conclusion: Aeneas and the Better Story
The name Aeneas carries centuries of myth and meaning—from Homer’s battlefield to Virgil’s epic, from Greek generals to Jewish envoys. Yet the Bible transforms it through a simple miracle in Acts 9.
The paralyzed Aeneas, healed by Jesus Christ, becomes the truest bearer of his name: not a hero of war or empire, but a living testimony of grace and praise. His story reminds the church that God’s kingdom is not built by empire or destiny but by the risen Christ who heals the broken and draws all nations to himself.
Bible Verses Related to Aeneas: Heroes, Healing, and Praise
“There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed.” (Acts 9:33)
“And Peter said to him, ‘Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.’” (Acts 9:34)
“And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.” (Acts 9:35)
“He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.” (Isaiah 40:29)
“The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” (Exodus 15:2)
“The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!” (Psalm 97:1)
“But God, being rich in mercy… made us alive together with Christ.” (Ephesians 2:4–5)
“For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise… but God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.” (1 Corinthians 1:26–27)
“At once his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and began to walk.” (Acts 3:7–8)
“Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!” (Psalm 150:6)
