Sergestus

In Roman mythology, Sergestus was a Trojan friend of Aeneas. He was the ancestor of gens Sergia, a famous Patrician family of which Catilina was a member. Hence he is also the ultimate namesake of the given names Sergey, Sergio, etc.

Mythology

In Virgil's Aeneid, after the boat race during Anchises' Funeral games Aeneas gives to Sergestus a Cretan slave girl named Pholoe in gratitude for saving both ship and crew, after he ran aground.^[1] This is one of the examples of Aeneas showing his fair and compassionate nature, as despite the fact Sergestus comes last in the boat race he still receives a prize.

And Sergestus, from the house of the name Sergia

— Virgil, Sergestusque, domus tenet a quo Sergia nomen, Aeneid (Latin)

Sergestus also appears as a minor character in Christopher Marlowe's play Dido, Queen of Carthage.

Notes

1. Virgil, Aeneid 5.288

References

• Publius Vergilius Maro, Aeneid. Theodore C. Williams. trans. Boston. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1910. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Publius Vergilius Maro, Bucolics, Aeneid, and Georgics. J. B. Greenough. Boston. Ginn & Co. 1900. Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.