Understanding that defending the burning city of Troy was futile, Aeneas fled with his aged father Anchises on his back. Anchises carried the penates (household gods), and Aeneas held his son Ascanius by the hand. His wife Creusa followed a few steps behind but was lost in the confusion of battle. The buildings of Troy seen here recall monuments in Rome, which was possibly an intentional detail to foreshadow Aeneas' fate.
