Mezentius
(
Μεσέντιος) or
Medientius. A king of
Caeré in Etruria. He aided Turnus of Ardea against Aeneas, but was killed in battle
by the latter or by his son Ascanius (
Verg. Aen. viii.
480;
x. 689;
x. 785;
x. 800). Dionysius, however, relates that Mezentius finally
concluded a peace with Ascanius and became his ally (
Dionys. i.
64). Still another tradition states that Mezentius demanded of the Latini the produce
of their vineyards, but that they vowed the firstfruits to Iupiter and thereby won the victory
(
Quaest. Rom. 45). See Mommsen,
Hist. of Rome, i. 173 (Amer.
ed.).