Is Aeneas a jerk or a hero?

He is considered a hero figure. Aeneas is one of the great epic heroes. One of the ancestors of Emperor Augustus, Aeneas is one of the only survivors of the Trojan War. A fearless warrior and remarkable leader, Aeneas guides his men through uncharted waters and terrible adversity, finally bringing them to the land to which they were destined: the land that would one day become Rome. Aeneas is the embodiment of a number of characteristics highly valued by the Romans of Virgil's era, including piety (obedience to the will of the gods), courage, skill at arms, leadership, and determination.