Final answer:
The reference texts provided do not contain information about why Aeneas sent Achates back to the ships in the Aeneid. Achates is known to be Aeneas's faithful companion, performing various tasks at his behest in the epic.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question pertains to the actions of Aeneas in Virgil's epic, the Aeneid. Unfortunately, the provided reference texts do not contain specific information about why Aeneas sent Achates back to the ships, which is an incident from the Aeneid.
Typically, in the narrative, Aeneas might send Achates to perform tasks such as fetching Ascanius, getting weapons, or bringing gifts to potential allies. However, without the exact passage from the Aeneid, providing a definitive answer is not possible.
Achates is often depicted as Aeneas's faithful companion, so his role in the epic is generally that of a trusted aide who carries out Aeneas's commands.