The Trojan Horse, also known as the Wooden Horse, was part of the strategic move made by the Greeks that won them the ten year Trojan War (Nardo, Spaeth). After sailing away from Troy, the Greek troops, led by Agamemnon, waited at Tenedos ("Sinon"). Sinon, a Greek spy, then left the Trojan Horse, which was full of Greek soldiers, outside the gates of Troy ("Sinon"). The Trojans captured Sinon, who told them the horse was a gift from the Greeks to apologize for stealing the Palladium ("Sinon"). The Trojans brought the horse inside the gates, and later that night the soldiers climbed from within it and attacked from inside the gates of Troy ("Sinon"). Sinon then signaled Agamemnon and the other Greek troops to return to Troy so they too could attack ("Sinon"). With all of their troops within the gates of Troy, the Greeks were then able to capture Troy ("Trojan Horse").
Not all of the citizens of Troy thought that bringing the Trojan Horse inside the city's gates was a good idea. Laocoon, a Trojan priest, and Cassandra, a prophetess, both warned the Trojans not to accept the Greeks' "gift" ("Laocoon"). They did not truly believe that the Greeks were giving them a gift to apologize for stealing the Palladium. The Palladium was a wooden statue of Athena which Odysseus had stolen (Dixon-Kennedy). After Laocoon tried to warn the Trojans not to trust the horse, two sea serpents, sent by either Poseidon or Apollo, killed him and his sons ("Laocoon"). This left the Trojans without any idea of what lay within the Trojan Horse until their city was already being destroyed.
Not all of the citizens of Troy thought that bringing the Trojan Horse inside the city's gates was a good idea. Laocoon, a Trojan priest, and Cassandra, a prophetess, both warned the Trojans not to accept the Greeks' "gift" ("Laocoon"). They did not truly believe that the Greeks were giving them a gift to apologize for stealing the Palladium. The Palladium was a wooden statue of Athena which Odysseus had stolen (Dixon-Kennedy). After Laocoon tried to warn the Trojans not to trust the horse, two sea serpents, sent by either Poseidon or Apollo, killed him and his sons ("Laocoon"). This left the Trojans without any idea of what lay within the Trojan Horse until their city was already being destroyed.
Works Cited
Dixon-Kennedy,
Mike. "Palladium." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras.
ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
"Laocoon." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
Nardo, Don. Barbette Spaeth, ed. The Greenhaven Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman Mythology. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2002. Gale Power Search. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
"Siege of Troy." Image. Getty Images. World at War: Understanding Conflict and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
"Sinon." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
"Trojan horse." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
"Laocoon." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
Nardo, Don. Barbette Spaeth, ed. The Greenhaven Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman Mythology. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2002. Gale Power Search. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
"Siege of Troy." Image. Getty Images. World at War: Understanding Conflict and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
"Sinon." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
"Trojan horse." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.