This was the plan which finally brought the ten year Trojan War to an
end. It was devised by Odysseus who was famous for his clever plans. The Greeks
built a huge hollow horse out of wood. Inside it some of the bravest Greek
heroes were hiding. These included Diomedes, Menelaus and Odysseus himself. The
rest of the Greeks then sailed to the island of Tenedos, about twelve miles
away. This was to make the Trojans think that the Greeks were sailing home and
had abandoned the war.
The next morning the Trojans did think that the war was over and began
to rejoice. They then found the wooden horse but they could not decide whether
it was a Greek gift for Athene which should be dragged into the city or a Greek
trick which should be destroyed at once.
Laocoon was a Trojan priest. He thought that the horse should be
destroyed. He threw his spear at the horse in frustration but Athene (who was
on the Greek side) managed to disguise the hollow sound which it made.
Poseidon (who was also on the Greek side) sent two huge water snakes to
punish Laocoon. They caught him and his two small sons as they were sacrificing
on the shore. The snakes wrapped themselves around the three and crushed them
to death.
Sinon
The Trojans then found a Greek named Sinon whom the Greeks had left
behind. He persuaded the Trojans that he wanted to join their side because the
Greeks had treated him badly. This was a lie! His real purpose was to convince
the Trojans to take the horse inside the city walls. He also said that the horse
had been built as a gift to Athene and if they took it into the city they would
always be protected. Despite the warnings of Cassandra, (a fortune teller no
one ever believed) the horse was finally dragged into the city.
The Trojans wildly celebrated the end of the war and eventually,
overcome by the wine, fell asleep. Under cover of darkness, Sinon released the
Greeks from inside the horse. They then rushed to the city gates and signalled
to the Greek fleet to return from Tenedos.
In
the slaughter which followed Troy was burnt to the ground. King Priam and all
his family were killed (Priam by Achilles’ son Neoptolemus). Only his nephew
Aeneas escaped with his father and small son Ascanius. They went on a long
voyage to find a site for a new city. When Aeneas was killed in battle his son
built his own city, Alba Longa. The founder of Rome, Romulus, was born in this
city many years later.