The story of the Trojan Horse

[Wakas]

peace all,

Just a story worth pondering over...


According to the Encyclopedia Britannica......

The Trojan Horse was a huge, hollow wooden horse constructed by the Greeks to gain entrance into the City of Troy during the Trojan War in the 12th or 13th century B.C.  This legendary conflict stirred the imagination of the ancient Greeks more than any other event in their history, and was celebrated in the Iliad and the Odyssey of Homer, as well as a number of other early works now lost, and frequently provided material for the great dramatists of the Classical Age. It also figures in the literature of the Romans (e.g., Virgil's Aeneid) and of later European peoples down to the 20th century.

In the traditional accounts, Paris, son of the Trojan king, ran off with Helen, wife of Menelaus of Sparta, whose brother Agamemnon then led a Greek expedition against Troy. The ensuing war lasted 10 years, finally ending when the Greeks pretended to withdraw (deserting the war defeated) and sailed to the nearby island of Tenedos to hide.  In doing so, they left behind a large wooden horse with a raiding party of armed warriors cleverly concealed inside, and Sinon a Greek who feigned desertion and convinced the Trojans that the horse was an offering to Athena that would make Troy impregnable.

Despite the warnings from Laocoon and Cassandra (qq.v.), the trojan horse was taken inside the city gates by the Trojans, who did not realize that Greek army soldiers were hidden inside.  That night, while the Trojans celebrated their victory, the Greeks snuck out of the belly of the wooden horse, opened the gates to their comrades (who had returned from Tenedos undiscovered), and succeeded in conquering Troy. 

[savage_carrot]

I used to read these greek/roman stories as a kid, what I could never understand is why people still say "don't look a gift horse in the mouth". I'm sure though, that you meant we should think about this on a "higher plane"...than cryptic proverbs not making sense.

[Wakas]

Yes, I posted it to stimulate thinking on a "higher plane" as you put it.

The reason they say "dont look a gift horse in the mouth" is that one of the ways to check if a horse is healthy is by the mouth, so if you get a horse as a gift, do not insult the giver by checking its mouth. I only know this because I said the same thing as you to someone and they told me. I dont think it has anything to do with the trojan horse thing.

[savage_carrot]

My question (which may or may not be rhetorical) based on this thread is: If two pieces of "wisdom" contradict, which is the "most" wise?

Incase, I do not take it as rhetorical I would answer: Depends on the situation.

In which case, the counter question would be: How would I know the "wise path to take" if I can only know for sure in retrospect?

And so on.

It actually has stimulated some higher plane thinking I would say returning to my first question...If two wise sayings contradict, surely it is not universal wisdom?

Going back to the original post...is it morally alright to use means of deception in war? Interesting question that can be encountered in different situations inclusive of war. I would say, in case the gauntlet has been thrown...and as long as the war or whatever is only directed towards whom it should be directed against and who based on the announcement/commencement of hostilities (as said) should be prepared for everything, seems okay. Of course, then again to a purist it might be wrong on all counts as honesty would be the only policy. It would seem that winning by deception might be earnestly contested and looked down on for a long time and the winners might not have the higher moral ground in the eyes of people (other than the losers I mean as the losers can just be ignored by calling it sour grapes). Then again the foxes of the world would be proud. Who cares about the world though if we are talking what's morally right.

I'm off to build my Lego City now, then bring in a trojan horse and make those cute lil people run...

[agentxxx]

Peace Wakas,

The Trojans did every thing right, they had built strong walls which couldn?t be breached by the invaders, their archers were well trained to repel the attackers and their warriors successfully defended the city for ten long years. But in the end it was their BLIND FAITH based on assumptions that convinced them to take the Trojan horse (the offering) inside the city WITHOUT EXAMINING IT and that resulted in their defeated and destroyed.

Moral of the story "blind faith based on assumptions, block your senses to rationally analyze things/situations and therefor can be extremely treacherous and deadly"

[savage_carrot]

Salam bro,

I thought it was more greed and arrogance rather than blind faith? I guess doing anything without examining/analysing can be deadly. Hence, I say, always look the horse in the mouth no matter whose feathers one ruffles . Of course sometimes no matter what you do, your time is nigh...like a chicken crossing the road at the wrong time.

[agentxxx]

Peace sis,

I agree, Greed and arrogance were also a factor, but the final blow to their destruction (IMO) was delivered through their belief that the gift would make troy impregnable, that made them forget that troy was already impregnable even without this gift (The Greeks had failed to conquer the city even after 10 years of siege) and this misconception+greed made them commit the blunder of taking the horse inside.

Their most fatal mistake however was that they forgot to look the horse in the mouth 

[Lost Philosopher]

Trojan Horse=Greatest pwnage ever.

[Mahmud_H]

Though of course, on returning home, Agamemnon, King of the Greeks, was murdered by his wife and her lover. How's that saying go? He who lives by the sword...

[agentxxx]

Clytemnestra's love for her husband turned to hatred; (After Agamemnon sacrificed their daughter Iphigenia so that his ships could sail to Troy). While he led the Greek forces in the Trojan War, she took Aegisthus as her lover. When Agamemnon returned in triumph with the Trojan princess Cassandra, Clytemnestra sought revenge for the death of her daughter, and, with the help of her lover, she killed both her husband and his Trojan mistress.
She and her lover ruled for seven years until they were both slain by Orestes.