6-58. The Trojan Horse

Many years ago the king of Greece had a beautiful wife named Helen. History remembers her as the face that launched a thousand ships because the most heroic war of the ancient world was fought over her.
     Greece's great rival was the kingdom of Troy, across the Aegean Sea. The king of Troy had a son named Paris who fell in love with Helen and stole her away. The Greeks demanded that Helen be returned, but the Trojans refused. So the Greek army set sail in a thousand ships to attack.
     The Greeks camped on the shores near Troy and battled the Trojans on the windy plains before the city. For ten long years, the Trojan War dragged on, but neither army could defeat the other.
     Finally the Greek king gathered his generals and said, "For ten years we have attacked the walls and gates of Troy, but our enemy has always beaten us back. We need a new strategy to help us conquer the city."
     A Greek general who was known for his cunning plans spoke up. "I have a plan! Let's pretend to sail home in our ships. The Trojans will think that we have given up and that the war is over."
     "And then what?" asked the king. The clever general explained the rest of his plan, and the king nodded his head. "Hmm, it is a daring strategy," he said, "but I believe it will work!"
     The next day the Greeks didn't attack, but set to work building a huge wooden horse. For weeks they labored by their ships and left the city alone. Finally when the towering horse was ready, a few brave soldiers climbed into its belly through a secret door. The statue was mounted on wheels, and the other soldiers rolled it up to the gates of Troy. They returned to their ships, and the Greek army sailed out of sight.
     When the Trojans saw what the Greeks had left, they weren't sure what to do. "Stay away from the horse. It's a trick!" Paris warned his father. After so many years of war, the Trojans couldn't believe that the Greeks had finally given up.
     "Hmm, you may be right," said the Trojan king. "We must be cautious."
     The huge horse stood outside the city gates while the soldiers inside waited. As the Trojans puzzled over what to do, a Trojan soldier brought a prisoner in front of the king. "Your Majesty," he said, "I caught this Greek near the city gates. He must be a spy. He should be put to death."
     "Oh no, spare my life, please!" begged the Greek. "I will tell you everything you want to know."
     The king agreed and asked him why the Greeks had left behind the enormous wooden statue.
     "Our army was exhausted," the Greek explained, "and wanted to retreat safely. They decided to offer you a great war trophy so that you would not pursue them. That's all I know."
     "So it is a war trophy then? Ha-ha-ha! The Greeks have given up! Bring the wooden horse inside!" ordered the king.
     "We have won the war!" the people of Troy declared, and both the soldiers and citizens began to celebrate as the wooden horse was dragged into the city. It was so wonderfully made that no one noticed the secret door that hid the Greek soldiers inside.
     No one noticed, as well, the captured Greek smiling as the Trojan soldiers got drunk. He was a spy, after all. All around him, the citizens and soldiers of Troy drank and sang late into the night. When they had all fallen asleep, the Greek spy quietly approached the horse and opened the hidden door in its belly. The Greek soldiers climbed out. They approached the drunken guards half-asleep by the city gates, quickly overpowered them, and pushed the gates open.
     The Greek ships had only pretended to sail away and had returned with the Greek army during the night. Greek soldiers poured through the gates and lit fires all over the city.
     "Fire! Fire!" the Trojans shouted, waking in surprise. "No!" they cried when they realized it was a surprise attack. Some ran away. Some fought bravely, but it was too late. The Greeks had finally conquered Troy.
     The story of the Trojan War belongs to the myths and legends of the ancient Greeks. It was written by the legendary Greek poet Homer, who lived almost three thousand years ago. Little is known about him, except that he was blind, and many scholars debate whether he really existed. Many doubted too that the city of Troy ever existed until, in the late nineteenth century, archaeologists discovered an ancient city from the time of Homer on the Aegean coast. A great battle may have been fought there, and who knows, perhaps it was destroyed forever by the trick of a huge wooden horse.