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All throughout the ages there have been stories told. Some of
the stories were passed down from generation to generation and last
for quite some time while others were there for awhile and then lost
themselves somewhere along the way. From time to time,
however, there were stories that not only stood the test of time but
they lasted thousands of years. Many of the stories can be
found in ancient mythology and religious writings of the Greek and
Roman era. One thing that is certain about mythological
writings is that at times they were based on true happenings and as
they were told again and again they were given a religious twist to
them. This is the case in the story of the Trojan War, and the
Trojan horse. Although the stories may have some background in
truth they have been added to and expounded on to the point where
they are now part of an ancient religious teaching.
Apparently the
Trojan War started whenever Helen of Sparta was either kidnapped or
went on her own to the city of Troy. She went there because of a
Prince of the city who either had become her captor or her lover.
It's interesting to note that eventually Helen of Sparta became a
goddess in the eyes of many Greeks and earned her place in Greek
mythology this way.
The Greeks
were very upset that Helen was taken away to the city of Troy so
they went up and laid siege to it. The city of Troy apparently had
great walls that they were unable to breach, so besieging the city
was really the only option. The siege that was on the city of Troy
was great and lasted for 10 years before they finally decided that
they were unable to break the spirit of those in the city of Troy.
It was then that Athene, who was the Greek goddess of war, gave a
man by the name of Ulysses and idea that would put an end to the war
once and for all. The idea was to build a giant horse made out of
wood that would be hollow on the inside. They would be able to hide
many Greek soldiers on the inside of this horse and leave it outside
of the gates of the city as a peace offering to those inside. It is
unclear whether the people of Troy took the Trojan horse into the
city through the gates or if, because of the great size of the
horse, they had to tear down the wall in order to get it inside.
Once the horse was inside the city gates they began to celebrate
their newfound peace.
Once the city
had enough to drink and had fallen asleep the soldiers that were
hidden inside of the giant wooden horse came outside and attacked the gate
of the city from the inside. The rest of the Greek army, which was
hidden at a safe distance, came into the city and took it by force
in one night. They annihilated the entire city and left not a
single man alive. They then took the women and children into
slavery and burn the city to the ground.
Whether this story is true in its entirety or not is not known.
Archaeologists have found what they consider to be the ancient city
of Troy but they are unsure if the Trojan war ever really happened. Some people think that was a compilation
of many separate facts while others consider that it may actually
have happened just as was stated. Regardless of whether it is
true or not, the Trojan horse has earned a place in human history.
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