|
Sometimes there are things that are
based on fiction that we consider to be fact. Many of these things
found their way into our modern day dialect from mythological
events. Although much of the events that go into Greek mythology
are based loosely on some facts, they have been tainted over the
years to the point where they contain many falsities. One of the
things that we still use on a regular basis today is the expression
Trojan horse. This has an interesting history, even if it is build
up by the passage of time.
According to Greek mythology the
Trojan war was fought as a result of someone by the name of Helen of
Sparta who was either kidnapped or went under her own will to the
city of Troy. At that time the Greek armies came up against the
city of Troy and laid siege to it. Many of the Greeks that were
alive to tell this tale believed that it was true. According to
them it took place almost 3500 years ago. The city of Troy was
reported to be in the area of the Dardanelles which is located in
what is now Turkey. Interestingly enough there have been some
excavations at this point to discover whether the city of Troy ever
actually existed. It is now believed by many archaeologist that the
ancient city of Troy actually did exist, although there is some
question as to the truthfulness of the rest of the story.
Because the Trojan war had gone on
for so long and the city of Troy was able to withstand the siege for
many years, the Greek army, under the direction of one of its kings,
came up with a plan whereby they could enter the city and overtake
it. According to this plan they would build a large wooden horse
that was hollow inside and fill it with Greek soldiers. The
remaining soldiers would then pull back to a safe distance and hide
while at the same time burning their camp in order to make it look
deserted. The large wooden horse was placed outside of the city of Troy
as a supposedly suffering. It is interesting to note that many
times a general would give his horse to the victorious general when
he was defeated.
Most of the city of Troy looked at
the horse as being a gift of peace and accepted it gladly
into their city. There were very few people who had suspicions
about it. Once inside the city the inhabitants had a
large celebration because of their supposedly newfound peace.
After they were either asleep or too drunk to do anything about it,
the Greek army came out of the horse and attacked the gate from the
inside. Once the gate was open, the remaining members of the
Greek army filled the city and overtook it.
So the next time somebody uses the
term Trojan horse when they are with you, you will understand better
where the term came from. It is a very old expression that is still
used to describe a gift with an ulterior motive.
Greek History Article:
1
2
3
4 5
6
7
8
|
