Calul Troian !

 1-Personal cred ca a fost mai mult decat Calul-Troian !

2-Nu se poate pacali o Natiune asa inteligenta doar cu niste bucati de lemn !

3-Voi reveni pe viitor cu mai multe  detalii .

4-Acest articol este copiat !

5-Istoria ramane pasiune mea nr-1

“Beware Greeks bearing gifts.”

As night fell, Odysseus and Diomedes snuck into Troy through the hidden tunnel. The duo stank, and wore filthy rags, as in their disguise as beggars the city guards did not spare them a second glance. Although the citizens of Troy did not notice them, one familiar face did – Helen. Far from raising the alert, she was keen to help them to bring the war, and her captivity, to an end. She led them through the maze of streets to the centre, and the Temple of Athena. There they removed that precious Palladium, “the Luck of Troy” that had fallen from the heavens from Athena herself when the city was founded all those years ago.

Sneaking out of the temple, Helen urged them to take her with them back to the Greeks. They agreed, but before leaving she was recognised by a passing city guard, who was looking for her. They lambasted the beggars for speaking to her, and as the pair exchanged a knowing glance, they parted ways. Odysseus carried the Palladium as they returned across the plains of Ilium, and was suddenly aware how much more impressive it would be if he were to present it to Agamemnon alone. He drew his sword and moved to strike down Diomedes, who noticed just in time to dodge the blow. Odysseus said the power of the relic had overcome him, and a dubious Diomedes reluctantly accepted his apology as they headed back. Odysseus told the story of his attempted betrayal having been overcome by the artefact’s power when they returned, so Agamemnon had the Palladium installed to a Temple of Athena on Mt Ida.

The next day, Odysseus called a council of the kings to explain his new idea for infiltrating the city. Neoptolemus and Philoctetes poured scorn on his idea, by Agamemnon was captivated. They would build a huge horse, Odysseus said, capable of concealing 30 men inside, and trick the Trojans to bringing it into the city under the ruse that the Greeks had left. The horse would be built by Epeius, who had built the stockade, plus many temples and palaces back in Greece. Epeius was not a popular Greek, and although he was a successful sportsman, besting even Acamas, son of Theseus and inventor wrestling, he was never to be seen in the front lines of battle. Epeius explained that they would need a large screen to hide the construction, but that it could be done. The prophet Calchas supported the idea, saying he had seen a falcon chasing a dove, only to be frustrated when the dove entered a cleft in the rock. While the falcon had circled squawking, the dove had remained hidden – just like the Greeks after the Trojans. When the falcon too hid in the rock, the dove emerged, and it was captured. To complete Odysseus’ ruse, his bitter enemy Sinon was left behind while the rest of Greeks packed down their camp and sailed away under cover of nightfall.

When dawn broke, the Trojan sentries were stunned. The tents, stockade, ships and wagons that had become a part of their view over the last decade had all gone. All that remained was a large, wooden statue, which they squinted to see through the dawn. The news spread like wildfire, and the city filled with celebration. Keen to calm the jubilant populace, Priam led out the retinue to confirm the news, not daring to hope the decade-long bitter war was over. And there on the beach it stood – the Trojan Horse.

The huge horse was spectacular. Made of wood, yet layered in sheets of gold, with fantastic gemstones set into the eyes and elsewhere on the body. The mouth was open in a seeming pose of authority – the Trojans did not suspect that it was open to allow the vents to supply those inside with fresh air. Cassandra wailed that they should destroy it. Deiphobus said it was a gift for the gods. Priam summoned the priest of Apollo, Lacoón, to read the inscription, which did indeed say it was a gift for the safe return of the Greeks.

The Trojans had captured an abandoned Greek, Sinon, who explained that the Greeks had been struck with plague for stealing the Palladium, and were now desperate to return. Needing a sacrifice, Odysseus – who Sinon had discovered had betrayed Palamedes all those years earlier – suggested that Sinon be offered to the gods. He had thus promptly hid in the hills, following a fight to escape – evidenced by his broken nose. Sinon even laughed, saying the wily Odysseus had ensured they could not bring the horse into the city by making it too large to fit through the gates. Lacoón, with his sons Antiphantes and Thymbraeus, said he did not believe this, and the horse should be destroyed – though he began having a seizure while saying this, which Deiphobus said was the gods stilling his blasphemous tongue. Regaining his composure, Lacoón was so angry that his warnings went unheeded that he threw a spear at the horse, and then two huge sea serpents to suddenly erupt from the waves and devour him and his sons. Deiphobus said this was the proof that it was a gift for the gods, and all they needed to do to get it into Troy was remove the Scaean Gates and wheel it in.

Inside the belly of the beast, Odysseus and the others remained deadly quiet, conscious that a cough, a belch, a sneeze or a fart could see them all killed and their plan foiled. Slowly, ever so slowly, they felt the horse rolling forward, heard, the great Scaean Gates being removed, and then heard the celebration of the people of Troy as they gathered around the great horse that was wheeled into the city. Now all they needed to do was wait for nightfall, for the people to drown themselves into a drunken stupor so they could strike.

Aphrodite made one last attempt to save her beloved Greeks. Waking Helen, she ordered her to explain her concerns to Deiphobus, who had a novel way of testing if this were true. Helen was renowned at impersonating the voices of others, and so the couple went to the horse. Within, Odysseus thought the gods deceived him when he heard his wife Penelope calling out to him, though he remained quiet. The he heard Clytemnestra calling out for Agamemnon, and realised it was Helen attempting to unveil them. Then they heard Aegialia calling out for Diomedes. Then Laodamia called out to Anticlus. A drowsy and confused Anticlus went to respond, so Odysseus smothered his mouth. Various other voices called out, but the Greeks remained silent. Deiphobus soon got bored, and he and Helen left. By the time they had gone, Anticlus had stopped breathing.

The city was now deep in the drunken slumber the end of a war will bring. Slowly, ever so slowly, Epeius opened the door on the underneath of the horse, gently lowering himself down and edging the ladder into place. Echeon, son of Portheus, was too eager, and thrust himself through the opening before the ladder was in place, leading to a swift fall and sudden crunch when his neck broke as he hit the floor below. The rest took their time, slowly descending to the ground. Odysseus, Menelaus, Idomeneus, Diomedes, Neoptolemus and Ajax the Lesser led the surviving 28 Greeks now inside the city. They signalled from the gate tower, and quickly disassembled the makeshift replacement for the removed Scaean Gate. Sinon lit the beacon from where he now hid in the hills, having escaped from the Trojans. The ship of Agamemnon was the first the beach, with the rest of the fleet landing behind it. The Greek army surged forward to the open gates of Troy.