Trojans: were they total fools?

Question

I think that Homer Sompson must be descended from these fools.

It's all very silly. All of a sudden the Trojans wake up one morning and the Greeks have gone. And there outside the city walls they've left this gift; this tribute to their valiant foes: a huge wooden horse, just large enough to happily contain 500 Greeks in full battle dress and still leave adequate room for toilet facilities? Are you telling me not one Trojan goes, "Hang on a minute, that's a bit of a funny prezzy. What's wrong with a couple hundred pairs of socks and some aftershave?" No, they don't -- they just wheel it in and all decide to go for an early night! People that stupid deserve to be kerpowed, zapped and kersplatted in their beds!

You know what the big joke is? From this particular phase in history we derive the phrase, "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts". Not logical.

How stupid were they?!

Answer 1

You don't have the entire story!
The wooden horse that was left behind wasn't large enough to contain 500 but only 40 solders! They were a small Commando force!
The Achaeans (“Achaeans” or “Danaoi” was actually the name of the Greek tribe that attacked Troy which Homer describes as a Greek city too!) had also left behind a injured soldier called Sinon, whose only job was to convince the Trojans that the Greek army had left with a broken moral!
The injured soldier also told that the wooden horse was a gift to Gods for a safe return.
The Trojans didn’t buy it so easy! They sent ships to scout the area and they returned confirming that the Achaean fleet has left! (The Greek fleet was actually hiden behind the Greek island of Tenedos which is close to Troy.)
A priest called Laoocon (Laocoön) warned his fellow Trojans against the wooden horse. (In the Aeneid, Virgil gives Laocoön the famous line Equo ne credite, Teucri / Quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentes, or "Do not trust the Horse, Trojans / Whatever it is, I fear the Danaoi even bearing gifts." This line is the source of the saying: "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.")
The Trojans disregarded his advice and in his resulting anger Laocoön threw his spear at the Horse. Goddess Athena, who was supporting the Greeks, subsequently sent sea-serpents to strangle Laocoön and his two sons, Antiphantes and Thymbraeus and that act convinced the Trojans that the Gods wanted them to bring the horse in the city.
(Also Cassandra tried to worn the Trojans but she was considered mad and none took her seriously!)
When the Trojan horse was in the city Deiphobus (brother of Ector) accompanied Helen as she called out the names of Greek heroes (who she assumed they were hiding in the horse)! She was calling their names by imitating the voices of their wives as she walked around the horse in an attempt to see if the Greek forces were hiding in the horse. Menelaus and Odysseus had to hold the men inside back from responding!!!
So as you can see the Trojans did do a lot to check the horse and there were also protest against it!
But as the Greek myth goes the Gods have decided to give the victory to the Achaeans (Greeks)

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

In the late Bronze Age, the City of Troy held out for ten years (perhaps) against a siege by the entire Greek civilization (what, ten, twelve kings involved in the war on the Greek side?). They must not have been too foolish.
Keep in mind that the accounts of that war were recorded by the WINNERS, and their cleverness (or rather, that of sly Odysseus) was naturally going to be extolled.
We will never know what really opened the gates of Troy. Perhaps they attended a truce negotiation on a religious holiday and the Greeks jumped them during the ceremonies?
Speculation is fun, but keep in mind that aphorisms and allegory and literary "truths" are intended to be learningteaching tools, not historical fact.

Answer 4

Hello dear!
Great question! Ragzeus gave a descent reply!
Please, let me mention that the Trojans were no different from the Danai/ Achaeans, the ones who attacked them. In that time, the name of Greeks and Hellenes was not identifying today's Greeks/ Hellenes.
Both, Trojans and Achaeans were brother groups, of the same nation, that is why they had common names, language, gods, etc. The little knowledge of the medieval translators of Homer made then call Trojans and Greeks, contrary to the correct Trojans and Achaeans!

Answer 5

There is a reasonable explanation for this. They thought that the Greeks had left an offering to the Greek gods so that the journey back would be safe. According to the custom of the area if you took the offering and gave to your own god then you would receive the blessing instead of your enemy.

Answer 6

lol good paraphrase of red dwarf.

How ever I think historically speaking it is doubtful the thing was large enough hold 500, more likely it would have been big enough for a small elite force who would open the gates and let the rest of the army in.

The story it was based on is only an allegory, it should not be taken as fact.

But thanks for the laugh.

Answer 7

Be aware that it's only a mythology. Truth is somewhere in the middle.

Answer 8

I have nothing to add to that fine response, except to say that your question made my day.