The Story of the Wooden Horse

When Paris, the son of the Trojan king, ran away with Helen, the wife of King Menelaus of Greece, all the warriors and princes of Greece vowed to capture Troy and bring Helen back.

A large fleet of Greek ships was assembled, and many soldiers sailed off to Troy to fight. But despite their strong army, the Greeks couldn’t capture the city. The walls of Troy were thick and strong, and the soldiers couldn’t break them down. The war dragged on for ten long years. The Trojans couldn’t leave their city, and the Greeks couldn’t enter it.

Finally, after yet another failed attack, the Greek leaders returned to their ships and held a council to decide what to do. They argued for hours, but no one could come up with a plan to break the deadlock—until Ulysses, one of the Greek kings, stood up with a brilliant idea.

“Let’s build a huge wooden horse with a hollow inside,” he said. “We’ll hide a group of our bravest warriors inside it. Then, we’ll sail away, leaving the horse behind. The Trojans will think we’ve given up and left forever.”

The Greek leaders agreed. The next day, the Greek army set to work. They went into a nearby forest, chopped down trees, and built the massive wooden horse. The warriors who were to hide inside climbed in and lay quietly within the hollow, just as Ulysses had planned. The entrance to the horse was cleverly hidden, so no one would see how the soldiers got inside.

The bravest men were chosen to hide inside the horse. They put on their armor and carefully covered themselves with cloths to muffle any sounds. Once they were safely inside, the Greek army destroyed their camp and sailed away, leaving the horse behind. But they didn’t go far—they stayed just out of sight, waiting for the right moment.

That night, a Greek soldier named Sinon stayed behind on the coast, chosen by Ulysses to act as a decoy. Sinon was not a well-known warrior, so the Trojans didn’t recognize him.

When the Trojans saw the Greek ships sailing away, they sent scouts to make sure the army had really left. The scouts returned with the news that the Greeks had indeed gone, leaving behind the large wooden horse and one lone soldier.

The Trojans were curious. They gathered at the gates to look at the horse, and the Trojan generals asked Sinon why he had not left with the Greeks. Sinon explained that he had quarreled with the Greeks and feared for his life.

“Why should I lie to you?” he said. “The Greeks didn’t want this war. None of them wanted to fight. I was left behind to make peace with you.”

Sinon’s story was convincing, and the Trojans believed him. They decided to move the wooden horse into the city as an offering to their goddess Athena, hoping it would bring them good luck.

Some of the Trojan generals were still suspicious, but most of them trusted Sinon. They ordered their men to roll the horse into the city, using ropes and wooden rollers. It was late in the day, so they decided to leave the horse near the gates for the night and celebrate their victory. The people of Troy sang, danced, and feasted, relieved that the war was finally over.

As night fell, the Greek army, hidden just out of sight, began to quietly sail back toward the coast. Sinon signaled to the hidden warriors inside the horse that all was clear.

Inside the horse, the Greek warriors waited in silence, listening to the sounds of the Trojans celebrating. When the city grew quiet, they opened the trapdoor and climbed out. They crept through the dark streets, killing the Trojan sentries before they could sound an alarm.

The Greek warriors rushed to the gates, killed the sleeping guards, and opened the gates to let in the rest of the Greek army. The battle raged through the night, and the Trojans, caught by surprise, were quickly defeated. Many were killed before they even had a chance to fight back.

By morning, the great city of Troy had fallen. Paris, the Trojan prince, was dead in his palace. The victorious Greek army marched through the city, setting fire to the Trojan palace and other buildings. The once-proud city, famous for its long history, was now in ruins.

Men, women, and children were killed, and only a few managed to escape. The Greeks left the burning city behind, and Troy, the city that had stood for so long, was destroyed for good.