Trojan Horse facts for kids
The Trojan Horse is a giant wooden horse from the famous Trojan War story in Greek mythology. During this war, the Greeks were fighting against the city of Troy. The war began when Helen, the queen of Sparta, was taken by Paris, a prince from Troy. The Greeks then fought Troy to get Helen back.
The Greeks found it very hard to get inside the city of Troy or win the war. Because of this, Odysseus, one of the Greek leaders, came up with a clever plan to trick the Trojans. The Greeks built a huge wooden horse using parts of a ship. They left it outside the city gates as a "gift" for the Trojans. Then, the Greek ships sailed away and hid behind a nearby island.
The Trojans believed the horse was a gift to celebrate their victory. They pulled the giant horse inside their city walls. The Trojans then had a big party to celebrate their win. Odysseus had chosen a horse because he hoped Athena, the goddess of wisdom and strength, would bring them good luck.
After the Trojan celebration ended, the Greek soldiers who were hiding inside the horse came out. They quickly opened the city gates for the rest of the Greek army. The Greeks easily surprised the Trojans and took control of the city. Thanks to the Trojan Horse, the Greeks finally won the Trojan War.
Today, the phrase "Trojan horse" is used for anything that looks good or harmless but actually has a hidden, usually bad, purpose. A common example is a type of computer program called a Trojan horse, which pretends to be useful but can harm your computer.
The Trojan Horse Story
The Trojan War was a long and difficult fight. The Greeks had tried for ten years to capture Troy, but the city's walls were too strong. They couldn't break through.
Odysseus's idea was very smart. The Greeks pretended to give up and sail away. They left behind this huge wooden horse. A Greek soldier named Sinon stayed behind. He convinced the Trojans that the horse was an offering to the goddess Athena. He also told them that if they brought the horse into their city, it would make Troy unbeatable.
The Trojans were so happy they thought they had won. They didn't listen to warnings from people like Laocoön, a Trojan priest, who said, "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts!" They pulled the horse inside their city.
That night, while the Trojans were sleeping after their big party, the hidden Greek soldiers came out of the horse. They opened the city gates. The rest of the Greek army, who had secretly sailed back, rushed into Troy. The Greeks then defeated the Trojans and burned the city.
Images for kids
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A modern replica of the Trojan Horse in Prague.
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The Trojan horse that appeared in the 2004 film Troy, now on display in Çanakkale, Turkey.
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Detail from The Procession of the Trojan Horse in Troy by Domenico Tiepolo (1773), inspired by Virgil's Aeneid.
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Sinon is brought to Priam, from folio 101r of the Roman Vergil.
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The Phoenician ship called hippos, from the Assyrian city of Khorsabad, 8th century BC.
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The earliest known depiction of the Trojan Horse, on a bronze fibula (around 700 BC). Notice the wheels and the square openings on the horse's side.
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The Mykonos vase (750 to 650 BC), with one of the earliest known pictures of the Trojan Horse. You can see the faces of hidden warriors shown on the horse's side.
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See also
In Spanish: Caballo de Troya para niños
