The two Trojans who vocally opposed bringing the wooden horse into the city were Cassandra and Laocoön. Their dire warnings were tragically ignored, leading directly to the downfall of Troy, primarily due to divine intervention and a specific curse.
The Voices of Warning
As the Trojans debated the fate of the colossal wooden horse left by the departing Achaeans, two figures stood out in their desperate attempts to reveal the danger hidden within.
| Trojan Prophet | Warning | Outcome of Warning | Reason for Disbelief |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cassandra | Prophesied that the horse was a trap filled with Achaean warriors and would bring destruction to Troy. | Her warnings were dismissed as the ravings of a madwoman. | Cursed by the god Apollo never to be believed, despite her genuine prophetic abilities. |
| Laocoön | Warned the Trojans, famously declaring, "I fear the Greeks, even when bearing gifts," and hurled a spear at the horse. | His pleas and actions were interpreted as sacrilege or dismissed, especially after a divine sign. | Attacked and killed, along with his two sons, by sea serpents sent by the gods (often interpreted as Poseidon or Apollo), which the Trojans saw as divine punishment for his sacrilege. |
Why Their Warnings Went Unheeded
The tragic disbelief of Cassandra and Laocoön was rooted in a combination of divine curses and perceived omens that played directly into the Greeks' deception.
Cassandra's Curse
Cassandra, a princess of Troy and daughter of King Priam, possessed the genuine gift of prophecy. This ability was bestowed upon her by the god Apollo, who desired her love. However, when Cassandra spurned Apollo's advances, he cursed her. While she retained her prophetic visions, she was also cursed by Apollo never to be believed. This meant that no matter how clearly she foresaw and articulated the impending doom, her words were always dismissed as nonsense or the ravings of a madwoman by her own people. Her tragic fate was to see the future clearly but be powerless to change it.
Laocoön's Tragic Fate
Laocoön, a priest of Apollo or Poseidon, also vehemently argued against accepting the horse. He suspected a Greek trick and even struck the horse with a spear to prove its hollowness. Immediately after his defiant act, two enormous sea serpents emerged from the sea and attacked him and his two sons, coiling around them and crushing them to death. The Trojans interpreted this horrific event as a clear sign of divine wrath, believing Laocoön was being punished for daring to desecrate a sacred offering or for blaspheming against the gods. This "omen" ironically solidified the Trojans' conviction that the horse was a holy object meant for Athena, and that Laocoön's warning was false and impious.
The Aftermath
The inability of the Trojans to heed these crucial warnings sealed their fate. Convinced by the supposed divine approval and their own hubris, they brought the Trojan Horse inside their impenetrable walls. That night, the Achaean warriors emerged from the horse, opening the city gates for the rest of their army, leading to the infamous Sack of Troy.
