departure of the foe, the Trojans hastened down to the shore, where,
on discovering the huge wooden horse, they joyfully proposed to drag
it into their city as a trophy. In vain their priest, Laocoon,
implored them to desist, hurling his spear at the horse to prove it
was hollow and hence might conceal some foe. This daring and apparent
sacrilege horrified the Trojans, who, having secured a Greek fugitive
in a swamp near by, besought him to disclose what purpose the horse
was to serve. Pretending to have suffered great injustice at the
Greeks' hands, the slave (Sinon) replied that if they removed the
wooden horse into their walls the Trojans would greatly endanger the
safety of their foes, who had left it on the shore to propitiate
Neptune. Enticed by this prospect, the Trojans proved more eager than
ever to drag the horse into their city, even though it necessitated
pulling down part of their walls. Meantime part of the crowd gathered
about Laocoon who was to offer public thanks on the sea-shore, but,
even while he was standing at the altar, attended by his sons, two
huge serpents arose out of the sea and, coiling fiercely around priest
and both acolytes, throttled them in spite of their efforts.

He strains his strength their knots to tear,
While gore and slime his fillets smear,
And to the unregardful skies
Sends up his agonizing cries.

On seeing this, the horror-struck Trojans immediately concluded
Laocoon was being punished for having attacked the wooden horse, which
they joyfully dragged into Troy, although the prophet-princess,
Cassandra, besought them to desist, foretelling all manner of woe.

Night now fell upon the city, where, for the first time in ten years,