Laocoon - Revision history

Irlandos at 10:39, November 1, 2007

2007-11-01T10:39:01Z

Irlandos at 20:40, April 14, 2006

2006-04-14T20:40:33Z

Irlandos at 20:40, April 14, 2006

2006-04-14T20:40:13Z

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'''Laocoön''' ([[Greek language|Greek]] '''Λαοκόων''', pronounced roughly La-''oh''-koh-on), son of [[Acoetes]], was allegedly a priest of [[Poseidon]] (or of [[Apollo]], by some accounts) at [[Troy]]; he is famous for warning the Trojans in vain against accepting the [[Trojan Horse]] from the Greeks, and for his subsequent divine execution.

Virgil's ''Aeneid'' describes the circumstances of Laocoön's death as follows:

Laocoön warned his fellow Trojans against the wooden horse presented to the city by the Greeks. 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 Greeks even bearing gifts." This line is the source of the saying: "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts."

The Trojans disregarded his advice, however, and in his resulting anger Laocoön threw his spear at the Horse. Poseidon (some say [[Athena]]), who was supporting the Greeks, subsequently sent sea-serpents to strangle Laocoön and his two sons, Antiphantes and Thymbraeus. Another tradition states that [[Apollo]] sent the serpents for an unrelated offense, and only unlucky timing caused the Trojans to misinterpret them as punishment for striking the Horse. It was the subject of [[Sophocles]]' lost tragedy, ''Laocoon''. According to the hellenistic poet [[Euphorion of Chalcis]], Apollo was punishing Laocoon for procreating upon holy ground sacred to Poseidon.

Virgil describes this scene by the lines (original [[Latin]]):

<table style="background-color:#ffffbb;color:#220000;padding-left:1em;padding-right:1em;margin-left:2em;">
<tr><td>
;''Ille simul manibus tendit divellere nodos''
;''perfusus sanie vittas atroque veneno,''
;''clamores simul horrendos ad sidera tollit:''
;''qualis mugitus, fugit cum saucius aram''
;''taurus et incertam excussit cervice securim.''
</td></tr>
</table>

Literal English translation:

<table style="background-color:#ffffbb;color:#220000;padding-left:1em;padding-right:1em;margin-left:2em;">
<tr><td>
;At the same time as, with his hands, he strives to tear away the knots,
;his fillet soaked with slaver and dreadful poison,
;he also raises horrifying shrieks to the stars:
;like a bellowing <nowiki>[bull]</nowiki>, when it flees, wounded, from the altar,
;bull, and it shakes a badly aimed axe from its neck.
</td></tr>
</table>

John Dryden's poetic English translation (see [http://www.bartleby.com/13/2.html], line 290):

<table style="background-color:#ffffbb;color:#220000;padding-left:1em;padding-right:1em;margin-left:2em;">
<tr><td>
;With both his hands he labors at the knots;
;His holy fillets the blue venom blots;
;His roaring fills the flitting air around.
;Thus, when an ox receives a glancing wound,
;He breaks his bands, the fatal altar flies,
;And with loud bellowings breaks the yielding skies.
</td></tr>
</table>

The death of Laocoön is depicted in the monumental statue of Laocoön and his Sons (attributed to [[Rhodes|Rhodian]] sculptors [[Hegesandros]], [[Athenedoros]], and [[Polydoros]]).

[[Category:Mythology]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:39, November 1, 2007
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	The death of Laocoön is depicted in the monumental statue of Laocoön and his Sons (attributed to [[Rhodes\|Rhodian]] sculptors [[Hegesandros]], [[Athenedoros]], and [[Polydoros]]).		The death of Laocoön is depicted in the monumental statue of Laocoön and his Sons (attributed to [[Rhodes\|Rhodian]] sculptors [[Hegesandros]], [[Athenedoros]], and [[Polydoros]]).

−	[[Category:~~Mythology~~]]	+	[[Category:Trojans]]

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 The Trojans disregarded his advice, however, and in his resulting anger Laocoön threw his spear at the Horse. Poseidon (some say [[Athena]]), who was supporting the Greeks, subsequently sent sea-serpents to strangle Laocoön and his two sons, Antiphantes and Thymbraeus. Another tradition states that [[Apollo]] sent the serpents for an unrelated offense, and only unlucky timing caused the Trojans to misinterpret them as punishment for striking the Horse. It was the subject of [[Sophocles]]' lost tragedy, ''Laocoon''. According to the hellenistic poet [[Euphorion of Chalcis]], Apollo was punishing Laocoon for procreating upon holy ground sacred to Poseidon.
-Virgil describes this scene by the lines (original [[Latin]]):
+Virgil describes this scene by the lines (original Latin):
 <table style="background-color:#ffffbb;color:#220000;padding-left:1em;padding-right:1em;margin-left:2em;">