Achivi cum per decem annos Troiam capere non possent, Epeus monitu Minervae equum mirae magnitudinis ligneum fecit eoque sunt collecti Menelaus Ulixes Diomedes Thessander Sthenelus Acamas Thoas Machaon Neoptolemus; et in equo scripserunt DANAI MINERVAE DONO DANT, castraque transtulerunt Tenedo.
Id Troiani cum viderunt arbitrati sunt hostes abisse; Priamus equum in arcem Minervae duci imperavit, feriatique magno opere ut essent, edixit; id vates Cassandra cum vociferaretur inesse hostes, fides ei habita non est.
Quem in arcem cum statuissent et ipsi noctu lusu atque vino lassi obdormissent, Achivi ex equo aperto a Sinone exierunt et portarum custodes occiderunt sociosque signo dato receperunt et Troia sunt potiti. |
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After ten years had passed without the Greeks being able to capture Troy, Epeus, advised by Athene, constructed a wooden horse of astonishing proportions.
Menelaus, Ulixes, Diomedes, Thessander, Sthenelus, Acamas, Thoas, Machaon, and Neoptolemus were concealed inside it; then, having written on the horse THE GREEKS HAND THIS OVER AS A GIFT TO MINERVA, they removed their camp to Tenedos.
When the Trojans saw this they thought that their enemies had departed. Priam ordered that the horse be brought into the temple of Minerva, and declared that they should celebrate.
When the prophetess Cassandra cried that the enemy were within, no one believed her.
After they had set it up in the temple and, come nightfall, had fallen asleep, exhausted by wine and celebration, the Greeks emerged from the horse, which had been opened by Sinon, and killed the guards on the gates. Sending a signal, their allies returned and they took possession of Troy.
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