| Event | The Trojan Horse Incident |
| Description | A trap set by the Trojans themselves, not the Greeks as commonly believed. The Trojans brought the wooden horse, thinking it a religious offering, into the city, only for Greek soldiers hidden inside to emerge and open the gates to the Greek army, leading to Troy's defeat. |
| Consequences | The Trojans' deception and hubris led to the city's downfall, becoming a cautionary tale about the dangers of misplaced trust. |
| Significance | A pivotal moment in the Trojan War, the Trojan Horse incident has become a well-known story in Western literature and culture, symbolizing the dangers of overconfidence and the importance of vigilance against deception. |
The Trojan Horse was a massive wooden horse constructed by the Trojans during the Trojan War against the Greeks. Contrary to the more well-known version of events in our timeline, the Trojan Horse was not a ruse conceived by the Greeks, but rather a trap set by the Trojans themselves - one that ultimately led to the downfall of their city.
According to the accounts of this alternate history, the Trojans had been engaged in a protracted war with the invading Greek forces for nearly a decade. Frustrated by their inability to breach the walls of Troy, the Trojans decided to construct an enormous wooden horse as an offering to the god Poseidon, hoping this display of piety would earn them divine favor and assistance in defeating the Greeks.
The Trojans poured their efforts into building the colossal, hollow wooden horse, which they then left outside the gates of Troy, ostensibly as a religious tribute. Convinced that the Greeks had given up and sailed for home, the Trojans exultantly dragged the horse through the city gates, eager to place it in the temple of Poseidon.
What the Trojans did not realize, however, was that the wooden horse was in fact filled with elite Greek soldiers, led by the cunning Odysseus. Once the horse was safely inside the city walls, these soldiers emerged and opened the city gates, allowing the main Greek army to pour in and commence the sack of Troy.
In this timeline, it was the Trojans' own foolish pride and misplaced trust that ultimately undid them. Blinded by their belief that the horse was a genuine offering, they failed to heed the warnings of figures like the prophetess Cassandra, who had foreseen the true nature of the trap.
The story of the Trojan Horse has endured as one of the most famous episodes of the Trojan War, and has become a powerful metaphor for deception, cunning, and the dangers of hubris. In this timeline, the tale serves as a cautionary lesson about the folly of trusting one's enemies and the consequences of letting one's guard down, no matter the circumstances.
The phrase "Trojan Horse" is commonly used to describe any kind of underhanded tactic or strategy used to infiltrate, undermine or destroy an adversary from within. It has been invoked in everything from military tactics to computer security, where "Trojan horse" malware is designed to infect systems under the guise of legitimate software.
Thus, the legacy of the Trojan Horse endures as a symbol of the fragility of presumed security, the perils of complacency, and the importance of vigilance - even, and perhaps especially, in the face of what seems like a generous or benevolent gesture from one's foes.
