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LaoconLaocon (Greek Λαοκοων, 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 Laocon's death as follows: Laocon warned his fellow Trojans against the wooden horse presented to the city by the Greeks. In the Aeneid, Virgil gives Laocon the famous line Equo ne credite, Teucri / Quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentis, or "Do not trust the Horse, Trojans / Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks even when they bring 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 Laocon threw his spear at the Horse. Poseidon (some say Athena), who was supporting the Greeks, subsequently sent sea-serpents to strangle Laocon and his two sons, Antiphantes and Thymbraeus. (Some accounts say Apollo sent the serpents for an unrelated offense, and only unlucky timing caused the Trojans to misinterpret them as punishment for striking the Horse.) Virgil describes this scene by the lines (original Latin): - Ille simul manibus tendit divellere nodos
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- perfusus sanie vittas atroque veneno,
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- clamores simul horrendos ad sidera tollit
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- qualis mugitus, fugit cum saucius aram
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- taurus et incertam excussit cervice securim.
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| Literal English translation: - At the same time as, with his hands, he strives to tear away the knots,
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- his fillet soaked with slaver and dreadful poison,
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- he also raises horrifying shrieks to the stars:
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- like a bellowing [bull], when it flees, wounded, from the altar,
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- bull, and it shakes a badly aimed axe from its neck.
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| John Dryden's poetic English translation (see http://www.bartleby.com/13/2.html, line 290): - With both his hands he labors at the knots;
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- His holy fillets the blue venom blots;
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- His roaring fills the flitting air around.
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- Thus, when an ox receives a glancing wound,
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- He breaks his bands, the fatal altar flies,
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- And with loud bellowings breaks the yielding skies.
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| The death of Laocon is depicted in the monumental statue of Laocon and his Sons (attributed to Rhodian sculptors Hegesandros, Athenedoros, and Polydoros).
An unrelated Laocoon, also spelled "Lacoon", son of Porthaon, was one of the Argonauts.
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