After Hector's death, the war continued.

Paris - the one who caused the entire war by abducting Helen - still lived.

And fate gave him a chance for revenge.

One day, Achilles was fighting near the gates of Troy! Paris, who was a skilled archer, aimed carefully!

Apollo guided Paris's arrow.

The arrow flew... and hit Achilles in the heel - the only vulnerable part of his body.

Achilles fell! The greatest warrior in Greece... killed by an arrow to the heel!

Thetis's prophecy was fulfilled - Achilles had eternal glory but died young at Troy.

The Greeks fought over Achilles' armor! Odysseus and Ajax both wanted it!

The generals voted! Odysseus won!

Ajax, humiliated, went mad with rage! He attacked sheep thinking they were soldiers! When he regained his reason and realized what he did, he died of shame!

(Some versions say he committed suicide; others that he died of grief)

Thus, two of the greatest Greek heroes died.

And Troy still stood.

Ten years! Ten years of war! And Troy's divine walls remained invincible!

The Greeks were exhausted! They wanted to go home!

"We'll never win!" the soldiers said. "The walls are impenetrable!"

It was then that Odysseus - the smartest of the Greeks - had a brilliant idea.

"We can't win by force," said Odysseus. "So we'll win by cunning!"

He gathered the Greek leaders and explained his plan.

It was risky! It was audacious! But it could work!

"We'll build a giant wooden horse!" said Odysseus. "As big as a house! The best warriors will hide inside it! The rest of the army will pretend to give up and sail home!"

"The Trojans will think they've won! They'll bring the horse inside the city as a trophy! And at night... we'll attack from within!"

The carpenter Epeius built the horse.

It was Enormous! Made of wood! Decorated to look like an offering to the gods!

Inside the horse was a hollow space - perfect for hiding warriors.

Odysseus chose the best: himself, Menelaus, Diomedes, Neoptolemus (Achilles' son), and others! In all, about 30-40 warriors (some versions say 100!) entered the horse!

The rest of the Greek army - ALL the ships - sailed away, hiding behind the island of Tenedos.

They left only one thing on the beach: the giant wooden horse.

And one man! A Greek named Sinon!

At dawn, the Trojans saw something unbelievable:

The Greek fleet had Departed! The beach was empty!

"THE WAR IS OVER!" shouted the Trojans with joy! "WE WON!"

For the first time in ten years, they opened the gates and went out.

And there it was: a gigantic wooden horse.

On it was written: "TO ATHENA - AN OFFERING FROM THE GREEKS FOR SAFE JOURNEY HOME"

"What do we do with this?" the Trojans asked!

Then they found Sinon! The Greek who had been left behind!

"Please, don't kill me!" begged Sinon (it was all part of Odysseus's plan!)

"Why did the Greeks leave you?" they asked!

Sinon told an elaborate false story: "The Greeks wanted to sacrifice me to the gods for a safe journey! But I escaped! They abandoned me! I hate them!"

"And the horse?"

"It's an offering to Athena!" said Sinon. "They made it too big on purpose - so you CAN'T take it inside the city! If the horse enters Troy, the city will be protected forever by the gods!"

It was exactly what the Trojans wanted to hear.

But not everyone believed.

Laocoon, a Trojan priest, shouted: "TROJANS! DON'T TRUST THE GREEKS EVEN WHEN THEY BRING GIFTS! IT'S A TRAP!"

Laocoon threw his spear at the horse! The spear pierced the wood! From inside came a sound... like weapons clanging!

The Trojans hesitated.

But then something terrible happened.

Two giant sea serpents emerged from the sea! Sent by Athena (or Poseidon - versions vary), who favored the Greeks!

The serpents slithered across the beach! They ignored everyone! They went straight for Laocoon and his two sons!

The serpents coiled around Laocoon and his sons! They squeezed! They crushed!

Laocoon fought desperately to save his sons! But the serpents were divine, impossible to defeat!

Father and sons died strangled.

The Trojans saw this as a sign from the gods: "Laocoon blasphemed against the sacred offering! The gods punished him! The horse is truly sacred!"

There was another person who knew the truth: Cassandra, daughter of King Priam.

Cassandra had the gift of prophecy - given by Apollo! But when she rejected Apollo's love, he cursed her: she would see the future, but NO ONE would believe her!

"FATHER! TROJANS!" shouted Cassandra. "IT'S A TRAP! GREEKS ARE INSIDE! THEY'LL KILL US! BURN THE HORSE!"

But no one believed! They thought she was crazy!

Ignoring Cassandra, the Trojans decided to bring the horse inside.

But the horse was SO big it didn't fit through the gates.

So they did something fatal: they tore down part of the wall to get the horse through.

The same walls that protected them for ten years - destroyed by themselves.

With ropes and celebrations, they dragged the giant horse through Troy's streets.

They placed it in the central square, as a victory trophy.

That night, all of Troy Celebrated! They drank wine! Danced! Sang! The war was over!

Finally they could sleep in peace.

Late at night, when everyone slept drunk and exhausted...

Sinon opened a secret hatch in the horse.

From inside, Odysseus and the warriors came out silently.

They lit torches - the signal.

The Greek fleet, waiting hidden behind the island, saw the torches! Immediately they sailed back!

The warriors from the horse ran to Troy's gates and opened them from within.

The Greek army entered.

Then began the sack of Troy.

The Greeks, furious after ten years of war, showed little mercy.

They set fire to the city! Killed men! Enslaved women and children!

King Priam tried to fight, even though he was old! He was killed at the altar of the gods by Neoptolemus!

Little Astyanax - son of Hector and Andromache - was thrown from the walls! The Greeks didn't want Hector's son to grow up to avenge his father!

Andromache, Hector's wife, was enslaved.

Hecuba, queen of Troy, saw all her children die.

Menelaus finally found Helen - the woman for whom the war had begun ten years before.

He entered the temple with sword in hand, ready to kill her.

But when he saw Helen... she was still so beautiful! And she cried and begged forgiveness!

"It wasn't my fault! It was Aphrodite! It was divine magic!"

Menelaus lowered his sword! He couldn't kill her!

(Some versions say it was weakness! Others say it was true love resurging! Still others say Helen used magic!)

Menelaus took her back to Sparta! They lived together for the rest of their lives!

By dawn, Troy - the proud city that resisted ten years - was in Ruins.

Flames consumed the palaces! Bodies filled the streets! Cries of lamentation echoed!

The prophecy from the beginning was fulfilled: Paris destroyed Troy! Not with military force, but by bringing Helen - who eventually caused the destruction!

The Greeks had won! But at what cost?

So many heroes dead! Achilles, Ajax, Patroclus, and many others!

And the journey home would be even worse! But those are stories for another time...

(Note: The story of Odysseus trying to get home - taking 10 additional years - is told in the "Odyssey"!)

And thus ended the Trojan War.

A war that began with:

- A golden apple

- Three vain goddesses

- A foolish prince

- And forbidden love (or abduction)

And ended with:

- A destroyed city

- Thousands dead

- Families destroyed

- But also eternal glory in stories.

The Trojan War became the most famous war in mythology! Told and retold for 3000 years!

Homer transformed the war into epic poetry - the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey"!

And even today, when someone speaks of a "Trojan Horse," everyone knows: it means a dangerous gift that hides enemies within!