Sinon in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Sinon

6 passages from 3 ancient authors that tell of Sinon, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Sinon's lie is what carried the wooden horse inside the walls of Troy. Explore his story, the warnings ignored, his symbolism and misconceptions. For the story in one place, read our article on Sinon.

Apollodorus (1)

Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome E.5.1–23The death of Achilles, the Wooden Horse and the fall of TroyPenthesilea and then Memnon come to Troy's aid and are killed by Achilles, who is himself shot by Paris and Apollo. The contest for Achilles' arms drives Ajax to madness and suicide. Troy falls after Philoctetes shoots Paris, Helenus reveals the three conditions, Neoptolemus joins the army and Odysseus steals the Palladium, and the Greeks take the city with the Wooden Horse, Sinon and the beacon at Tenedos; the section closes with the sack, the deaths of Astyanax and Polyxena, and the division of the captives.

Quintus Smyrnaeus (3)

Quintus Smyrnaeus, The Fall of Troy (Posthomerica) 13.1–66Sinon signals the fleetThe Trojans feast through the city until they fall asleep drunk. Sinon lifts a torch to show the Argives the fire, and the fleet sails from Tenedos. Sinon then goes to the Horse and calls softly, and Odysseus holds the chiefs back until he can open it.
Quintus Smyrnaeus, The Fall of Troy (Posthomerica) 12.346–443Sinon and LaocoonAt dawn the Trojans see the smoke and the empty shore, and find the Horse and Sinon, whom they question and torture. Laocoon warns them and urges that the Horse be burned. Athena, angered, shakes the earth under him and torments his eyes.
Quintus Smyrnaeus, The Fall of Troy (Posthomerica) 12.214–345The Argives enter the Wooden HorseOdysseus asks for volunteers and Sinon offers himself, and Nestor urges the chiefs on. Neoptolemus is the first to enter the Horse, and the poet names the others who follow. The rest of the army burns their tents and sails off to Tenedos.

Virgil (2)

Virgil, Aeneid 2.57–198SinonTrojan shepherds bring a bound Greek captive before King Priam. The man says he is Sinon and that the Greeks condemned his friend Palamedes, after which Odysseus (Ulysses) plotted against him and the Greeks chose him as a human sacrifice, but he escaped. Priam frees him and asks about the horse, and Sinon says it was built to atone for the theft of the Palladium from Athena (Minerva) and must not enter Troy. The Trojans believe him.
Virgil, Aeneid 2.250–317The ghost of HectorAt night the Greek fleet returns from Tenedos, and Sinon opens the horse so that the hidden Greeks climb down and kill the sentries. Meanwhile Aeneas dreams of Hector, wounded and bloody. Hector tells him that Troy is falling and urges him to flee, entrusting the city's gods to him and foretelling a great realm across the sea. Aeneas wakes to shouts and flames, climbs to the roof, and takes up arms in a frenzy.