Vergil changed the story of the Aeneid a bit to make the plight of the Trojans seem worse like it was. This was so that their subsequent flight to find the homeland of their forefathers seemed justified.
Written in a semi-prose style because that is how the Latin I've translated comes out sounding like. Knowledge of the Aeneid will help in understanding my story.
Constructive criticism is appreciated.
Thoughts from the Aeneid
Lāocoōn (pronunciation: Lay-oh-ko-on)
Oh, fateful morning! How do you deceive?
For now the camps of our enemies, the Greeks, are deserted.
The foes we had been fighting have vanished.
The people of Troy believe that our enemies have gone.
That the Greeks have sailed for home.
Shores that were occupied for ten years now are empty.
The thousand ships they had sailed to our shores with were now gone.
They appeared to have sailed off to their home of Greece, leaving the shores deserted.
The people throw the gates open.
And they rush down, to marvel at the deserted shores.
For we could hardly believe that our foes were now gone.
Nothing behind, had they left.
But for one thing.
Left behind was what appeared to be an offering.
A large wooden horse.
I knew that we were in trouble when I saw that wooden horse.
I try to warn my people.
I tell them, "Beware of the deceit of the Greeks!"
They do not know nor understand the danger that object possesses.
They told me that I am wrong.
I try to drive my point by throwing a spear into the deceit of the Dananites.
Can they not hear the rustling in the horse when I plunged my spear into it?
Oh, Gods! Why does hope have to overcome reason?
I tell the people of Troy that our enemy resides in the caverns of the horse.
But I am not believed.
By lot, I am chosen to do the sacrifice thanking the gods for the departure of our enemies.
I am sacrificing the bull when I hear a terrible sound.
I rush to find out what is going on.
To my horror, I see two monstrous serpents, with bloody crests and flickering tongues, entwining around my sons.
I rush down with a spear to free my sons.
But I am also caught.
I struggle to free myself but cannot.
"Lāocoōn," say the Trojans, "pays the penalty."
That is why they say the serpents have seized my sons.
That is why they say I have joined my sons.
How can my people be so foolish?
Oh, my sons! Oh, my people!
Do not bring the horse into the city!
Please let the Gods have mercy on us.
The "Trojan Horse" did result in the downfall of Troy and is quite possibly where the phrase "Do not trust Greeks bearing gifts" came from.
I had to write this story because I thought the Trojans were a bunch of idiots for bringing the horse into the city even though they were warned against it.