The Trojan horse: the meaning of phraseology. The myth of the Trojan horse

Phraseological units play an important role in modern language, because they allow you to convey the meaning of a sentence in a more vivid metaphorical language. For example, many people have heard such a phrase as a Trojan horse. The meaning of phraseology is understandable by far not all, since the origins of its meaning lie still in myth.

Historical roots of the modern language

As you know, most aphorisms have historical roots. Something is connected with mythology, something with history, but in any case, one must know its roots and the roots of its language. This makes it possible to see modern language through the past, at the expense of which its enrichment takes place. Thus, the expression "Trojan horse" came to us from the era of the Trojan War.

Troy: causes of the strife between the Trojans and the Greeks

History Trojans Horse Full of mysteries, and to understand it, you need to tell a little about the city of Troy. The popular legend says that the future war for the city broke out from the conflict between Paris and Menelaus because of the beautiful Elena, who was the wife of the latter. According to the legend, Paris seduced her, and she decided to swim with him. This act Menelaus regarded as kidnapping and decided that this is sufficient reason to declare war. However, Troy was well and securely fortified, so the Greeks for a long time failed to capture the city. They, however, confined themselves to devastating the neighborhood and undertaking campaigns to nearby towns. According to legend, the Greeks wanted to take possession of Troy, but the physical forces could not cope. Then Odyssey comes up with an interesting idea: he proposed to build a huge wooden horse.

The trick of Odysseus

The legend says that the Trojans watched with considerable surprise the way the Greeks erected a wooden horse. The Greeks also wrote a story that supposedly created by them the Trojan horse will be able to protect the city from Greek raids. That is why today the winged expression "Trojan Horse" means a gift, a gift that was presented with the purpose of deception. But the Trojans believed in this story and even wanted to enter the horse into the city. But there were opponents of this decision, which called for throwing the construction in water or burn it. However, soon the priest appeared in the city, who told that the Greeks had created a horse in honor of the goddess Athena, in order to atone for the sin of years of bloodshed. Allegedly, after this, two serpents crawled out of the sea, who strangled the priest and his sons. The Trojans considered that all these events were omens from above, and they decided to drive the horse into the city.

The beginning of the fall of Troy

According to archaeological and historical evidence, in fact, there was a Trojan horse. The meaning of phraseology, however, does not understand, if you do not ponder the essence of the legend. So, the horse was brought into the city. And the night after this hasty decision, Sinon released from the cavity of the horse hiding warriors, who quickly killed the sleeping guards and opened the city gates. The people, who were fast asleep after the festivities, did not even resist. Several Trojans broke into the palace to save the king. But the giant Neoptolemus still managed to smash the front door with an ax and killed the king of Priam. Thus ended the great story of the great Troy.

So far, it has not been determined how many soldiers were in the Trojan horse. In some sources it is said that 50 people were hiding there, in others it is about 20-23 soldiers. But the essence of this does not change: a thoughtful design in the form of a horse simply did not cause any doubt among the Trojans, which was the reason for their death. It is now believed that the myth of the Trojan horse is an allegory of military cunning, which was once used by the Achaeans.

Symbols and allegories

It is noteworthy, but the horse as a creature from time immemorial is a symbol of birth and death. Thus, the Achaeans created their own horse from fir branches, while the cavity of the structure remained empty. Many researchers agree that this is the symbol of the birth of a new one. That is, it turned out that the Trojan horse brought death to the defenders of the city and at the same time became a symbol of the birth of something new for many peoples.

By the way, around the same time in the Mediterranean are events that are very important for history. A great migration of peoples began, when various tribes moved from the northern countries to the Balkans - the Dorians, the barbarians. This is what led to the destruction of the ancient Mycenaean civilization. Greece will be able to reborn a few centuries later, with the destruction that fell on this state, so large that all the dodorian history simply remained in the legends.

What does the Trojan horse mean?

Today, very often we use such phraseology as the "Trojan Horse". This winged expression has long been a household name. So we call some gifts that are presented for the purpose of deceiving or ruining. Many researchers wondered why the horse was the cause of the collapse of Troy. But one thing can be noted: the Achaeans knew how to interest the Trojans. They understood that in order to remove the siege from the city, it is necessary to surprise the local residents with something special that they trust and open the gates.

Of course, the presentation of the Trojan horse as a gift of the gods played a decisive role, since in those days to disregard the sacred gift was considered an insult to the deity. And, as you know, joking with angry gods is very, very dangerous. So it turned out that a competent inscription on a wooden statue (remember, on the side of the horse it was written that it was a gift from the goddess Athena) led to the fact that the Trojans had to take this dubious gift to their city.

Property of Troy

So, the Trojan horse (the meaning of phraseology we have already described) was the main reason for the collapse of the Troyan kingdom. From history it is known that Troy was famous for its horses, it was to this city that merchants from all over the world gathered, this city was most often raided. For example, in one legend it is said that the Trojan king Dardan owned a herd of magnificent horses that originated from the god of the northern wind of Boreas. And in general, the horse has always been considered the closest animal to humans: it was taken to war, it was used in agricultural labor. Therefore, the appearance in front of the city gate of Troy was the horse of the locals and could not but be appreciated as a gift of the gods. Thus, not knowing who a Trojan horse is, the meaning of phraseology is not so easy to understand.

And so it is not by chance that Troy, who held the defense for 10 years, fell precisely because of the horse's fault. Of course, it was all the guilt and cunning of the Achaeans who could find the weak point and chose for this kind of magical carrier in the person of a wooden horse. It is noteworthy that according to archaeological data, Troy was only a small fortress. But at the same time with the goal of capturing it sent entire armies of hundreds of ships.

Modern interpretation

Today, this notion in a figurative sense is also designated as a malicious program, which is spread by the people themselves. And the name of the virus was received in honor of the mythological Trojan horse, because most of the virus programs operate in a similar way: they are masked for harmless and even useful programs and applications that the user runs on his computer. For all the simplicity of the virus, its complexity lies in the fact that it is difficult to recognize its purpose in it. For example, the most primitive modifications can erase the entire contents of the disk at boot time, and some programs can be built into certain applications on the PC.