The tragedy of the one guy who was right about the Trojan Horse - Noah Charney
389,469 Views
533 Questions Answered
TEDEd Animation
Let’s Begin…
Laocoön, a seer and priest, was deeply suspicious of the enormous wooden horse that the Greeks left in Troy and cautioned the Trojans not to accept this strange offering. But their fate was already sealed — the gods granted the Greeks victory and punished the priest for threatening their success. Noah Charney explores how Laocoön’s tragic tale inspired countless artists across the ancient world.
Additional Resources for you to Explore
If you want to flex your historical muscles and also see how the classical Greek (Hellenistic) world influenced later periods, there are all sorts of sources for you to check out! You can drive deeper into the Trojan War by solving a riddle about it. But did Troy really exist in the way we think of it, based on Homer's Iliad?
Laocoön shows intense, horrified emotions. So does The Scream, painted some 2000 years after Laocoön was created. Fun fact: Michelangelo, before his career took off, briefly worked as an art forger, making "ancient Roman" statues. Want to know how an art forger was so successful he nearly got himself killed? Look at the case of the world's most famous work, the Mona Lisa.
When an ancient statue like Laocoön is preserved in a museum, it has to be cared for and monitored by conservators. Want to see some famous examples of conservation attempts gone wrong?
Laocoön shows intense, horrified emotions. So does The Scream, painted some 2000 years after Laocoön was created. Fun fact: Michelangelo, before his career took off, briefly worked as an art forger, making "ancient Roman" statues. Want to know how an art forger was so successful he nearly got himself killed? Look at the case of the world's most famous work, the Mona Lisa.
When an ancient statue like Laocoön is preserved in a museum, it has to be cared for and monitored by conservators. Want to see some famous examples of conservation attempts gone wrong?
About TED-Ed Animations
TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »
Meet The Creators
- Educator Noah Charney
- Director Michael Kalopaidis, Zedem Media
- Narrator Addison Anderson
- Animator Maria Savva, Christos Papandreopoulos
- Art Director Jeanne Bornet
- Composer Manolis Manoli
- Sound Designer Manolis Manoli
- Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
- Produced by Sazia Afrin
- Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
- Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
- Script Editor Iseult Gillespie
