The Burning of Troy

After ten years, Ulysses proposed a trick: build a wooden horse, hide soldiers inside, and pretend to sail away. The Trojans found the horse and a Greek who lied that it was an offering to Poseidon. They tore down their walls to bring it in. That night, Greek ships returned, soldiers crept out and opened the gates. Troy was burned and destroyed. Only Aeneas escaped to later found Rome. Modern archaeology found Troy's burned remains, confirming the story. Many Greeks suffered hardships returning home as punishment for their cruelty.