What happened to Laocoon and His Sons?

Thus, while preparing to sacrifice a bull on the altar of the god Poseidon (a task that had fallen to him by lot), Laocoön and his twin sons, Antiphas and Thymbraeus (also called Melanthus), were crushed to death by two great sea serpents, Porces and Chariboea (or Curissia or Periboea), sent by Apollo.

What happens to Laocoön in the Aeneid?

The passage encapsulates the theme of adversity within the Aeneid. It is important to note that Laocoon is slain by serpents of the sea who are creatures of Neptune, the very god he worships every day.

Why do you think Athena killed Laocoön and his two sons?

The Ancient Greek sculpture depicts Laocoön and his Sons being killed by Athena and Poseidon’s serpents of the sea with the purpose of empowering the fall of Troy, which he had attempted to prevent with continued warnings thus angering the gods.

What does Laocoon and His Sons symbolize?

As described in Virgil’s Aeneid, Laocoon was a Trojan priest. When the Greeks, who were holding Troy under siege, left the famous Trojan Horse on the beach, Laocoon tried to warn the Trojan leaders against bringing it into the city, in case it was a trap.

Why is Laocoön killed?

The serpents killed only the two sons, leaving Laocoön himself alive to suffer. In other versions, he was killed for having committed an impiety by making love with his wife in the presence of a cult image in a sanctuary, or simply making a sacrifice in the temple with his wife present.

Why didnt the Trojans listen to Laocoön?

For the Trojans, this was an obvious sign that they had to worship the goddess. Laocoon’s suffering had been in vain. His fellow citizens had misinterpreted even his death. If they had taken a few moments to listen, they might have understood that Laocoon’s death was punishment for interfering with Athena’s plans.

What is the significance of Aeneas describing the two snakes enveloping Laocoön and his sons in this way?

The snake represents Aeneas and the Trojans, in both the threats they face and the successes they enjoy in completing their destiny, which is at this moment to escape Troy in order to restore it in Roman form–a rebirth suggested by the shedding of the snake’s skin.

Why was Laocoön killed?

What is the material used in Laocoon and His Sons?

White marble
Laocoön and His Sons/Media

How did Athena punish Laocoon?

Athena, angry with him and the Trojans, shook the ground around Laocoön’s feet and painfully blinded him. Laocoön did not give up trying to convince the Trojans to burn the horse, and Athena made him pay even further. She sent two giant sea serpents to strangle and kill him and his two sons.