Lore[]
Laocoonte and his two sons drew their swords and bravely fought the giant serpent twisting around them. If they perished here, they knew that Troy was doomed to fiery ruin. Even if that was the fate destiny had in store for them, the man would not stop his fight. It was Laocoonte's priestly duty to risk life and limb before admitting defeat. Once more he threw his strength into his sword arm and lunged at the serpent.
Name Origin[]
The statue of Laocoön and His Sons (Italian: Gruppo del Laocoonte) shows the Trojan priest Laocoön and his sons being strangled by sea serpents. Laocoön was killed after attempting to expose the ruse of the Trojan Horse by striking it with a spear. The snakes were sent by Poseidon (although Athena or Apollo have also been suggested) and were interpreted by the Trojans as proof that the horse was a sacred object. Wikipedia