Book II

Aeneid - Book II - This is a very important book in the Aeneid. It tells of the final days of Troy from

Aeneas' point of view. It begins with the appearance of the Trojan Horse and the debate over what to do

about it. Thymotes and Sinon urged the Trojans to bring the horse into the city, and Capys, Laocoon, and

Cassandra encouraged them not to bring it in. Those who want the horse brought in win, and the Trojans

are defeated when the Greeks hidden in the horse emerge and open the gates for the rest. The

remainder of the book tells of the fighting in the city and Aeneas's escape.

Questions

1. For what reason did the Greeks say they built the horse? The real reason was to

hide men inside who could open the gates later.

2. Sinon was a Greek captured by the Trojans after the main body of Greeks had

departed. Sinon said that Ulysses was mad at him. Why?

3. For what reason does Sinon say he was left behind?

4. What was the real reason he was left behind?

5. Where did the Greeks hide after they left Troy?

6. What did Sinon say that Calchas, high priest of Apollo, said about the horse?

7. Who had already injured the horse, and in what manner did he do it?

8. How did he pay for his crime of injuring the horse?

9. Even as the horse was being pulled into the city, one more person spoke out.

Who?

10. Who was given credit for actually building the horse? Ulysses came up with the

idea.

11. Who opened the horse to let the Greeks out?

12. Who appeared to Aeneas in a dream and told him to flee, that all was lost now?

13. Aeneas and a few comrades at first choose to fight and die rather than flee.

How do they succeed in killing a great number of Greeks when they were so

severely outnumbered?

14. Who killed Polites, Priam's son, and King Priam even though they were

protected by being inside the temple at the altar?

15. Aeneas meets Helen, the woman responsible for all of this, and is going to kill

her. Who stops him from killing her?

16. What does she tell Aeneas to do instead?

17. Father Anchises does not want to leave. Aeneas says that he and Creusa and

Ascanius will not leave without him. What happens to make Anchises change

his mind?

18. Where is the rendezvous point for all of the Trojan survivors?

19. Who does not make it to the rendezvous point?

20. Who finally tells Aeneas to gather his followers and leave for a new homeland,

Hesperia?