Vergil: the Aenied - Discussion Question

What elements of Sinon's story make it an effective lie for the Trojans?

First off, Sinon plays upon the Trojans' sense of empathy. His appearance as a "frightened, defenseless" man, shackled in chains already air a sense of helplessness around him. The Trojans understandably see no threat from him, and therefore would not suspect him to be a liar. His opening lines further encourage this idea, as he laments "Oh, is there anywhere now left on land or sea where I can find refuge? No, there is no hope at all for me in this extreme of misery!"

Secondly, Sinon manipulates Trojans' hatred and fear of the Greeks. The picture he paints of them is exactly the image that the Trojans themselves must have had of their enemy. When he mentions the deceit of Ulysses, he interjects "which will be of no surprise to you." Sinon knows that the Trojans see Ulysses as a cruel trickster - by making himself look as if he has been mistreated by Ulysses, Sinon plays the age-old card of "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." He has the Trojans' sympathies now, because he tells them what they have believed all along: the Greeks are traitors to even their own kind. They are disrespectful enough to insult the gods by stealing the statue of Athena, and by sacrificing their own daughters for the sake of winning a war.

Finally, Sinon gives the Trojans false hope. He confirms their hopes by telling them that the Greeks have left Troy; and then he makes them believe that they will eventually triumph over the Greeks by accepting the wooden horse. The Trojans cannot be wholly blamed for wanting to believe that they will be the winners in this long, drawn-out war. They accept Sinon's lie and the horse that will be their undoing because it is a manifestation of all that they have been hoping for. Sinon tells them everything they want to hear, and they believe him because they are only human. While their acceptance of the horse seems foolish in hindsight, it would have seemed obvious to them. After ten years of fighting a bloody war, of course they would want to readily take a course that might give them victory. Sinon tricks the Trojans because he has an understanding of human nature.