WHY I SAY, IT WOULDN'T BE THE FIRST TIME A TRANSLATION ERROR HAS CHANGED CULTURAL HISTORY - According to Tiboni, Homer wasn't talking about a wooden horse at all, but rather a ship. A Phoenician ship, to be precise, characterized by a figurehead in the shape of a horse's head. This type of vessel was called a hippos—"horse" in Greek. If the Achaeans had left a hippos on the beach, the Trojans would have seen a tribute ship, not a wooden animal. And a ship is infinitely more plausible as a vessel for hidden warriors.
The hypothesis has immediate appeal. A sacred ship, laden with gifts, left as an offering to the gods after the departure of the enemy fleet: a ritual gesture perfectly consistent with the Mediterranean world of the time. And much more credible than a huge wooden horse dragged inside the walls of a city besieged for ten years.The crux of the matter is linguistic. Homer uses hippos. Centuries later, a copyist or translator interprets the term literally, not as the technical name for a vessel. Hence the misunderstanding. Hence the myth.
For Information please, Francesco Tiboni graduated with a degree in Prehistory from the University of Milan and a PhD in Naval Archaeology from the Centre Camille Jullian - Université Aix-Marseille in France
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