Vatican museums. Part III.

In the same yard, just opposite to Canova’s Perseus, other ancient characters have been struggling from 2000 years. Or something more.

Laoconte was an Apollo cleric during the War for Troy. He forseed what the Trojan Horse was hiding and tried to alert the Trojans: “Aut haec in nostros fabricata est machina muros…” This is a machine-war built against our defenses. “…timeo Danaos et dona ferentes”. I fear the Greeks and their gift. But Greeks had a very good ally: Poseidon, the giant God of sea. He send horrible and giant snakes to divoure Laoconte’s poor sons. He tried to save them, but perished, as his sons.

It is usless to say: this sculpture is something visually powerful and astonishing: you can see Laoconte straining all his muscles to fight against those horrific creatures, you see the powerful snakes constrict around arms and legs and necks. You see muscles, flash, desperation, fear, divine punishment and human struggle against it. You know they will died, but they are still there struggling.