The Trojan Horse: The Original Spec Ops Mission

The daring operation recounted in the story of the Trojan Horse is easily the earliest, most successful, and most famous special ops mission of all time. Regardless of whether the story is historical fact or elaborate myth, it demonstrates the value of a cunning plan, stealth, and precision execution — key elements in the narrative of all successful special ops missions.

• RELATED STORY: Spec-Ops: A History of the US Special Forces

The Trojan Horse was first mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey, from the eighth century BC, and later described in detail in Virgil’s Aeneid, written between 29 and 19 BC.

After the Greeks had besieged Troy for 10 years, the story goes, Odysseus developed a plan to finally end the Trojan War. First, the carpenter Epeius built the huge horse, then Odysseus and 30 or 40 elite forces climbed inside.

The horse was left at the gates of Troy while the Greeks sailed off to a nearby island. A Greek soldier stationed outside the horse told the Trojans that the Greeks had left for home, and that the horse was a gift, dedicated to Athena to atone for the desecration of her temple at Troy and to ensure the Greeks a …Read the Rest

Source:: Tactical Life