Laocoön | Greek Mythology

In Greek mythology, Laocoön was a Trojan priest of Apollo, or sometimes Poseidon. He was the son of Acoetes, the brother of Anchises and an uncle to Aeneas.

When the Greek soldiers left Troy during the Trojan War, leaving behind their gift of a wooden horse, Laocoön sensed the danger. He objected to the Trojan's willingness to bring the horse within Troy's walls, suspecting that it may be a trap. (Laocoön was right, but the Trojans didn't listen and brought the horse, which contained hiding Greek soldiers, into the city anyways.)

To punish Laocoön and silence his warnings, Athena summoned two large snakes from the sea to attack and kill Laocoön and his two sons.

Laocoön and his Sons. This marble sculpture was created by Greek sculptors
on the island of Rhodes, and now stands in the Vatican Museums in Rome.