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Laocoon and His Sons

Laocoon and His Sons is a statue made by Agesander, Athenodoros, and
Polydorus of Rhodes.
 In one version of his story written by Virgil, Laocoon was a Trojan priest who was killed along with his sons to expose the Trojan Horse. He did so by striking it with a spear, and, after he and his sons were killed by snakes, the Trojans interpreted their deaths as proof that the horse was a sacred object. In another version written by Sophocles, he was a priest of Apollo who was married and had children even though he shouldn't have. The snakes killed his only sons, thus leaving Laocoon alive to suffer alone. The statue expresses extreme 
saddeness. Laocoon's body language 
depicts him in agony as his children and 
himself die. Laocoon's facial expression is 
the epitome of agnoy, and the anticipation 
of awaiting death shown on all their faces 
tells the beholder that they are in extreme 
pain. 


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