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Trojan Horse Tactics: The Arsenal of the Malicious Manipulator
When deception, infiltration, and subterfuge are cloaked in virtue
The iconic story of the Trojan Horse as told in the Odyssey by Homer and the Aeneid by Virgil, conveys how a gift was used to secretly smuggle in concealed danger. Essentially, the Greek forces, unable to breach the walls of Troy after a decade-long siege, pretended to abandon the war and left behind a massive wooden horse as a peace offering to the Trojans. The Trojans, debating what to do with the horse, were deceived by the Greek spy Sinon, who convinced them that the horse was a sacred benefaction to the Goddess Athena.
Unbeknownst to the Trojans, Greek soldiers, including Odysseus, were hidden inside the hollow structure. The Trojans brought the horse into their city as a symbol of their victory. At night, the Greeks emerged from the horse, opened the gates to let in the rest of their army and sacked the city. In the Odyssey and the Aeneid, the Trojan Horse serves as a powerful symbol of ingenuity, betrayal, and the consequences of war.
In the context of emotional abuse, the metaphorical term ‘Trojan Horse’ is associated with a manipulative tactic where someone disguises harmful intentions or behaviors in a seemingly positive, caring, or benign package. This strategy…