a
reference to an ancient sculpture, portraying the
death of Laoco?n (priest of the Greek
god,
Apollo), and his two sons. Laoco?n is said to have offended
Apollo by breaking his oath of celibacy and
begetting two sons, and also by
having warned the Trojans against accepting the Trojan horse from the Greeks (a large wooden horse that held Greek soldiers
planning on capturing the city of
Troy).
Apollo sent two great
sea serpents which crushed Laoco?n and his
twin sons to
death.