Porces And Curissia / The Serpents Of Apollo

In Homer's Iliad, as the Trojans celebrated their victory of the Greeks after a decade under siege, the priest Laocoon warned his countrymen against accepting the massive wooden horse the Greeks had left behind, and hurled a spear at it. Almost immediately, two huge serpents burst out of the water, and seized upon Laocoon and his two sons. The serpents then fled to a statue of Athena, one coiling around it's feet, and the other sheltering behind it's aegis. The Trojans saw the end of the priest and his line and punishment for attacking the horse, and brought it into the city, sealing it's fate. What the Trojan's did not know was that the serpents were sent by the god Apollo, who for reasons known only to him chose that specific moment to punish Laocoon for taking a wife and siring children, something forbidden for priests in Apollo's service.

This painting depicts the two serpents as two women holding bay laurels sitting on a stone bench with a serpentine motif.