Greek Athyrma (c. 950 – 900 BCE)
Children haven’t changed much over the thousands of years of human history. The toys ancient Greek children played with aren’t really that different than toys found in bedrooms and play spaces today. In this case, the athyrma (toy) is a horse figurine, painted with decorative detail, and attached to wheels so the Greek child could push and pull it around.
Archaeologists found this horse in a tomb dating back to 950 – 900 BCE, meaning the horse could, theoretically, represent the story of the Trojan Horse, a tale dating to 1184 BCE. The story describes a large wooden horse left behind as a gift when the Greeks left the city of Troy. After the Trojans wheeled the horse inside the city walls, Greek soldiers hiding inside waited for nightfall, climbed out of the horse, and slaughtered the city’s guards, allowing Greek soldiers to enter and conquer the city.
