beware of Greeks bearing gifts

proverb

One should not trust one's enemies.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. One should not trust one's enemies.

Origin

Alludes to the ancient story of the Trojan horse, a gift for the Trojans which secretly contained Greeks. The prototype of the phrase is found in a Latin phrase in the Aeneid, book 2, lines 48–49: equō nē crēdite, Teucrī. / Quidquid id est, timeō Danaōs et dōna ferentēs. (“Do not trust the horse, Trojans. Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks, even bearing gifts.”)

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Cite this entry
APA

beware of Greeks bearing gifts. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beware%20of%20Greeks%20bearing%20gifts

MLA

“beware of Greeks bearing gifts.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beware%20of%20Greeks%20bearing%20gifts. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “beware of Greeks bearing gifts,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beware%20of%20Greeks%20bearing%20gifts.

Source: beware of Greeks bearing gifts on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.