Explain what is meant by the following: 'If the prediction of Cassandra were considered, the fall of Troy could be avoided'.

Cassandra, the daughter of Priam and Hecuba, and the
sister of Hector and Paris/Alexander, made a number of predictions before the Trojan War
and during the course of the war. Therefore, answering this question with any precision
may be difficult.

However, this question may recall a
prediction supposedly made by Cassandra when Paris/Alexander was discovered as Priam's
long, lost son. Cassandra apparently warned her father than Paris would cause the ruin
of Troy if Priam took his son back. Priam ignored the prophecy, as everyone did
with Cassandra's prophecies. We should note, however, that this prediction does not
occur in Homer's Iliad.

The second
book of Vergil's Aeneid also contains an appearance by Cassandra as
the Trojans were trying to bring the wooden horse into the city. Cassandra warned the
Trojans against bringing in the horse, but this prediction was also
ignored.

If the Trojans had been able to heed either of
these prophecies, then the fall of Troy would have been avoided.