Myrmidons

The Myrmidons (or Myrmidones; Greek: Μυρμιδόνες) were an ancient nation of Greek mythology. They were very brave and skilled warriors as described in Homer's Iliad, and were commanded by Achilles. Their eponymous ancestor was Myrmidon, a king of Phthiotis who was a son of Zeus and "wide-ruling" Eurymedousa, a princess of Phthiotis. She was seduced by him in the form of an ant. An etiological myth of their origins, simply expanding upon their supposed etymology— the name in Classical Greek was interpreted as "ant-people", from murmekes, "ants"— was first mentioned by Ovid, in Metamorphoses: in Ovid's telling, the Myrmidons were simple worker ants on the island of Aegina.

Another common variation had King Aeacus of Aegina, father of Peleus, pleading with Zeus to populate his country. Zeus said his people would number as the ants on his sacred oak, and from the ants sprang the people Aegina, the Myrmidons.

Later use of the term

The Myrmidons of Greek myth were known for their loyalty to their leaders, so that in pre-industrial Europe the word "myrmidon" carried many of the same connotations that "robot" does today. "myrmidon" later came to mean "hired ruffian" (according to the Oxford English Dictionary) or "a loyal follower, especially one who executes orders without question, protest, or pity, unquestioning followers." (Dictionary.com).

Myrmidons is also the title of the first of a trilogy of plays by Aeschylus, collectively known as Achilleis. The other plays in the trilogy are Nereids and Phrygians. See Achilles (play) for more.

In popular culture

Many novels, television shows, and comic books that take terminology from myths have used the name myrmidon for fictional organizations, while others, set in ancient Greece, feature versions of the original myrmidons in their story.

The term also enjoys widespread use in computer and video games, especially those in the Role-playing game genre. It is commonly chosen as a title for character classes and enemies, or sometimes as the name for a piece of equipment or vehicle within a game.

External links

• Myrmidons at WSU
• Myrmidons at Timeless Myths
• Myrmidons at Online Mythology