Myrmidons

The Myrmidons were an ancient Thessalian tribe from Greek mythology. They gained fame as the elite soldiers under Achilles' command during the Trojan War, as chronicled in Homer's Iliad. Their legendary ancestor was King Myrmidon of Phthiotis, born from the union of Zeus and Princess Eurymedousa.

According to one mythological account, Zeus transformed himself into an ant to seduce Eurymedousa. The name "Myrmidons" connects to the Greek word murmēdṓn (meaning "ant-nest"), giving rise to their origin myth. Ovid's Metamorphoses tells that the Myrmidons began as common worker ants on the island of Aegina before being transformed into warriors.