Myrmidons

=**The Myrmidons**=

The Myrmidons are a troop of fierce warriors led by Achilles in the Trojan War. Hailing from the island of Aegina, they were said to have been created from ants to repopulate the island after a plague wiped out most of its population.

Origins
The plague on the island of Aegina had been sent by Hera, one of Zeus' wives because it was named after her lovers. After the people were nearly extinct, King Aeacus prayed to Zeus that his people might be restored. Aeacus then heard a thunderclap, which he took as a good omen from Olympus. Afterwards, he saw a line of ants carrying grains up a tree and prayed that the people would be as numerous as the ants he saw. That night, he dreamt of the ants becoming human beings, and the next morning, that dream turned out to be true. The people were named the Myrmidons from the Greek name of ants, myrmex, the animals from which they came. Aeacus' grandson, Achilles, ultimately inherited the command of the Myrmidons, and led them in battle during the Trojan War.

=**Sources:**=

http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Mi-Ni/Myrmidons.html http://godsbay.ru/paint/images/myrmidons11.jpg (Image)