Irlandos at 08:27, May 4, 2008

2008-05-04T08:27:34Z

Irlandos at 18:45, June 12, 2006

2006-06-12T18:45:44Z

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The '''Myrmidons''' (or Μυρμιδόνες, the name literally means "[[ant]]-people") were an ancient nation of [[Greek mythology]]. The story of their origins was first mentioned by the poet Ovid. Initially, the Myrmidons were simple worker ants on the island of [[Aegina]].

==Myth of the repopulation of Aegina==
[[Hera]], queen of the gods, sent a plague to kill all the human inhabitants of Aegina because the island was named for one of the lovers of [[Zeus]]. King [[Aeacus]], a son of Zeus and the intended target of Hera along with his mother, prayed to his father for a means to repopulate the island. As the ants of the island were unaffected by the sickness, Zeus responded by transforming them into a race of people, the Myrmidons. They were fierce and hardy as ants, and intensely loyal to their leader.

After a time, Aeacus exiled his two sons, [[Peleus]] and [[Telamon]], for murdering their half-brother, Phocis. Peleus went to [[Phthia]] and a group of Myrmidons followed him to [[Thessaly]]. Peleus's son, [[Achilles]], brought them to [[Troy]] to fight in the [[Trojan War]]. They feature as the loyal followers of Achilles.

Another tradition states that the Myrmidons had no such remarkable beginnings, but were merely the descendants of Myrmidon, a Thessalian nobleman, who married Peisidice, the daughter of [[Aeolus]], king of Thessaly. Myrmidon was the father of Actor and [[Antiphus]]. As king of Phthia, Actor (or his son) invited Peleus to stay in Thessaly.

==References and external links==
* [http://www.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/myrmidons.html Myrmidons at WSU]
* [http://www.timelessmyths.com/classical/beasts.html#Myrmidons Myrmidons at ''Timeless Myths'']
* [http://www.online-mythology.com/myrmidons/ Myrmidons at ''Online Mythology'']

{{Credit wikipedia}}

[[Category:Greek mythology]]

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−	The '''Myrmidons''' (or Μυρμιδόνες, the name literally means "[[ant]]-people") were an ancient nation of [[Greek mythology]]. The story of their origins was first mentioned by the poet Ovid. Initially, the Myrmidons were simple worker ants on the island of [[Aegina]].	+	The '''Myrmidons''' (or Μυρμιδόνες, the name literally means "ant-people") were an ancient nation of [[Greek mythology]]. The story of their origins was first mentioned by the poet Ovid. Initially, the Myrmidons were simple worker ants on the island of [[Aegina]].

	==Myth of the repopulation of Aegina==		==Myth of the repopulation of Aegina==

Myrmidons - Revision history

Irlandos at 08:27, May 4, 2008

Irlandos at 18:45, June 12, 2006