Myrmidons: The invincible war machine of the legendary Achilles

How was the myth of the army that sacked 23 cities in Troy born?

The Myrmidons of Achilles were a perfect war machine—an army with bravery and fighting skills like few fighters. The myth says that the Myrmidons are descended from Aeacus, the son of Zeus and Aegina. Hera wanted to avenge Zeus' infidelity and sent three snakes to Aegina. As a result, the water was contaminated by the presence of reptiles, and all the inhabitants of the island died—all but one: Aeacus.

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The birth of the Myrmidons

His mother begged Zeus to help him so that he would not be alone. The pleas of Aegina took place and Zeus turned the ants that were in a rotten tree trunk into humans. This is how the Myrmidons were born Subsequently, Aeakos had three sons. One of them was Peleus. Peleus murdered one of his brothers and decided to leave his family home. He arrived with some Myrmidons in Phthia - an area in today's eastern Fthiotida. There he set up his kingdom, the kingdom of the Myrmidons. Peleus married Thetis and together they had Achilles. Under the reign of the legendary Achilles, the Myrmidons gained fame and enjoyed great glory, culminating in their participation in the war of Troy.

Myrmidons: The brown color of heavy armor

The color of the military equipment of the Myrmidons was brown, like the color of the ants where they came from. Their armor was a heavy construction made of copper and bronze and offered them great security. Along with their martial knowledge and bravery, they were among the toughest armies. Of course, Hephaestus himself reserved the best armor for the king of the Myrmidons. With this armor, Achilles set foot on the shore of Troy. This armor was worn by Patroclus so that the Trojans would think that Achilles and his army had entered the battle again. And when Patroclus was killed by Hector, Thetis ordered a new one from Hephaestus. It was the legendary shield of Achilles with special symbolisms.

Myrmidons: A war machine in Troy

The Myrmidons developed shipping and had a respectable fleet of ships. In fact, in Troy, they started with 50 ships and were considered the strongest military group deployed in the war. Achilles and his men led the Trojans to retreat as soon as they set foot in Troy. The contribution of the Myrmidons was evident when they withdrew for a time following a decision of their king due to a rivalry with Agamemnon for the priestess Briseida. They fought with great courage and preferred a glorious death if they failed to dominate. In Troy, they plundered and conquered 23 allied cities while their army, led by Achilles, caused most of the casualties to the enemy.