MYRMIDON IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY
Myrmidon in Greek Mythology
Some sources of Greek mythology name Myrmidon as the ancestor of all Myrmidons, the tribe of fierce warriors who Achilles commanded at Troy.
Myrmidon son of Eurymedusa and Zeus
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According to Greek mythology, the story of Myrmidon began in Phthia, where a beautiful princess named Eurymedusa lived. Eurymedusa was said to be the daughter of either Cletor or the river god Achelous, one of the Potamoi.
The remarkable beauty of Eurymedusa attracted the attention of Zeus, king of the Olympian gods. Although Eurymedusa was already married to Myrmex, Zeus descended to Earth and transformed himself into an ant in order to seduce her. From this union, a son named Myrmidon was born. As an adult, Myrmidon married Pisidice, the daughter of Aeolus, the king of the Aeolians of Thessaly. Together, they had four children: Actor, Antiphus, Eupolemia, and Hiscilla. Among Myrmidon's offspring, Actor became the most renowned. He was said to have become King of Phthia and, according to some traditions, was the ruler who welcomed the exiled Peleus to Thessaly. Through Peleus, Actor became connected to the lineage of Achilles, one of the greatest heroes of the Trojan War. This version of Myrmidon's origins is recorded in the Bibliotheca, traditionally attributed to Pseudo-Apollodorus. However, an alternative account appears in Hesiod's Theogony. In that tradition, the Myrmidons did not descend from a mortal ancestor named Myrmidon. Instead, Zeus transformed the ants of Aegina into human beings, creating the legendary Myrmidons who would later become the loyal followers of Achilles during the Trojan War. These differing myths highlight the varied traditions surrounding the origins of the Myrmidons, one of the most famous warrior peoples in Greek mythology. |
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Colin Quartermain - Myrmidon - 25th July 2021