Crossword clues for myrmidon
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Myrmidon \Myr"mi*don\, n. [L. Myrmidones, Gr. ?, pl.]
One of a fierce tribe or troop who accompanied Achilles, their king, to the Trojan war.
-
A soldier or a subordinate civil officer who executes cruel orders of a superior without protest or pity; -- sometimes applied to bailiffs, constables, etc.
--Thackeray.With unabated ardor the vindictive man of law and his myrmidons pressed forward.
--W. H. Ainsworth.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
c.1400, from Latin Myrmidones (plural), from Greek Myrmidones, Thessalian tribe led by Achilles to the Trojan War, fabled to have been ants changed into men, and often derived from Greek myrmex "ant" (from PIE *morwi- (see Formica (2)), but Watkins does not connect them and Klein's sources suggest a connection to Greek mormos "dread, terror." Transferred sense of "faithful follower" is from c.1600.
Wiktionary
n. A soldier or a subordinate civil officer who executes orders of a superior without protest or pity (sometimes applied to bailiffs, constables, etc).
WordNet
n. a follower who carries out orders without question
(Greek mythology) a member of the warriors who followed Achilles on the expedition against Troy
[also: myrmidones (pl)]
Wikipedia
Myrmidon or Myrmidons may refer to:
In Greek mythology, Myrmidon was the eponymous ancestor of the Myrmidons.
He was the son of Zeus and Eurymedusa, daughter of Cleitor (Cletor) of Arcadia or of the river god Achelous. Zeus was said to have approached Eurymedusa in the form of an ant (Greek μύρμηξ myrmēx), which was where her son's name came from; others say that Myrmex was the name of Eurymedusa's mortal husband, and that it was his shape that Zeus assumed to approach her.
Myrmidon married Peisidice, daughter of Aeolus and Enarete, and by her became the father of Antiphus and Actor. Also given as his sons are Erysichthon and Dioplethes, himself father of Perieres, although Erysichthon and Perieres have been ascribed different parentage as well. He also had two daughters: Eupolemeia (mother of the Argonaut Aethalides by Hermes) and Hiscilla (mother of Phorbas by Triopas).
Usage examples of "myrmidon".
I am come to request him to order his scoundrelly myrmidons who have seized my carriage to give it up, so that I may continue my journey.
Place, and I dared not shew myself on the roof as the moonlight would have thrown a huge shadow of me on the place, and have drawn towards me all eyes, especially those of Messer-Grande and his myrmidons, and our fine scheme would have been brought to nothing by their detestable activity.
He wished he could be as dispassionate as Dohark about the possible betrayal of the Cadmians by sither the Myrmidons or other alectors.
He cared no more for the Devil and all his myrmidons, for he kenned brawly he was damned.
Stoccatas, imbroccatas, drittas, mandrittas, and riversas were exchanged between them in a manner that delighted the myrmidons, most of whom were amateurs of sword-play.
Pummice, with his myrmidons, in aprons and paper caps, retouching the gilding.
You go back to him and declare my message: I will not think of arming for bloody war again, not till the son of wise King Priam, dazzling Hector batters all the way to the Myrmidon ships and shelters, slaughtering Argives, gutting the hulls with fire.
Highest and I have decided that you are indeed suited to be Submarshal of Myrmidons, particularly at this time.
Myrmidon who began as the lowest of the low, then became a flier, then an officer, and now submarshal, you have seen most of Acorus, have you not?
Three rebels stood over the prone figure of the Myrmidon submarshal, who had apparently dragged himself into a half sitting, half-lying position against the rocks before losing consciousness.
Achilles, leader of the Myrmidons, one of the largest contingents of the Achaean army, summons the chieftains to an assembly.
Although he was the number four Myrmidon officer on Acorus, when he studied all the reports, he felt more like a glorified lander clerk.
High Alector of Justice on Acorus was effectively the director of all Myrmidon activities.
Myrmidon officer born on Acorus who had worked his way up from being a ranker into the officer corps.
Compared to the total lander and indigen population of Acorus, the Myrmidons were few.