The Myrmidons were a group of soldiers under the command of Achilles in the 'The Iliad', an epic poem written by Homer about the Trojan War. The Myrmidons were named after Myrmidon, a king of Phthiotis, who was a son of Zeus and "wide-ruling" Eurymedousa, a princess of Phthiotis. In one account, Zeus seduced Eurymedousa in the form of an ant. The latter myth is the source for the name of a subfamily of ants called Agroecomyrmecinae in taxonomy. Also, the name in Classical Greek was interpreted as "ant-people".

The Myrmidons were a fierce and fearless group which was attributed to Achilles' invincibility and they would swarm over their enemies like ants.

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