See also Myrmidons on Wikipedia, and the disclaimer.
Myrmidons (mẽr′ mĭ-dŏnz), the famous followers of Achilles in the Trojan War. They were an old Thessalian race who colonized the island of Ægina. According to Greek story Zeus peopled Thessaly by changing the ants into men; hence the myrmidons, which means ants.