Myrmidons

But when the Greeks weren't attacking, he sat on the beach next to his boats like the rest of them.

He leads a sizable force of warriors that belong to his father Peleus, known as the Myrmidons, about 50 ships worth of men.

And one interesting detail about his mother that comes into play here, since she's a sea goddess and he is camped by the ocean, she comes to visit him sometimes.

So there are moments where he has interactions with Thedas, almost as if he was having a phone call from the battlefield.

If he will not fight, ask him to let you wear his armor into battle.

Patroclus, who is eager for glory and also is pained at the sight of his comrades dying while the men of Achilles sit idly by, jumps at this idea.

He goes back to Achilles and says, hey, if the prophecy about your death is keeping you out of this, that's fine, but let me lead the Myrmidons into battle wearing your armor so we can turn the tide for the Greeks.

And at this point, Homer inserts a line as the narrator saying, he knew not that he was asking for his own destruction.

And I came where the host of the war-ships lies, A marvel past telling To fill with the vision a woman's eyes And a heart joy-swelling.

And there on the rightward wing array'd Was Phthia's Myrmidon battle-aid, Fifty galleys swift for the war, With the ranks of oars by their bulwarks swayed; And high on their sterns in effigies golden The Nereid goddesses gleam'd afar, The sign by Achilles' host upholden.

Hard by, keels equal by tale unto these Did the Argives gather; With Talaus' fosterling pass'd they the seas, May Estius his father; And with Sthenelus, Capaneus' son, at his side; And there did the galleys of Attica ride With the scion of Theseus the next to the left, Ships threescore; and the peerless pride Of their blazonry Was a winged car, bearing Pallas, with horses Of hoofs uncleft, A blessed sign unto folk sea-faring.

Boeotia's barques, sea-plashing, fifty there lay; I mark'd their ensigns flashing; Cadmus had they, Whose golden dragon shone On each stern's garnison; And Laetus, Earth's son, led their array.

Such strange longing for this war Hath upon Hellas fallen by heaven's will.

Mine own, my righteous grievance must I speak; Let whoso will beside his own cause plead.

Pharsalia's land and Peleus have I left, And through these light airs of Euripus wait, Checking my Myrmidons; yet urge and aye They cry, "Why dally, Achilles? How long time Yet must the Troyward-bound array wait on? Act, if thou canst; else lead thy war-host home, Waiting no more on Atreus' son's delays." End part two.

Recording by Expatriot in Bangor, Maine.

Church The Embassy to Achilles So they went along the shore of the sea, and as they went they prayed to the god who shakes the earth, that is to say, the god of the sea, that he would shake the heart of Achilles.

And when they came to the camp of the Myrmidons, for these were the people of Achilles, they saw the king with a harp in his hand, the harp he had taken from the city of Thebe, which was also the city of Andromache.

He was playing on the harp, and as he played he sang a song about the valiant deeds which the heroes of old time had wrought.

And Patroclus sat over against him in silence, waiting till he should have ended his singing.

They say that Peleus was your father and Thetis your mother.

Yet I should say, so hard are you, that a rock was your father and your mother the sea.

If you will not go forth to the battle because you have had some warning from the gods, then let me go, and let your people, the Myrmidons, go with me, and let me put on your armor.

The Trojans will think that you have come back to the battle, and the Greeks will have a breathing space." So Patroclus spoke, entreating Achilles, but he did not know that it was for his own death that he asked.

And so that's where we'll start too.

Achilles, he is the leader of a Greek group called the Myrmidons.

And like you heard last week, he's the son of a goddess, kind of a minor goddess.

Her name is Thetis.

And he says, I am not going to come fight until Hector is burning our ships.

And in fact, that's what happens is that Patroclus says, hey, look, they're burning our ships.

And Achilles says, fine, you go and take the Myrmidons.

But he is going to stay behind and sacrifice to Zeus.

delight.

And at the right horn of the fleet was the phithiotic army of the Myrmidons, with fifty valiant ships.

And in golden effigies the Nereid goddesses stood on the summit of the Poops, the standard of the host of Achilles.

and next to these there stood the Argai ships, with equal number of oars, of which Euryalus the grandson of Macisteus was general, whom his father Talius trains up, and Suthenilus, son of Cephanius.

dragging out my fair-haired tresses, will choose me as his spoil despite my tears while my country is perishing? through thee forsooth the offspring of the long-necked swan if indeed the report is true that leda met with a winged bird when the body of jove was transformed and then in the tablets of the muses fables spread these reports among men inopportunely and in vain

enter achilles

where about here is the general of the greeks who of the servants will tell him that achilles the son of peleus is seeking him at the gates for we do not remain by the eurypus in equal condition for some of us being unyoked in nuptials having left our solitary homes sit here upon the shore but others having wives and children so violent a passion for this expedition has fallen upon greece not without the will of the gods it is therefore right that i should speak of what concerns me and whoever else wishes will himself speak for himself For leaving the Pharsalian land and Peleus, I am waiting for these light gales of Eurypus, restraining the Myrmidons, who are continually pressing me, and saying, Achilles, why tarry we? What manner of time must the armament against Troy yet measure out? At any rate, act, if you are going to do anything, or lead the army home.

not abiding the delays of the Atreides.

There is no king here so hateful to me as you are; for you are ever quarrelsome and ill-affected.

What though you be brave, was it not heaven that made you so? Go home, then, with your ships and comrades to lord it over the Myrmidons.

I care neither for you nor for your anger, and thus will I do.

Since Phoebus Apollo is taking Chryseis from me, I shall send her with my ship and my followers, but I shall come to your tent and take your own prize, Briseis, that you may learn how much stronger I am than you are, and that another may fear to set himself up as equal or comparable with me.

Take Briseis by the hand and bring her hither.

If he will not give her, I shall come with others and take her, which will press him harder.

He charged them straightly further and dismissed them, whereon they went their way sorrowfully by the seaside, till they came to the tents and ships of the Myrmidons.

They found Achilles sitting by his tent and his ships, and ill-pleased he was when he beheld them.