Word of the Day  

Posted by Wayne Bretski


Myrmidon, from the Wikipedia: (click on the link above for the Image results)

The Myrmidons of Greek myth were known for their loyalty to their leaders, so that in pre-industrial Europe the word "myrmidon" carried many of the same connotations that "robot" does today.

Myrmidon later came to mean "hired ruffian" (according to the Oxford English Dictionary or "a loyal follower, especially one who executes orders without question, protest, or pity, unquestioning followers." (Dictionary.com).

I came across it (twice) in Edgar Allen Poe's Mystery of Marie Roget (full text at the link), the sequel to Murders in the Rue Morgue (again). Dupin uses it to refer to the Parisian police under the guidance of Prefect G. Check it out.

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