myrmidon /MəR-mu-dən/. noun. In Greek myth, a member of the warrior tribe who accompanied Achilles to Troy. In more common use, a bodyguard, an assistant, a servant. A member of a posse, a gang-member, a ruffian, a hired thug who follows any order without question. Most broadly, a hanger-on, an opportunist. From Latin Myrmidones/Greek Myrmidones (the tribe), possibly derived from Greek mormos (dread, terror).
“Erskine-Brown and a Mr Thrower, his sedate solicitor, found the Kitten-A-Go-Go, paid a sinister-looking myrmidon at the door ten quid each by way of membership and descended to a damp and darkened basement where two young ladies were chewing gum and removing their clothes with as much enthusiasm as they might bring to the task of licking envelopes.” (John Mortimer)
“The King made a sign and the sages heard the iron step of the myrmidons that surrounded them at the foot of the throne, and whose naked swords did gleam like flame.” (Stanislaw Lem)
“…I would die in this bed as if paralyzed, or be shot to death here on this pillow by the tireless myrmidons whose eyes miss nothing.” (Heinrich Boll)
“She smiles. He sees upside down her mouth, with lips pressed shut, flex like a myrmidon’s small-bow being drawn…” (John Banville)
“No, Arthur, no, it is not so; I am now one of the myrmidons of that most special of special pleaders, Mr. Neversaye Die. I have given myself over to the glories of a horse-hair wig…” (Anthony Trollope)
“…since Calabria was largely spared the bombardments that had destroyed archives in other parts of Italy and the post-war government had promptly rehired Mussolini’s officially disgraced myrmidons to curate the surviving ones, unravelling the history of the Intrieri clan proved much less difficult than might have been the case elsewhere.” (Michael Dibdin)
“And here was I, not only supposed to haul a prominent grain broker out of his office immediately upon his return from a week’s absence, but also headed for a revelation to the District Attorney that would probably result in my having the pleasure of meeting H. R. Corbett or some other flatfooted myrmidon in the anteroom of E. D. Kimball’s office – and wouldn’t that have been nice?” (Rex Stout)
“…for Malvolio’s nose is no whipstock, my lady has a white hand, and the Myrmidons are no bottle-ale houses.” (William Shakespeare)
“I’m Shawn Spencer,” Shawn said. “I’m a private detective. And this is my henchman, Bertie O’Myrmidon. Or he’s my myrmidon, Bertie O’Henchman. I keep getting that confused.” (William Rabkin)