Warrior Ants: Elite Troops in the Iliad

In the Iliad, Achilles' Myrmidons and the troops under Telamonian Ajax represent elite infantry contingents distinct from the rest of the Achaean force, specifically in their use of phalanx formations. This is evinced by several passages within the Iliad itself, and also by the mythological origins of the Myrmidons. Importantly, the tactics used on both sides of the conflict at Troy were variegated rather than uniform. Apparent discrepancies in Homeric descriptions of battle, such as the portrayal of the phalanx at some points and loose formations at others, can thus be explained.