Myrrine

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"I know you do what's right in your heart, but you have to put your family first, lamb."

―Myrrine to Kassandra, c. 427 BCE.^[src]^-[m]

Myrrine was a Spartan noblewoman and a member of the Agiad dynasty who lived during the 5th century BCE. The daughter of King Leonidas I of Sparta, she was the mother of Kassandra and Alexios, who went on to become a prominent misthios and a Sage of the Cult of Kosmos respectively. Through Kassandra, she was also the grandmother of Elpidios and an ancestor of Aya, one of the co-founders of the Hidden Ones.

After losing both of her children as a result of a conspiracy waged by the Cult of Kosmos, Myrrine went into a self-imposed exile from Sparta and became a pirate under Xenia, gaining the moniker of the Phoenix. After a period of time, Myrrine retired from piracy, becoming the obligarch of Naxos and leading the polis against Paros.

It was during her tenure as Naxos' obligarch that she learned of her children's survival, which led Myrrine to devote herself to reunite her family and reclaim their familial home in Sparta. After being reunited with Kassandra, Myrrine would support her daughter in her fight against the Cult of Kosmos and attempt to rescue her son from the Cult's influence.

Biography[]

Early life[]

Myrrine was born as the only daughter of King Leonidas I of Sparta. Her arm was adorned with birthmarks that formed the constellation Aquila.^[1] Years after her father died in the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BCE, Myrrine inherited his signature spear recovered from the battlefield by Spartan soldiers. At some point, she met the famed philosopher Pythagoras, whose possession of the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus allowed him to live beyond his lifetime. The two developed a relationship which resulted in the birth of Kassandra in 458 BCE. However, Pythagoras' obsession with his research of the Isu led him to leave Myrrine, secluding himself on the island of Thera. Myrrine was thus left to raise Kassandra by herself, keeping the identity of Kassandra's father a secret.^[2]

Years later, Myrrine met and married the Spartan general Nikolaos,^[3] who devoted himself to living up to the name of Myrrine's father. To that end, he trained Kassandra from a young age in order for her to live up to the valor of her grandfather Leonidas. During one session of the training, Myrrine handed down Leonidas' spear to Kassandra as a heirloom.^[4] Eventually, Myrrine and Nikolaos had a son together, Alexios, who became Kassandra's younger half-brother.^[5]

Incident on Mount Taygetos[]

"Nikolaos! Stop! Nikolaos! No! Nikolaos! Nikolaos! Look at me! Look at me, Nikolaos! Don't! Don't listen!"

―Myrrine pleading with Nikolaos not to punish Kassandra, 451 BCE.^[src]^-[m]

ACOD Myrrine and Kassandra restrained — Myrrine and Kassandra being restrained

In 451 BCE, not long after Alexios' birth, the Pythia prophesied that the boy would bring the downfall of Sparta, which led the Elders of Sparta to sentence him to death. Myrrine and the rest of her family were made to watch as a Spartan Elder attempted to sacrifice Alexios by throwing him from Mount Taygetos. Kassandra attempted to save her brother's life, but only made things worse by accidentally pushing both Alexios and the Elder off the mountain. As punishment, Nikolaos threw Kassandra from the mountain, despite Myrrine's desperate pleas for him to stop.^[5]

Myrrine managed to recover Alexios, who had miraculously survived his fall, but found no sign of Kassandra and assumed her daughter to be dead. As Alexios was badly injured, Myrrine traveled alone to Argolis, where she met a young Hippokrates, who directed her to seek the medical help of the priests at the Sanctuary of Asklepios.^[6] There, Myrrine was given shelter, food and a bath before the priests informed her that her son could not be saved.^[7] Unbeknowst to her, the priestess Chrysis took Alexios, aware that the boy would in fact survive, and raised him for the Cult of Kosmos' nefarious purposes.^[8]

Finding a purpose[]

Heartbroken over having seemingly lost both of her children, Myrrine left Sparta after renouncing her name and Spartan citizenship and ended her relationship with Nikolaos due to his actions.^[9] During her travels, she eventually made her way to Korinth, where was given shelter by the hetaera Anthousa after she found her sleeping on the streets during a heavy rain. During her stay in Korith, Myrrine often kept to herself, refusing to reveal her past to Anthousa and the rest of the hetaerai. At one point, she also met the Monger, a member of the Cult who would later took control of Korinth. Eventually, she won a ship, the Siren Song, in a game of dice and departed from Korinth.^[10]

ACOD Myrrine Xenia — Myrrine parting ways with Xenia

After adopting the name "Phoenix", Myrrine spent a period of time sailing before meeting the pirate Xenia. She became a member of her crew, forming a close friendship with Xenia, who remarked her as an excellent pirate. After sailing alongside Xenia for a period of time, Myrrine would eventually leave again, informing Xenia that life as a pirate was not her true call.^[1]

After more time on the sea, Myrrine eventually sailed to Naxos, an island polis which was at war with Paros. Seeing that the state needed a leader, Myrrine decided to remain on the island, and became its oligarch. The Cult of Kosmos, having tracked her down, sent Silanos to Paros and planted him as the rival state's oligarch to eliminate Myrrine. When the Parians made an alliance with Athens, Myrrine was left with no choice but to realign herself with Sparta to stand a better chance. By the time of the Peloponnesian War, Myrrine had a number of generals serving under her, including Chersis, Euneas, Hektor, and Timo.^[11]

Reunion with Kassandra[]

In 429 BCE, Myrrine was reunited with Kassandra, who had been tracking her whereabouts with the help of Aspasia. However, their reunion was cut brief when a number of Parian soldiers launched an attack on Naxos. With the help of Kassandra and her generals, Hektor and Timo, Myrrine was able to repel the attack, finally allowing for time to catch up with her daughter. After discussing Alexios and the Cult, Myrrine brought Kassandra around the island to show her the process of rebuilding the island. When the two arrived at her villa, Myrrine sent Kassandra to locate and her rescue her admiral Euneas while she left to attend a symposium held at the Temple of Dionysos.^[11]

ACOD Death and Disorder - Myrrine Making Her Decision — Myrrine agreeing to return to Sparta

At the symposium, Myrrine met Aspasia, who informed her of an attempt on her life by the Cult. Myrrine brushed off Aspasia's warnings, stating that she needed to be in the public due to her role as the island's oligarch. The two were later joined by Kassandra, who agreed to locate the assassins and eliminate them. Although suspected the assassins to have been sent by Silanos, it was later revealed that they had in fact been sent by one of the Kings of Sparta. Stunned by the implication that one of the kings was aligned with the Cult, Myrrine agreed to return to Sparta.^[12]

Before doing so, Myrrine sought to ensure that Naxos would be safe without her, by eliminating Silanos and the Parian fleet. With Kassandra's aid, Myrrine and the Naxian fleet were able to defeat the Parian fleet including Silanos.^[13] With Naxos secure for the time being, Myrrine remained to spend time with Timo and before leaving for Sparta,^[14] told Kassandra of her birth father, but not who he was. Leaving Naxos in the hands of Aspasia, who stayed behind as the island's new archon, Myrrine then accompanied her daughter aboard the Adrestia to Sparta. They encountered a storm on the way, but Barnabas and his crew fought through it.^[15]

Homecoming[]

ACOD Home Sweet Home 03 — Myrrine and Kassandra's return to Lakonia

In 428 BCE, Myrrine returned to Sparta with Kassandra and stood before their old home, where Brasidas greeted them. He informed them that the state had claimed their home after the events in Megaris, and that they would have to convince the two kings, Archidamos and Pausanias, to return it to them. Brasidas also suggested they bring a "gift" to the kings to earn their favour, in the form of dealing with a local helot rebellion.^[16]

Later, Myrrine visited the Tomb of Leonidas, where Kassandra joined her. They reflected on Leonidas' legacy and, through the power in their blood and the Spear of Leonidas that Kassandra held, were able to see a vision of his past, when he confronted the Cult of Kosmos in the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, and defied the Pythia's "commands" to allow Xerxes to conquer Greece. The vision ended with Leonidas ordering his men ready to march to Thermopylai. At that moment, Pausanias walked up and greeted the two women. He offered sympathies for the tragedy that tore their family apart, and suggested Kassandra deal with the krypteia stoking the flames of the helot rebellion as a gift for their eventual audience.^[17]

ACOD An audience with the Two Kings of Sparta — Myrrine at the meeting with the Spartan kings

After their tense audience with the two kings, Kassandra was tasked with delivering Sparta's champion to the Olympic Games in Elis, as well as defeating the Athenian forces occupying Boeotia and claiming the region for Sparta, in order to bring glory to Sparta and redeem their family in the eyes of the gods. Myrrine, meanwhile, journeyed with Brasidas to Arkadia to track down another Cultist. Kassandra eventually joined them and determined the Cultist was Lagos, the region's archon. Brasidas and Myrrine disagreed on how to deal with him—Brasidas wanted to convince him to leave the Cult, as his death would bring chaos to Sparta's breadbasket, whereas Myrrine wanted his head on a pike as a message to the Cultist King.^[18]

ACOD A Bloody Feast 15 — Myrrine pleading with Kassandra to bring Alexios home

Regardless of the methods, their labors were completed, and the two women returned to Sparta to unmask and confront the Cultist King. Myrrine summoned the ephors, the five Spartan citizens who held power over even the two kings, to the second audience, and by the day's end, Pausanias was exposed as the Cultist King and slain. Archidamos, now the sole ruler of Sparta, ultimately restored the Agiad women's lands and birthright.^[19]

As Myrrine and Kassandra settled back into their home, Brasidas arrived to ask for Kassandra's help to prepare an attack against the Athenians in Pylos, as there were rumors that the Athenians had a powerful warrior on their side. Deducing said warrior to be Alexios, who was now serving the Cult as Deimos, Kassandra accepted and, before she left, Myrrine asked her daughter to free Alexios from the Cult's control and bring him home.^[19]

Family reunion[]

In August 422 BCE,^[20] Myrrine was reunited with Kassandra when the latter returned to Sparta after having fought in the Battle of Amphipolis, where she encountered Alexios on the battlefield.^[21] Kassandra informed her mother that Alexios had been hit in the back by an arrow fired by the Cultist Kleon, leaving his fate uncertain, and decided to return to Mount Taygetos, claiming she could not run from her past any longer. Myrrine decided to accompany her daughter and they rode up to the cliffside, finding Alexios standing near the edge of the cliff.^[22]

ACOD Where It All Began 14 — Myrrine and Kassandra leaving Mount Taygetos following Alexios' death

Myrrine and Kassandra tried to reason with Alexios to leave the Cult and rejoin his family, but he had lost his will to live and claimed he could not be what they wanted him to be. Wanting Kassandra to kill him, he provoked his sister by feinting a blade at Myrrine, leading Kassandra to realize that her brother was beyond saving.^[20] After fighting and killing Alexios, Kassandra comforted Myrrine as she mourned the loss of her son and the two decided to return home.^[22]

Later, Kassandra decided to organize a family dinner in Sparta so that they could reconnect and leave their past behind them, invinting Myrrine as well as Nikolaos and his adoptive son Stentor. After the dinner, Myrrine joined the crew of the Adrestia, continuing to accompany her daughter on her travels throughout Greece.^[23]

Legacy[]

In 2018, when Layla Hassan relived the memories of Kassandra via a degraded genetic sample found on the Spear of Leonidas using her Animus HR-8.5, it simulated an alternate version of events. In it, Myrrine told Kassandra to search for her father much earlier, after the Paros Blockade.^[13] Myrinne also did not accompany her daughter to Sparta, instead traveling separately and arriving first.^[16] The outcome of Myrrine and Kassandra's confrontation with Alexios atop Mount Taygetos could also differ, with Myrrine potentially being killed by her son.^[22]

Behind the scenes[]

Myrrine is a character introduced in the 2018 video game Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, where she is voiced by Maria Syrgiannis.

Myrrine was born with a series of birthmarks on her arm, forming the constellation of Aquila. While looking for her, Kassandra used this identifying feature while talking with Xenia on Keos.^[1]

Timo always stood by Myrrine, and seemed to have formed a bond with her. How deep that bond was, or its exact nature, was never expanded upon.

Out-of-game material, like The Art of Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, constantly write her name as 'Myrinne'.

Etymology[]

Myrrine's name is derived from the Greek word μύρρο (mýrro), meaning 'myrrh'. Her alias, Phoenix, is a reference to the mythological bird of fire associated with the sun. Every time the bird seems to die, it bursts into flames and is reborn from the ashes of its own immolation. The same can be said of Myrrine herself, having "died" as a mother from the apparent loss of her children only to rise again with a new purpose.

The name of the achievement earned for completing Episode 5, "From the Ashes", is a reference to the Phoenix as well as the chapter's theme of collecting information leading to Myrrine.