evzone

noun

1. A member of the Greek presidential guard.
2. An infantryman of a select corps of the Greek army.

   “The soldiers seen at various stations belong to the corps of the Greek army that proved itself most effective in the recent war, the Evzonoi.”

   “The best-paid Greek soldiers are the Evzonoi, their pay amounting to 12 lepta a day extra (that is to say, to 27 lepta net).”

   “All this time little bands of rounded-up Evzones and men of the other regiment of the garrison were being brought in, together with news of the French losses.”

   “That's an evzone on our cover this month — and an evzone, as you probably know, is a Greek soldier of a certain kind. Recruited from mountain districts of Greece, the evzones make up rifle units in the Greek Army — but are better known to tourists as the skirted lads who make up the Royal Palace Guard.”

   “The Evzones not only halted the invasion, but drove the Italians out of Greece and, by the onset of winter, occupied the southern quarter of Albania.”