Berserkers

Berserkers are a group of human warriors that serve the Olympian god of war, Ares. They were feared during the mythological age as a powerful army that sowed destruction, death and chaos.

Organization
The actual army of Ares had 4 divisions, "Flame", "Fire", "Terror", and "Calamity". They were called "berserkers" for their rage in the battlefield, and were capable of unmatched destruction and butchery.

Holy war
Among the many holy wars that Athena and her saints have ever fought, the most severe was the one against Ares. Among the gods, Ares was the most brutal, and planted seeds of discord all over the world, instigating multiple wars between humans. According to myth, Ares was cruel and understood by very few, and one of those who knew his mind was the god of the underworld, Hades. Additionally, "it seems" that Hades was the one pulling the strings behind the scenes of this particular holy war, and during its extension, many souls were added to Hades' world. The fight between saints and berserkers extended for a long period of time, and seemed to have no end. At the time, the number of saints recorded was at an ineffective 58 (with lacking numbers among bronze, silver and gold ranks), and Athena's army was vastly outnumbered. The saints were, one after another, defeated by the vicious warriors, and it seemed as if the berserkers had the war.

In the past, the Libra Cloth had been made by the alchemist clan of Mu to disassemble into 12 different weapons, but the saints, warriors that fight only with their bodies, were not allowed to use weapons. When the Libra saint and Athena both recognize that the use of weapons is justified, parts of the Libra cloth can be used as weapons by some saints. The first (and only, before the start of Saint Seiya) instance in which the use of the Libra weapons was allowed was when the berserkers were close to winning the war. Athena gave permission for the Libra saint to use and supply the weapons to the saints, and they were able to rout the army of Ares "in an instant", effectively turning the war around. With his army destroyed, Ares fled into the underworld for safety.

Post-war
The holy war is briefly mentioned to a Sanctuary guard by Wolf Junkers in the The Lost Canvas Gaiden 11. The "Flame Battalion" (Ephodos) was described as a force that was captured during the war. They were all executed by beheading in the Phantom Arena, an area of Athena's Sanctuary, in Greece. Athena then sealed the arena, with the still-moving beheaded berserkers.

Plot
During Aquarius Dégel's investigation of the death of the pythiae of Delphi, the seal of the Phantom Arena was removed by Gemini Aspros, leading to the conflict between the still living members of Ephodos, Gemini Defteros, and Aquarius Dégel. By the end of the fight, all of the remaining members of Ephodos ended up dead, and the commanders Bhuj Kókalo and Jamadhar Hema had their bodies obliterated (except for their skulls).