Decadent, powerful, surrounded by luxury, the Merovingian name comes from a line of Frankish kings that ruled France in about 500AD.

The dynasty was started by Merovech, who maintained that he was of the bloodline of Jesus Christ. There is also another clue as to his archetype offered by Persephone:

“A long time ago, when we first came here, it was so different. He was so different. He was like you.”

 

Persphone – The Matrix Reloaded

Referring, of course, to Neo.

There are also hints to his archetype with the name of his wife, “Persephone” and the name of his club. Although we don’t really know the name of the club, it is accessed through a button in the elevator. The button, originally an emergency button marked “HELP” has had the “P” scratched off, leaving it marked as “HEL”. Persephone was, in Greek mythology, the wife of Hades, Hades being the god of the underworld. The underworld was the realm of the dead, which later became the Christian hell. Hades was not though, the devil. His realm also included Gaia (the earth) and he was considered to be the god of wealth, because wealth came from the ground.

In the Matrix, the Merovingian controls all things “material” and political. He represents the power structure. He is not just the president, emperor or king, he is symbolic of the whole structure.

But… power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. He’s gone bad. Far more interested in his own welfare than his true purpose, ie. the welfare of others. As Persephone points out…”Pompous prick.”