It is known that many ancient peoples had their own beliefs, which today are called paganism. The mythology of the ancient Greeks is particularly interesting with a wide variety of legends and characters - titans, immortal gods, nymphs and muses. Each of them takes its own place, has a unique character and its purpose. Ares, the god of war, occupies an important place in mythology - he is one of the twelve main gods of Olympus.
Origin of god
It is generally accepted that Ares is the only son of Zeus and Hera. In addition, in Roman mythology there is a version according to which Ares was born a Hero on his own, without the participation of Zeus - conception occurred due to the touch of a magical flower that endowed with fertility. It is known that in this way Hephaestus was born.
There is another, less common, version of his name - Ares, or Areyon.
Specifications
The ancient Greek god Ares was not the only patron of the war - his sister Athena Pallas personified an honest and just war. Ares, on the other hand, was bloodthirsty, reckless, eager to fight all the time, despite the fact that the Olympians were forbidden to directly intervene in the affairs of the people and participate in battles. He preferred war for the sake of war itself, and often under the influence of emotions he could take sides and fight, destroying everything in its path.
Ares is the god of a bloody and brutal war. Relative to other spheres of life, he is characterized as aggressive, quick-tempered and impulsive, committing rash acts, for which he is not liked by the rest of the inhabitants of Olympus. Reasonable Athena even despises Ares for his wild temper and constantly strives to teach a lesson. Also does not like God and his father - Zeus. However, the Olympians have to reckon with Ares only because of his noble origin.
But Ares also has good qualities - it is fidelity and devotion, a willingness to stand up for his loved ones and protect those to whom he is supportive. It is worth noting that not all the gods of Olympus can boast of these qualities.
Lover and father
Despite how cruel and treacherous Ares is, God does not remain indifferent to the legendary beauty of Aphrodite. She was the wife of Hephaestus, but it is believed that it was with Ares that she had the strongest and most passionate love. The union of War and Love turned out to be quite strong. Although there was often a love relationship between the gods of Olympus, so sometimes it’s not possible to tell who and whose lover was, the bonds of Ares and Aphrodite can rightfully be called one of the strongest and most durable.
As a result of this love, children were born to the gods: the sons Phobos (horror) and Deimos (fear), who accompanied his father on the battlefield. And the name of their daughter - Harmony - symbolizes the coherence of the relationship of the opposing Ares and Aphrodite. The god of love Eros (Eros, or Cupid) and the opposite Anteros are also considered their descendants, however this is not the only version regarding their origin.
The god of war had other descendants, at least three of them participated in the campaign for the Golden Fleece, and one of the daughters became the Queen of the Amazons. Many of his children inherited the character traits that distinguished Ares. God is very attached to his children and, if necessary, was always ready to intercede for them.
Ares Myths
Ancient Greek mythology is replete with an infinite number of legends and tales. In fact, there are so many of them that sometimes some myths can contradict each other. The god of ancient Greece, Ares is no exception and he also has his own story.
As a child, Ares had the opportunity to spend thirteen months chained and enclosed in a bronze vessel - this is how the twin giants Aloada Ot and Efialt “joked” him. Later the stepmother of the giants told Hermes about this, who saved little Ares and stopped his torment.
Initially, Ares studied the art of dance with Priapus, who was entrusted with the upbringing of a young god by his parent Hera. And only after that the future god of war began to comprehend the basics of military affairs.
Another myth about the god Ares tells of those episodes when he was the lover of Aphrodite. The goddess’s husband, Hephaestus, learning about the betrayal of his wife, wanted to expose the lovers and take them red-handed. To do this, he created a solid and invisible network, which he secured above his wife’s bed, after which he pretended to be leaving to go about his business. Ares did not take long to wait and after a while he was already lying with Aphrodite, not knowing about the trap that Hephaestus had prepared for them. When the lovers realized that they were trapped, the legal spouse called the gods of Olympus to witness this betrayal, but as a result, nothing came of it - the celestials only laughed at the caught lovers.
Symbols and attributes of the god of war
Hand in hand with Ares are followed by his companions - the bloodthirsty Enio and the goddess of contention Eris. Well, what about a battle without a horse? The patron saint of the war had as many as four, and their names were respectively - Glitter, Flame, Horror and Noise. However, the symbol of the god Ares is the war itself, its destruction, sacrifice and everything connected with it. His attributes were mainly a spear and a lit torch, as well as furious dogs and a kite that tormented the soldiers who fell in battle.
Ares was usually portrayed as a strong and energetic man. He can have a beard, or maybe without it, but he must have the attributes of a warrior: a helmet, a shield, as well as a sword or spear. Sometimes it is wearing armor or a metal breastplate. He is a huge, blood stained destroyer of people, destroying cities - such was the view of the ancient Greeks Ares, the god of war.
Attitude to Ares
In ancient Greece, Ares was mostly treated negatively, they did not like and were afraid of him. This is reflected in the poems of Homer, describing, for example, the Trojan War, in which the god of war himself took part. A bloodthirsty folly rushing from side to side - this is the description of God in the Iliad. Ares is boastful and unrestrained, and when he is defeated, he even has complaints and nagging. This happened when Athena once again caused her brother certain inconveniences, pointing Diomedes hand, which helped him injure the immortal and strong god with a spear. But Zeus did not heed the complaints of his son and only humiliated him even more, saying that he was disgusting to him due to Ares's inclination to fights and battles.
However, not only Thunderer Zeus was ill-disposed towards the god of war, let alone the constant confrontation between Ares and Athena Pallas. The ancient Greeks loved rationality and prudence, and Ares just lacked these qualities. However, even Homer found positive epithets against the god of war - in the “Anthem to Ares” he is described as the father of victory, a supporter of justice, a model of masculinity.
In Roman mythology
If the Greeks did not particularly respect Ares, then the Romans, on the contrary, treated the god of war with great respect. In the ancient Roman tradition, Ares was called Mars, and he occupied a significant place in the pantheon of the gods - only Jupiter (Zeus) was above him. Mars is considered the patron saint of the people and the state, and also accounts for the father of Romulus and Remus, the founding brothers of Rome.
Sculptures
In ancient Greece, Ares was not too popular, so in our time not so many of his sculptures are known. The most significant are the statues of antiquity "Ares Borghese" and "Ares Ludovisi", which are actually Roman copies.
In the Paris Louvre today is one of these monuments, which depicts the god Ares, his photo is presented above.