Ares (deity)
Ares is the Greek god of war, often associated with boldness, strength, and the chaos of battle. Unlike his Roman counterpart Mars, Ares was less popular among both mortals and other deities. He embodies the more brutal aspects of warfare, such as violence and destruction, and is sometimes viewed as a symbol of horror and confusion rather than honorable combat. Ares is notably contrasted with his sister Athena, who represents wisdom in warfare and often fought to protect people rather than simply for bloodshed.
As the son of Zeus and Hera, Ares is a major figure in Greek mythology, though he lacks extensive mythological stories. His most notable tales include his tumultuous love affair with Aphrodite and his involvement in the Trojan War, as depicted in Homer's epics. Ares is often portrayed as handsome but vain and cowardly, favoring glory in battle only when it benefits him. Worshipped primarily in regions such as Thrace and Scythia, followers of Ares sought his favor for victory in war, which sometimes involved sacrificial rituals. Despite his fierce reputation, Ares frequently faced defeat at the hands of other gods, highlighting the Greek perception of a war god who could be challenged and subdued.
Ares (deity)
Symbols: Spear and helmet; shield; sword; or armor
Culture: Greco–Roman
Mother: Hera
Father: Zeus
Siblings: Hephaestus; Aphrodite; Hermes; Athena; Apollo; Artemis; Dionysus; Persephone; Eris
Children: Phobos; Deimos; Nike; Harmonia; Eros; Anteros; Enyalios
Ares was the Greek god of war. He is similar to the Roman god Mars, but Ares was never as popular as Mars. Ares represented boldness and strength, but only in combat. He loved conflict, death, and destruction, and it is sometimes said that he was more the god of horror and confusion than of war. The Greek playwright Aeschylus wrote that Ares was violent and respected no one. As a result, Ares was not liked by the majority of gods and goddesses. He is often contrasted with his sister, Athena, who was also a war maker. However, Athena had wisdom. She valued skill in battle, not just bloodshed, and she often protected people.
Though not liked, Ares had many followers. Some of these were lesser deities, such as his sister Eris, whose name means "strife." Ares was also often accompanied by his sons, Phobos and Deimos, whose names mean "fear" and "terror." The name of his daughter, Nike, means "victory." Cultures that valued combat worshipped Ares because they thought he could help them obtain victory in battle. Wars were common among the many small kingdoms in and around Greece. Believing Ares was on a kingdom’s side would encourage those doing the fighting.
In Mythology
Ares was the son of Zeus, the king of the Greek gods. Zeus became king when he overthrew his father, Cronus. Zeus then took his sister Hera as his queen. Hera became the mother of several gods and goddesses, including Ares. As the son of Zeus and Hera, Ares was identified as one of the major Greek gods. However, he was mostly a symbol of war.
There is not a lot of mythology associated with Ares. Among the few stories are those about his relationship with Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Some stories have him as Aphrodite’s husband, while others maintain that Aphrodite was married to the lame Hephaestus, god of fire, and Ares was her lover. Phobos and Deimos were sons of Ares and Aphrodite.
Ares was handsome and could be charming, but he was vain. While he loved war and bloodshed, he loved it only when he was winning. As a result, he was seen as a bit of a coward.
Ares is best known in the context of the Trojan War. The most famous account of this conflict is Homer’s epic poem The Iliad. In the Iliad, Homer describes Ares as bloodstained, a curse to humans, and a "destroyer of men." This battle, which lasted for ten years, was triggered by the abduction of the Greek queen Helen by Paris, a prince of Troy. The Greeks gather their forces and sail to Troy to retrieve Helen. In Homer’s tale, gods and goddesses fight on both sides. Athena and Hera fight on behalf of the Greeks. Ares had promised that he, too, would help the Greeks, but then he fights for the Trojans, because being in the thick of battle is more important to him than which side he supports. Hera sends Athena to stop Ares. Wearing a helmet that makes her invisible, Athena makes it possible for a Greek warrior to wound Ares. Ares howls in pain and races off to tell Zeus that he has been wounded. Zeus tells Ares to stop whining, then adds that because Ares loves nothing except war and conflict, Zeus hates him.
The Odyssey, also written by Homer, is an account of events after the Trojan War. Homer includes a story of Ares and Aphrodite in which lame Hephaestus is married to Aphrodite. Knowing his wife had been seduced by Ares, Hephaestus sets a trap to capture his wife and her lover. Most of the gods laugh at the capture of Ares. When he is released, Ares run away to Thrace, in the northern part of Greece.
While stories about Ares and Aphrodite differ, all show Ares as loving Aphrodite. Ares loaned her his chariot to escape Troy, and Ares later killed Adonis when Aphrodite fell in love with him.
As powerful as he was, Ares did not always win. Athena was able to stop him more than once. Hephaestus was able to capture him. In fact, as fierce and dangerous as he was, Ares was defeated almost every time he faced other deities. It appears the Greeks could not accept the idea of a bloodthirsty god who could not be stopped.
Origins and Cults
Stories about the gods and goddesses varied because they were told in so many places over so many centuries. Also, different cultures looked for different attributes in their deities. Those who valued wisdom would prefer Athena. Those who valued war wanted someone like Ares to help them. Thrace and Scythia, in the northern part of Greece, were the main places where Ares was worshipped. It was said that the people of Thrace were so warlike that Ares must live there. In Scythia, both horses and men were sacrificed to Ares, using a sword in the ceremony, as Ares so valued the sword.
There were also cults in the southern part of Greece, especially in Sparta and Laconia. Because Ares was the god of war, his cult did not offer moral or social guidance. It did include a lot of sacrifice. In Sparta, prisoners of war were sometimes sacrificed to Ares. Spartans also sacrificed dogs to Ares.
A grove of trees sacred to Ares in Laconia was home to a statue of Ares that had been carried there from the north. No women were allowed in this grove during an annual festival to Ares. In Athens, there was a temple to Ares at the foot of the Areopagus. The Areopagus, which means "Hill of Ares," was the location of the court of justice for Athens.
In artwork, Ares is almost always shown in his armor, holding his spear. He is also often shown in a chariot, sometimes with his sister Eris at his side.
Bibliography
Apollodoros. The Library of Greek Mythology. Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford: Oxford, 2008. Print.
Buxton, Richard. The Complete World of Greek Mythology. London: Thames, 2004. Print.
Day, Malcolm. 100 Characters from Classical Mythology: Discover the Fascinating Stories of Greek and Roman Deities. London: Quarto, 2007. Print.
Hamilton, Edith. Mythology. 1942. New York: Back Bay, 2013. Print.
Homer. The Iliad. Richmond Lattimore, trans. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 2011. Print.
O’Connor, George. Ares: Bringer of War (Olympians). New York: First Second, 2015. Print.
Smith, William, ed. "Ares." A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Perseus Digital Library. Tulane University, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2015. <http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aentry%3Dares-bio-1>.