It is known that many ancient peoples had their own beliefs, which today are called paganism. The mythology of the ancient Greeks is especially interesting with a wide variety of legends and characters - titans, immortal gods, nymphs and muses. Each of them occupies its own place, has a unique character and purpose. Ares, the god of war, occupies an important place in mythology - he is one of the twelve main gods of Olympus.
The Origin of God
It is commonly believed 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 by the Hero on his own, without the participation of Zeus - conception occurred due to touching a magical flower that gave fertility. It is known that Hephaestus was born in this way.
There is another, less common, version of his name - Arey, or Areion.
Features
The ancient Greek god Ares was not the only patron of war - his sister Pallas Athena personified fair and just war. Ares was bloodthirsty, reckless, he was eager to fight all the time,despite the fact that the Olympians were forbidden to directly interfere in the affairs of 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 his path.
Ares is the god of bloody and cruel war. In relation to other areas of life, he is characterized as aggressive, quick-tempered and impulsive, committing rash acts, for which he is disliked by the rest of the inhabitants of Olympus. Reasonable Athena even despises Ares for his violent temper and constantly strives to teach a lesson. Also dislikes God and his father - Zeus. However, the Olympians have to reckon with Ares only because of his noble birth.
But Ares also has good qualities - this is loy alty and devotion, a willingness to stand up for his loved ones and protect those to whom he favors. 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, the god is not 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 love relationships often arose between the gods of Olympus, so sometimes it’s impossible to make out who and whose lover was, the bond between 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), whoaccompanied their father to the battlefield. And the name of their daughter - Harmony - symbolizes the coherence of relations between Ares and Aphrodite, opposite to each other. The god of love Eros (Eros, or Cupid) and his opposite Anteros are also considered their descendants, but 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.
Myths about Ares
Ancient Greek mythology is replete with an endless variety 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 a chance to spend thirteen months chained and imprisoned in a bronze vessel - so the giant twins Aloada Ot and Ephi altes "played a joke" on him. Later, the stepmother of the giants told Hermes about this, who saved little Ares and ended his torment.
Initially, Ares studied the art of dance with Priapus, who was entrusted with the education of the 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 Aphrodite's lover. The husband of the goddess, Hephaestus, having learned about the betrayal of his wife, wanted to exposelovers and take them red-handed. To do this, he created a strong and invisible net, which he fixed over his wife's bed, after which he pretended to leave to do his own thing. Ares did not take long to wait and after some time was already lying down with Aphrodite, unaware of the trap that Hephaestus had prepared for them. When the lovers realized that they had fallen into a trap, the legitimate 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 follow his companions - the bloodthirsty Enyo and the goddess of discord Eris. Well, what about in battle without a horse? The patron of the war had four of them, and they were called respectively - Shine, Flame, Horror and Noise. However, the symbol of the god Ares is the war itself, its destruction, sacrifices 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.
Usually, Ares was portrayed as a strong and energetic man. He may or may not have a beard, but he must have the attributes of a warrior: a helmet, a shield, and a sword or spear. Sometimes he is wearing armor or a metal breastplate. He is a huge, blood-stained destroyer of people, destroying cities - this is how Ares, the god of war, seemed to the ancient Greeks.
Attitude towards Ares
In ancient Greece, Ares was generally treated negatively, notloved and feared 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 madcap, rushing from side to side - such is the description of God in the Iliad. Ares is boastful and unrestrained, and when he is defeated, he even tends to complain and whine. This happened when Athena once again caused some inconvenience to her brother by directing the hand of Diomedes, which helped him injure the immortal and strong god with a spear. But Zeus did not heed his son's complaints and only humiliated him even more, saying that he was disgusted by him due to Ares' penchant for fights and battles.
However, not only the Thunderer Zeus had a bad attitude towards the god of war, what can we say about the constant confrontation between Ares and Pallas Athena. The ancient Greeks loved rationality and prudence, and Ares just lacked these qualities. However, even Homer found positive epithets for the god of war - in the "Hymn to Ares" he is spoken of as the father of victory, a supporter of justice, a model of masculinity.
In Roman mythology
If the Greeks did not particularly revere Ares, 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 higher than him. Mars is considered the patron of the people and the state, and is also the father of Romulus and Remus, the founding brothers of Rome.
Sculptures
In ancient Greece, Ares was not very popular, so not many of his sculptures are known in our time. The most significant arestatues from antiquity "Ares Borghese" and "Ares Ludovisi", which are actually Roman copies.
In the Louvre in Paris today there is one of these monuments, which depicts the god Ares, his photo is presented above.
