AreS

Ares was the Greek god of war, and perhaps the most disliked of all the Olympian Gods, due to his quick temper, often aggressiveness, and inexhaustible love of fighting. She is known for seducing Aphrodite, fighting and defeating Hercules, and angering Poseidon by killing Poseidon's son, Halirrhothious. Ares, one of the Olympian Gods whose human aspects predominate, had been a popular subject in Greek art and became more popular during the Roman period when it was studied in much more serious terms as the Roman god of war Mars.

The sisters of Ares, son of Zeus and Hera, were Hebe and Ilithia. Despite being a god, the Greeks viewed Ares from Thrace as it reflected their thinking of a completely different, foreign and war-loving people from their own. Ares had many diverse children from different partners, some of whom were unlucky enough to oppose him in performing the Twelve Quests of Hercules. The Amazon queen had lost the belt of Ares' daughter Hippolyte to Hercules; his son Eurytion had lost his cattle. This Greek hero had stolen the horses of Diodimis. Brave and highly warlike Amazons were also believed to be descendants of Ares.

In Greek myths, Ares stood out for his charm and courage, which undoubtedly helped win the love of the Greek Goddess, Aphrodite (although she was married to Hephaestus). Later, a daughter, Harmonia, was born from Ares, and Eros, the god of love and lust. Hephaestus succeeded in trapping the lovers in a skillfully made bed, and this story is detailed in Book 8 of Homer's Odyssey. After his capture, Ares' punishment for his foolishness was his temporary exile from Mount Olympus.

 Described by Hesiod as 'the shield-piercing Ares' and 'the city plunderer Ares' in his Theogonia, the god represented the more brutal and bloody side of the war; which was in stark contrast to Athena, who represented the more strategic elements of warfare. In stories from Greek mythology, Ares was often found with Aphrodite, Phobos (Fear), and Deimos (Terror) and their other children, along with his sister Eris (Fight) and Ennyo, who was atop the chariot.

Battle with Hercules

The most popular legend about Ares was his battle with Hercules. Ares' son, Cyknos, was notorious for blocking the way of pilgrims to the oracle at Delphi, so it had already caught the eye of Apollo, who had sent Hercules to deal with him. Hercules killed Cyknos, and thus the enraged Ares got into a fight with Hercules. However, Hercules was protected from harm by Athena and even managed to injure Ares. Another legendary and embarrassing event for Ares was his capture when the twin Giants Ephialtes and Otis attacked Mount Olympus. They had imprisoned the god in a bronze jar (or cauldron) for a year, and Ares was released only with Hermes' intervention.

 Trojan War

In Homer's interpretation of the Trojan War in the Iliad, Ares supported the Trojans, sometimes even leading them in battle with Hector. The Iliad does not show the good aspects of Ares, but rather as a rather consonant member of the Greek pantheon. 'Hateful Ares' has been described as 'human murderer', 'insatiable for war' and 'the curse of men'. Like the mythological tales above, Homer's depiction of Ares is often shown to be weak compared to other gods. Ares is also known for being badly beaten by Athena, who supported the Achaeans and knocked him unconscious with a large rock. He is also shown badly in front of Diomidis, who managed to injure the god with his spear, even with the help of Athena. Homer describes the cry of the wounded Ares as equivalent to the screams of 10,000 people. When he returns to Olympus, Zeus ignores Ares' complaints but instructs Paion to heal his wound.

Athens & Sects

Ares once again disrupted the order of Olympus when he was accused of murdering Poseidon's son, Halirrhothius, near a stream below the Athenian acropolis. A special court - the Areopagus (also known as Ares Hill) - convened on a hill near the stream to hear the case. Ares was acquitted when it was revealed that Halirrhothios had raped Ares' daughter Alcippe. Thereafter, the Areopagus in Athens became the site of trials for murder and sacrilege.

 Perhaps not surprisingly, Ares was held in high regard in Sparta, given the city's strong militaristic culture. Ares was not widely worshiped, but there were places of worship with temples dedicated to him in Crete (mentioned in the Linear B writings of Knossos) and in Argoz, Athens, Erythrai, Geronthrae, Megalopolis, Tegea, Therapne, and Troezen. He also had a cult in Thrace and was popular with the Colchisians in the Black Sea.

Representation in Art

In Ancient Greek Archaic and Classical art, Ares is often depicted wearing full armor and a helmet and carrying a shield and spear. Therefore, when viewed, it is indistinguishable from other armed fighters. Sometimes the Greek god is seen getting into his chariot drawn by fire-breathing horses. The legend of Ares' battle with Hercules, BC. It was a popular subject for Ancient Greek vases in the 6th century.

In later times, the Roman god Mars was given many of the features of Ares, although he had less human qualities, which were also typical of Roman gods. In Roman mythology, Mars was also the father of the legendary founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus (by the rape of the Vestal Virgin Rhea Silvia), and thus the city attained a sacred status. What Athena was to the Athenians, Mars was the patron god of the Roman capital, and the month martius (March) is named after him.