Ares. The only son of Zeus and Hera, Ares is the god of war and warlike spirit. He was unpopular among many of the ancient Greeks, his worship limited to Thebes (Boeotia), perhaps Attica, and to communities in the north such as Thessaly and Aetolia. Some scholars posit a northern or Thracian origin for the god.
    As the personification of strife, Ares' companions are Fear and Panic (sometimes called his children). Athena, as goddess of forethought in battle, regularly bested Ares' brute force. In mythology, Ares often supported foreign powers in battles: he took the side of the Trojans during the Trojan War and supported the Amazons on a number of occasions, although he fought with some success for the Olympians against the Giants. Even among the Olympian deities, however, his behavior in battles was not praised. In Book 5 of the Iliad, for example, when Ares is wounded by the mortal Diomedes, Zeus condemns him as the most hateful of all the gods.
    Ares' amorous liaisons included Eos (Aurora) and, most notably, Aphrodite (Venus). With Aphrodite he is said to have fathered Harmonia (also called Hermione, later the wife of Cadmus), Eros and Anteros, and Deimos (Fear) and Phobos (Panic).
    The Roman god Mars derived almost entirely from Ares, but unlike him, Mars was second in importance, after Jupiter, in the Roman pantheon. Months were named after him in the city of Rome and other areas, and two festivals were celebrated annually in his honor. Originally an agricultural god, Mars was worshiped by many Italian tribes and associated with spring, regeneration, and growth. He was also identified with two animals, the wolf and the woodpecker.
As the Romans became more warlike, Mars changed as well. Offerings were made to him before and after battle; under the Emperor Augustus, he was given the epithet "Ultor" ("Avenger") and had a temple dedicated in his honor in 42 BCE. He was closely associated with the Sabine war deity Quirinus and a number of lesser deities, including the goddess Bellona, who was sometimes called his wife or sister.
    In classical art Ares is frequently depicted among groups of gods but rarely shown alone. In later periods as well he is usually seen alongside other deities, most commonly Bellona and Athena (Minerva). In postclassical art he is often used as an allegory for war; conversely, the image of the sleeping Mars — a metaphor for fragile peace — is also a popular theme.


See also

   Adonis
   Ares and Aphrodite
   Ares and Athena
   Diomedes
   Gods and Goddesses
   Titans and Giants
   Trojan War.