Ares

The God Of War

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Known as the god of war, Ares is almost superfluous in the Greek Pantheon. Almost all of the other gods were capable of causing war on their own, so perhaps this is why the Greeks were never all that fond of their war god. The Roman equivalent of Ares, Mars, was more esteemed by the Romans than Ares ever was by the Greeks.

Quite different than modern perceptions, Ares was viewed as a weak crybaby by the Greeks. One of the more famous myths about him involves the giant sons of Poseidon, Otos and Ephialtes. The giants attempted to storm Olympus on their own, and Ares tried to stop them. Their response was to stuff him into a giant bronze urn and kept him locked in there for six months until Hermes was finally compelled to release him. Some myths say that Zeus knew where Ares was, yet chose not to help him because he felt his whiny son could use the time to think. Others go so far as to say that Ares wept in frustration when Hermes actually freed him. Ares was also said to often run to his father, Zeus, any time he was wounded in battle. Zeus would oblige and heal his son, if only to keep Ares from whining more.

Another famous myth in which Ares is involved is his love affair with Aphrodite. Hephaestus, husband to Aphrodite, grew angry with his wife's infidelity. He planned a trap for the two lovers, planting a clear, unbreakable net over the bed where they met. The net caught them both in the act, as it were, and Hephaestus called down all the other gods to laugh at the trapped Ares and Aphrodite.

From the two myths, it's apparent that the Greek Ares was not the smartest or bravest of them all. In fact, he was quite childish, almost like one trapped as an eternal teenager who takes immense glee in killing, but despises responsibility. Still, despite this, he is usually portrayed as handsome, with a strong build. His favored weapon was a spear, and his animals were dogs and vultures.

He also had several attendants. Eris (Discord), Phobos, Deimos, Harmonia, and in some accounts, even Eros and Anteros helped Ares in his campaign to cause strife and war.

Want to Know More?

Check out these links!

Greek Mythology: The Aloadai

Greek And Roman Mythology: Ares

Pantheon.org: Ares

What is He to Us?

The Ares of AOH is a bit different than the mythological one, as is to be expected. Our Ares is not such a whiner (though some may debate this), and he is much more intelligent than his mythological counterpart. Currently, Ares isn't up to much in Athens, content to simply watch as his warlord, Drakontas, continues to wreak havoc. His only temples are located in Piraeus, as he was entirely neglected before Drakontas took over the town. He is also one of the more active Greek gods, and is not rare to see or hear him around Greece.