Ares, the Greek god of war, embodies the raw, chaotic, and violent aspects of battle. Where Athena represents strategy and discipline, Ares charges headlong into conflict with fury and bloodlust. He thrives on the din of combat, the clash of armor, and the cries of the wounded. Feared by mortals and even shunned by other gods, Ares represents war’s unpredictable and destructive nature.
Despite his unpopularity among the Olympians, Ares holds a vital place in the Greek understanding of the world: war is not only glorious but also terrifying, and its spirit walks alongside every soldier.
Meaning and Etymology
The name Ares (Ἄρης) may derive from the Greek word ara (ἀρά), meaning “bane” or “curse,” fitting for a god associated with carnage. His Roman counterpart is Mars, who absorbed some of Ares’s qualities but gained greater stature and dignity as a patron of the Roman state.
Symbolism
Ares symbolizes violence, masculine aggression, conflict, and bloodshed. His symbols include:
- Spear and shield, representing open warfare.
- Vultures, dogs, and boars, creatures associated with battlefield death.
- Helmets and burnished armor, reflecting his readiness for combat.
Unlike Athena’s refined gear, Ares’s weapons are brutal and direct. His presence in myth often brings chaos, not resolution.
Powers and Responsibilities
Ares governs:
- Battle frenzy and the wild, emotional side of warfare.
- Physical strength and courage in the heat of combat.
- Civil strife, blood feuds, and military wrath.
While not a strategic planner like Athena, Ares fights with overwhelming force. He also fathers gods and spirits of war—making him a progenitor of conflict as well as its champion.
Family and Relations
Ares is the son of Zeus and Hera, yet even his parents regard him with unease. In Homer’s Iliad, Zeus calls him “the most hateful of all the gods.”
His most famous relationship is with Aphrodite, goddess of love. Though she is married to Hephaestus, Aphrodite and Ares carry on a passionate affair:
- Their children include Eros (desire), Harmonia (harmony), Phobos (fear), and Deimos (terror)—a symbolic pairing of love and war producing both union and chaos.
- Phobos and Deimos ride beside Ares in battle, personifying the psychological forces that accompany combat.
Ares also fathers:
- Amazonian queens such as Penthesilea, brave warrior-women aligned with his violent spirit.
- Cycnus, a violent son defeated by Herakles.
- Diomedes of Thrace, who feeds strangers to his horses.
Appearances in Myth
- The Trojan War: Ares fights on the side of Troy, often alongside Aphrodite. He is wounded by Diomedes, with Athena’s help, and retreats to Olympus—howling in pain. His injury shows that while he is a god of war, he is not invincible.
- The Affair with Aphrodite: Hephaestus traps Ares and Aphrodite in a net during one of their trysts and exposes them to the laughter of the gods. The tale mocks both Ares’s lust and his lack of discretion.
- Conflict with Athena: In myth and cult, Ares consistently contrasts with Athena. While Athena represents wise and just warfare, Ares symbolizes destructive conflict. In Homeric epics, Athena defeats or outwits him in battle.
- Trial on the Areopagus: Ares is tried for murdering Halirrhothius, son of Poseidon, who attempted to assault Ares’s daughter Alcippe. The court acquits Ares, and the Areopagus (the hill of Ares in Athens) becomes a site for future trials.
- Ares and the Giants: During the Gigantomachy, Ares fights on the side of Olympus. Despite his flaws, he proves loyal to the Olympian cause in divine conflicts.
Worship and Cult Centers
Ares’s worship was limited compared to other Olympians. Greeks respected but did not revere him widely. Key sites included:
- Thrace, his mythological homeland and a region known for wild warriors.
- Sparta, where Ares received worship through blood sacrifices and martial rites.
- The Areopagus in Athens, both a physical hill and a legal institution tied to justice and martial honor.
Rituals to Ares often involved weapons, war chants, and symbols of raw power. He had fewer temples than other gods, reflecting his unsettling domain.
Representation in Art
Ares appears in ancient art as:
- A bearded warrior in full armor or, in later works, a youthful, nude figure with a spear and helmet.
- Often shown with Aphrodite, Phobos, Deimos, or his sacred animals.
- In Roman mosaics and statues, he appears more noble, resembling Mars, his better-loved Roman counterpart.
Renaissance and modern depictions portray Ares as either a brutal berserker or a misunderstood hero of masculine energy and martial virtue.
Modern Appearances
Literature and Psychology: In modern psychology, Ares represents repressed rage, testosterone-driven aggression, and unchecked conflict. In contrast to Apollo’s order, Ares represents instinctual violence and rebellion.
Popular Culture:
- Wonder Woman – Ares is her primary antagonist, depicted as the god behind war’s corruption.
- Percy Jackson & the Olympians – Ares appears as a biker-god, aggressive, impulsive, and territorial.
- Xena: Warrior Princess – Features Ares as a charismatic, manipulative antihero, often torn between love and chaos.
Video Games:
- God of War series – Ares is portrayed as the original god slain by Kratos, showing war’s destructiveness as both myth and metaphor.
Science:
The planet Mars, named for Ares’s Roman counterpart, symbolizes war in astrology and astronomy, maintaining his legacy as a celestial symbol of battle.