Ares, god of war: A hated and glorified divinity

In the previous post, was addressed the symbolism of the Caduceus, whose use in the field of Medicine arises from a confusion with the Rod of Asclepios. We have pointed out how this distinction between the two symbols is still perpetuated in the medical guild, taking into account their different mythological origins. Today we will talk about a divinity whose figure is detested by some and glorified by others: Ares, the god of war.

Who was Ares in the Greco-Latin Pantheon?

According to Pierre Grimal (1981), Ares was the god of war and brute force, born from the union of Zeus and Hera; in some later versions, especially in Roman mythology, it's pointed out that he was only Hera's son at birth by parthenogenesis. He was brother to Hebe (goddess of youth) and
Ilithyia (goddess of childbirth and midwives); some versions even designate Eris (goddess of discord) and Enyo (goddess of destruction, conquest and brutality) as his sisters.

Regarding to his consorts and descendants, some authors, such as Hermann Steuding (1961) and Ángel Garibay K. (2020), mention that he had various love relationships with both deities and mortals; most of his children were characterized by being violent, ruthless and warlike spirit. Some of his best known consorts and descendants were the following:

a) Aphodite, goddess of love and beauty. From this union were born Deimos (the personification of horror); Phobos (the personification of fear), and Harmonia (goddess of harmony). Some versions add Eros, god of the sexual attraction, and Antheros, god of non-corresponded love.

b) Tisiphone, one of the Erinyes. From this union was born a dragon that guarded the springs of the city of Thebes.

c) Harpina, a river nymph. From their relationship was born Oenomaus, king of Pisa, known for his jelousy.

d) Aglaurus, daughter of king Cecrops of Athens. From their relationship was born Alcippe, who would be later the mother of Dedalus, the inventor.

e) Rhea Silvia, daughter of king Numitor in the Roman mythology. From their union were born Romulus and Remus.

The most hated of the gods... And a good father

According to Silvia Blanco Rodríguez (2005), Ares wasn't a very appreciated deity by his Olympian peers (especially his parents) due to his excessive violence, his disloyalty, his brutality, his thirst for blood, his ferocity, and his little intelligence. Jaime Alberto Pineda (2015) maintains that his behavior was mainly due to the fact that he was the personification of Hera's revenge and loneliness in the face of Zeus's infidelities.

Homer, in his work Iliad, mentions that Ares has had conflicting relationships with his half-sister, Athena, due to their different perspectives on war and political issues. Ares fought first for the Achaeans, led by Menelaus; however, he soon turns his gaze from him to the Trojans. That attitude was harshly criticized by the inhabitants of Olympus, being Apollo the only one who supported him in his decision. One of the scenes where this conflict is well reflected is the confrontation between Ares and Diomedes, Athena's protégé, which took place in Book V; with harangues, Athena encourages Diomedes to fight Ares:

True son of Tydeus, Diomedes, joy of my heart! Forget the orders-nothing to fear, my friend, neither Ares nor any other god. You too, I'll urge you on with so much winning force. Up now! Lash your racing horses at Ares first, strike him at close range, no shrinking away here before that headlong Ares! Just look at the maniac, born for disaster, double-dealing, lying two-faced god- just now he promised me and Hera, the War-god swore he'd fight the Trojans, stand behind the Argives. But now, look, he's leading the Trojan rampage, his pledges thrown to the winds!
(Iliad. Book V).

The fight between both opponents was singular, culminating in the defeat of Ares. The latter, wounded, went immediately to claim to Zeus the actions of Athena. In response, he said these words that revealed the feeling he had towards the god of war:

No more, you lying, two-faced ... no more sidling up to me, whining here before me. You—I hate you most of all the Olympian gods. Always dear to your heart, strife, yes, and battles, the bloody grind of war. You have your mother's uncontrollable rage-incorrigible, that Hera—say what I will, I can hardly keep her down. Hera's urgings, I trust,' have made you suffer this. But I cannot bear to see you agonize so long. You are my child. To me your mother bore you. If you had sprung from another god, believe me, and grown into such a blinding devastation, long ago you'd have dropped below the Titans, deep in the dark pit (Iliad. Book V)

An interesting aspect mentioned by Blanco Rodríguez (2005) regarding to this deity is his deep love towards his children, which led him to perform the most bloodthirsty acts. Known was his revenge on Halirrhothius, son of Poseidon, whom he murdered after finding out or witnessing, as some versions point out, how he raped his daughter Alcippe. As a consequence, Ares was put on trial on Mount Areopagus, of which he was declared innocent of all charges after proving that his actions were justified. This particular myth is of foundational nature, because Mount Areopagus was the place where trials against murderers were held.

Cult in Greece

Arthur Cotterell (2008) and Mark Cartwright (2017) mention that his cult was concentrated in the central and northern regions of Greece, with Sparta, Athens, Thrace and Eritrea as the cities where he enjoyed wide esteem, given their militaristic culture. On the festivities organized in his honor, it's known that the dog and the vulture were his sacred animals; particularly, the dog was reserved for the performance of a chthonic or heroic sacrifice. Such sacrifices were carried out in order to obtain some favor from the divinities linked to war and the Underworld in the face of war conflicts or a crisis (Blanco Rodríguez, 2005: 18: Burgaleta Mezo, 2004: 261).

For his part, Pineda (2015) remarks that, during religious celebrations, he was invoked under the epithets of Androphones (murderer of men), Aidelos (destroyer), Brotoloigos (scourge of mortals), and Miaiphonos (murderer), in appeal to his impetuous nature and the horrors of war.

Cult in Rome

In Rome, Ares became a highly favored figure for more than representing war. Cotterell (2008), Grimal (1981) and Pineda (2015) explain that the Romans saw in the god of war a representation of youth, vegetation and spring, since war was an activity carried out by young people during that season. This conception has its origin in the Versacrum, or Sacred Spring, held by the Sabines; the celebration consisted on the migration of young people to different parts of the Italian region, with the expectation that they would make their fortune with work or war. Regarding his link with vegetation, Cotterell (2008) mentions that the Romans amalgamated the god of war with Silvanus, god of the forests; in fact, among the attributes that were added to his figure was that of being the protector of farmers and shepherds.

Now, the most important festivities in his honor were held in the months of March and October. In the month of March were held the Feriae Marti, whose main objective was the preparation of the military campaigns. The priests of this god, called Salii, danced and simulated fights with swords, spears and shields during their procession through the main streets of the city before reaching the Campus Martius, where the main altar was located.

In October was held the Armilustrium. This celebration consisted of the purification of the army's weapons, as well as its review. The army was grouped on Aventine Hill, from where they left in procession to the Circus Maximus. Once there, animal sacrifices were made and prayers were raised for an upcoming successful campaign.

Myths about Ares / Mars

• The discovery of Aphrodite's infidelity. Being married to Hephaestus, god of the blacksmiths, Aphrodite had started an affair with Ares. That infidelity was witnessed by the Sun god Helios, who later informed Hephaestus about the matter. Enraged, Hephaestus made an invisible net or chain, which he placed on the bed. At dawn, the trap fell on the lovers; Hephaestus then called the other divinities to exhibite them to the point of shame (Garibay, 2020: 21).
• Locked in an urn. The Aloadae, a pair of giants named Otus and Ephialtes, kidnapped and locked Ares in a bronze urn in revenge due to their defeat by the Olympian gods, with whom they fought in order to kidnap Athena and Hera, whom they ardently desired. For 13 months, Ares shouted for help, being later released by Hermes (Grimal, 1981: 45).
• Anna Perenna's mockery. Determined to seduce the goddess of wisdon, Minerva, Mars turned to the elderly goddess Anna Perenna, famous for her racy comments. Anna Perenna, knowing that Minerva wouldn't give in to the war god's flirtations, decided to impersonate her. As a result, Mars was the object of her obscene mockery (Masiá Veriscat, 2017: 54).
• Rhea Silvia's seduction. Rhea Silvia, daughter of King Numitor of Alba Longa and vestal, lay asleep in the clearings of a forest. When he saw her, Mars fell in love with her and seduced her. Romulus and Remus, founders of Rome, were born from that union (Pineda, 2015: 33).

a) Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. From his union with this divinity were born Deimos, the personification of terror; Phobos, the personification of fear; and Harmonia, goddess of harmony. Some versions also add Eros, god of sexual attraction, and Antero, god of reciprocated love.