Domain: War, masculinity, courage
Realm: Mount Olympus, Thrace
Symbols: Helmet, shield, spear, dog, vulture
Appearance: Armed young man
Parents: Zeus and Hera
Siblings: Hephaestus, Hebe, Eileithyia, Angelos
Children: Phobos, Deimos, Harmonia, Romulus and Remus, Oinomaus, Hippolyta, Alcippe, Penthesilea, Cycnus, Euenus, Tereus, Thrassa, Almenus, Adrestia, Dryas, Phlegyas, Eros (Cupid)

Ares is one of the Twelve Olympian gods in Greek mythology and the divine embodiment of war in its most violent, chaotic, and destructive form. Born to Zeus and Hera, he represents raw aggression, bloodlust, and the thrill of battle rather than strategy or justice. Unlike other Olympian deities, Ares was widely disliked, even among the gods themselves.

In Roman mythology, Ares was identified with Mars, a transformation that radically altered his character. While Greek tradition portrayed him as reckless and dangerous, Roman culture elevated Mars into a symbol of disciplined warfare, state power, and civic virtue. This contrast highlights how cultural values shaped the moral interpretation of war.

Ares and the Nature of War

In Greek thought, Ares stood in direct opposition to Athena, the goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare. While Athena embodied tactical intelligence, planning, and justified conflict, Ares personified blind fury and unrestrained violence. His presence on the battlefield brought chaos rather than victory, panic rather than order.

Homer’s Iliad describes Ares as savage, destructive, and unstable. Even his father Zeus openly declares him the most hateful of the Olympians, condemning his love for strife and suffering. Despite this contempt, Zeus tolerates him as a consequence of divine lineage, underscoring the unavoidable presence of violence in both human and divine realms.

Humiliation and Defeat

Despite his physical power, Ares is frequently humiliated in myth. One of the most striking episodes involves the giant twins Otis and Ephialtes, who trap him inside a bronze jar, imprisoning him for thirteen months. He is eventually rescued by Hermes, near death and helpless. The episode emphasizes that brute strength without intelligence is ultimately vulnerable.

During the Trojan War, Ares sides with the Trojans, placing him in direct conflict with Athena and Hera. With Athena’s guidance, the mortal hero Diomedes wounds Ares, forcing the god of war to flee the battlefield in agony. This moment symbolically asserts the superiority of strategy and reason over rage.

Ares and Aphrodite

The most famous relationship associated with Ares is his illicit affair with Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. Their union represents the volatile fusion of passion and violence. From this relationship were born Phobos (Fear), Deimos (Terror), Harmonia (Harmony), and in some traditions, Eros.

The scandal reaches its peak when Hephaestus, Aphrodite’s husband, traps the lovers in an invisible net and exposes them to the Olympian gods. The scene becomes one of the most humiliating episodes in divine mythology, reinforcing Ares’ reputation as impulsive, reckless, and ruled by desire.

Conflicts with Heroes

Ares repeatedly clashes with mortal heroes, most notably Heracles. When Heracles kills Cycnus, a son of Ares, the god attempts vengeance but is once again defeated, aided by Athena’s intervention. These repeated losses diminish Ares’ stature and reinforce his role as a cautionary figure rather than a triumphant one.

Worship and Cultural Perception

In the Greek world, Ares was rarely worshiped with enthusiasm. He inspired fear rather than devotion. Exceptions existed in militaristic regions such as Sparta and Thrace, where warrior values aligned more closely with his nature.

In Rome, however, his counterpart Mars became one of the most revered gods. As the mythological father of Romulus and Remus, Mars symbolized not chaos, but the disciplined force that founded and protected the Roman state. This evolution reflects Rome’s ideological reframing of war as a tool of order and civilization.

Mythological Significance

Ultimately, Ares represents the darkest face of war: courage without wisdom, power without restraint, and violence without purpose. He is brave yet foolish, strong yet easily defeated. In contrast to Athena’s measured warfare, Ares stands as a mythological warning—an embodiment of how unchecked aggression leads not to glory, but to ruin.

Through Ares, Greek mythology does not glorify war; it exposes its destructiveness. His repeated defeats serve as a moral narrative, asserting that intelligence, discipline, and balance must prevail over rage and bloodshed.

Source: Biyografiler.com