Ares

God of War AJ Sharp, Period 8

Features and Characteristics of Ares

With Ares being the God of

War, he was usually pictured
as a warrior wearing a
helmet. Many times he was
seen carrying a shield and
spear.
When Ares would travel, he
was usually seen in a chariot
that was pulled by four fire-
breathing horses.
Special Powers
of Ares

Strength
Physicality
Symbols
• There are many symbols associated with Ares. Some
of them include:
• Burning Torch
• Spear
• Dog (sometimes dog heads)
• Vultures
• Boar’s Head – this is a symbol of power
• Serpents – sacred animal during this time
• Helmet
• Ares was the Greek god of war and perhaps the
most unpopular of all the Olympian gods because
of his quick temper, aggressiveness, and
unquenchable thirst for conflict.
• He famously seduced Aphrodite, unsuccessfully
fought with Hercules, and enraged Poseidon by
killing his son Halirrhothios.
• One of the more human Olympian gods, he was a
popular subject in Greek art and even more so in
Roman times when he took on a much more
serious aspect as Mars, the Roman god of war.
 ARES FOLLOWING
• Ares’ worship was largely in the northern areas of Greece, and, although
devoid of the social, moral, and theological associations usual with major
deities, his cult had many interesting local features.
• At Sparta, in early times, at least, human sacrifices were made to him from
among the prisoners of war. In addition, a nocturnal offering of dogs—an
unusual sacrificial victim, which might indicate a chthonic (infernal) deity—
was made to him as Enyalius.
• During his festival at Geronthrae in Laconia, no women were allowed in the
sacred grove, but at Tegea he was honoured in a special women’s sacrifice as
Gynaikothoinas (“Entertainer of Women”).
• At Athens he had a temple at the foot of the Areopagus (“Ares’ Hill”).
 The Trojan War
• In Homer’s version of the Trojan War in the Iliad, Ares supports the
Trojans, sometimes even leading them in battle along with Hector.
The Iliad shows Ares in a less than positive light, and he is described
as 'hateful Ares,' 'the man-killer,' 'the war-glutton,' and the 'curse of
men.' Homer’s picture of Ares, like the above mythological tales,
often demonstrates his weakness in comparison to the other gods.
Ares is roundly beaten by Athena who, supporting the Achaeans,
knocks him out with a large rock. He also comes off worse against the
Achaean hero Diomedes who even manages to injure the god with his
spear, albeit with the help of Athena. Homer describes the scream of
the wounded Ares as like the shouts of 10,000 men. Fleeing back to
Olympus, Zeus ignores the complaints of Ares but instructs Paieon to
heal his wound.
Aphrodite and Ares
• According to the myth of Aphrodite and
Ares, the god of war fell madly in love when
he met the goddess of beauty. Unlike what
he did with his other lovers, he decided to
win her over. He bought her gifts and
complimented her constantly to gain her
love. The two spent a lot of time together
until Aphrodite fully reciprocated.
• Hephaestus, her husband, spent every night
in his workshop. The two lovers took
advantage of this situation to love each
other until dawn. Ares was always
accompanied by a young man named
Alectryon, whose duty was to watch the
door. He did this in order to let them know
when Helios, the Sun, appeared on the
horizon. Helios saw everything. They had to
keep their romance a secret, so this was
truly necessary.
 WORKS CITED
• https://www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_greece/ares.php#:~:text=Ares'%20special%20powers%20were
%20those,and%20destruction%20wherever%20he%20went.&text=Ares%20was%20the%20son%20of,and%2
0queen%20of%20the%20gods
.
• https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ares-Greek-mythology
• https://www.ancient.eu/Ares/#:~:text=The%20most%20popular%20myth%20involving,the%20hero%20in%2
0a%20fight
.
• https://exploringyourmind.com/the-myth-of-aphrodite-and-ares/