Ares is commonly known as the god of war, but it is more accurately known for his savagery and bloodlust. He is usually pictured as either an older, bearded, good-looking man or a clean-shaven young man with a spear. In addition to the spear, his symbols include the vulture and the wolf.

lthough Ares was disliked by most Olympians, including his own parents, he was greatly loved by the married goddess Aphrodite, with whom he carried out a torrid affair that ended with great embarrassment to both.

Mythology

Ares was the sole son of Zeus and Hera. He is often pictured riding into battle on his chariot, drawn by fiery, immortal stallions, or carrying his blood-stained spear. Rumor has it his throne on Mount Olympus was even covered in human skin.

Ares loved war with a nearly single-minded fervor, as it fed his need for slaughter and bloodshed. He was fearless, and would fight with reckless abandon, which nearly led to his demise on more than one occasion.

On one unfortunate occasion, to giants called Aloadae, named Otus and Ephialtes, bound Ares with chains and enclosed him in a bronze urn, where he remained trapped for thirteen months. The giants’ stepmother Eriboea relayed Ares’ fate to Hermes, who was able to rescue him.

Equal to Ares’ passion for war was his love for his brother Hephaestus’ wife, Aphrodite, the beautiful Greek goddess of love. In fact, it is said his love for Aphrodite easily rivaled his desire to fight. Together, Ares and Aphrodite parented several children, including his battlefield attendants Deimos, god of dread or terror, and Phobos, god of fear.
Many times Ares was joined in battle by his sister Eris, goddess of discord, bloodshed, and violence. Hades, Lord of the Dead, as well as Deimos and Phobos, would also accompany Ares to war.

Though Zeus had forbidden any Olympic god to participate in battle, Ares was persuaded by Aphrodite to fight with the Trojans in their war against the Achaeans. After seeking Zeus’ permission to drive Ares from the battlefield, Hera persuaded Diomedes to attack Ares. Diomedes and Athena struck Ares with spears, making him cry out in agony and retreat back to Mount Olympus. When Ares arrived at Mount Olympus, Zeus called him a most hateful god before ordering him healed. Later, Ares tried to seek retribution on Athena, but was again injured when she crushed him with a large boulder.

Ares did demonstrate acts of courage, such as when he helped Aphrodite defend her son Aineias and rescued him from certain death during the Trojan War.
Ares is viewed as an ancestor of the Spartans, and as such was an important part of Spartan myths. They erected a statue ensnared by chains in the Spartan city, to ensure Ares’ spirit of war and victory would remain within their city.

Ares and Aphrodite’s love affair ended in an embarrassing event in which they were discovered in an intimate tryst by Helios. She reported the tryst to Aphrodite’s husband, Hephaestus, who decided to catch them during one of their illicit encounters by using a net to catch them. The trap was sprung, and Ares and Aphrodite were caught in a very compromising position. Hephaestus invited the gods and goddesses of Olympia to view the embarrassed couple, but only the gods arrived to bear witness to the encounter. Once released, Ares fled in embarrassment back to his homeland of Thrace.

Ares in Popular Culture

• In the Disney animated movie and spin off television series, Ares appears as the stereotypical God of War complete with appropriate dress and battle garb. In the animated series, he has an ongoing rivalry with his sister Athena.

• Actor Kevin Smith portrayed Ares in the television series Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and Young Hercules. He had a passion for Xena that was not reciprocated.

• Ares appears in Marvel Comics as a main character in both the Mighty Avengers and in their version of Hercules.

• Ares is the main antagonist of Kratos in the video game God of War. Kratos eventually kills Ares and replaces him.

• The new NASA space craft developed to replace the space shuttle will be called Ares.

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