The myth of Ares, god of wrath and war

The myth of Ares tells us about a complex character, with many nuances in his character.. Although he emphasizes his role as god of war, he also loved and suffered. He was not invulnerable in his task, since there are several episodes/stories in which he is defeated.

It must be noted that The myth of Ares was much more important in Rome than in Greece itself. The Romans, a warrior and expansionist people, saw this deity as one of their great guides. They gave it the name Mars and in her honor the “Field of Mars” was made and the third month of the year was named “March”.

The origin of the myth of Ares

The traditional version says that Ares was the son of Zeus and his wife Hera.. Therefore, he was also god and immortal. Another version states that angry at the multiple infidelities of her husband, Hera went to seek solace in the temple of Chloris, the goddess of flowers.

Chloris saw Hera distressed and asked her to take a beautiful flower. Zeus’ wife was left fascinated by the enormous beauty of the plant. Then he put her in her lap and Ares was born.. Whatever it may have been, the truth is that the myth of Ares indicates that this character was rejected by all the gods, including his father and his mother.

Mars was the god of war, but also of anger and the destruction. Wherever he went he left calamities in his wake. He thirsted for blood and that’s why he unleashed conflicts whenever he could. He is also associated with diseases and epidemics.

The facets of Ares

The myth of Ares is not the only one that speaks of a deity associated with war. This god’s half-sister, Athena, also ruled those lands. However, she led the strategic wars. Ares, on the other hand, had to do with the fiercest of battles. The horror, the violence Unlimited and brutality in battle were his element.

Despite everything, the god Ares is also associated with courage, strength, dynamism and vitality. He was the protector of Olympus of the gods and of all armies. He also protected rebel leaders and righteous men. He was also the god of male virility; More than 30 lovers of him attest to this.

His great love was Aphrodite, goddess of beauty and love. She was his lover, but also his battle partner. Likewise, the mother of the two sons who always accompanied the god Ares in his tasks: Deimos, spirit of terror, and Phobos, personification of fear.

Ares and the giants

The myth of Ares tells that this god, from a very young age, was attracted to violence and war. He sometimes stirred up battles just for fun and this made him hateful to everyone. Among those who detested him were two giants called Otus and Ephialtes, also known as the Aloadae..

Ares had unleashed a battle that destroyed the giants’ crops. That’s why they decided to pursue him and plotted to capture him. After doing so, they locked him in a bronze jar for a lunar year.that is, for 13 months.

The other gods were not very interested in the matter, but the giants, encouraged by their triumph, threatened to attack Olympus. They wanted Artemis for Otus and Hera for Ephialtes as wives.. The goddesses hatched a plan. Artemis said that she was going to lie with Otus, which made her brother jealous and caused a fight.

Taking advantage of the situation, Artemis transformed into a deer and escaped. Her brothers shot arrows at her to hurt her, but she retreated and the giants ended up killing each other. Meanwhile, Hermes, brother of Ares, took him out of the bronze chest.

A sensitive warrior

Despite his taste for violence, the myth of Ares also has episodes in which this god shows his most fragile side. In fact, On different occasions he was defeated and publicly humiliated. With his sister, Athena, he experienced several defeats, as well as with Hercules, or Heracles.

During the Trojan War, precisely, he confronted Athena and she wounded him, throwing a stone at his head. People say that Ares let out a cry of pain so deep that everyone heard despite the heat of battle.

In addition, When Zeus told him that his son Ascalaphus had died, the god of war began to cry deeply.. He also faced everything and everyone to defend his daughter Alcipe. This was this god, aggressive and at the same time innocent. His bellicosity was born more from a quarrelsome and competitive desire than from hatred or the desire for death.

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