The myth of Phobos and the origin of panic

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In the myth of Phobos the basic impulse of fear is represented: flight. The etymological root to name all forms of “phobia” was taken from this Greek character. What exists in phobias is precisely that form of fear that encourages escape.

The myth of Phobos has Greek origins and tells us about a character who served as the basis for naming phobias and all their ramifications.. There are several interesting elements in this myth. The first of them is the origin of this character who, curiously, was the son of Ares and Aphrodite, gods of war and beauty respectively.

Ares was an older god, with great attributes such as bravery, great strength and a very high sense of protection. He was considered the defender of Olympus, of the weak, the rebels and the defenseless. Even so, he was not a highly appreciated deity among the Greeks, as he was also considered a quarrelsome and instigator of chaos.

In turn, the myth of Phobos says that his mother was Aphrodite. She was actually the wife of the fire god, Hephaestus, but she cheated on him because Ares stole her heart. From their sinful union Phobos was born, who personifies fear that leads to escape.

“He who is afraid has misfortune”.

-Kurdish proverb-

The myth of Phobos and its origins

The union between Ares and Aphrodite, war and beauty, also bore other fruits. The myth of Phobos tells us that His brothers were Deimos, the god of terror who always worked alongside Phobos. Also Eros, the god of love; Anteros, or the representation of unrequited love; and Himerus, who was considered the representation of lust.

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At the same time, Phobos had two sisters: one was Adestria, the goddess who led revolts to bring about just retribution and balance good and evil.. On the other hand was Harmony, the goddess of harmony, who always tried to sow peace between gods and humans.

It is very striking that the Greeks have established such a close link between war, the beautiful and the sexual., as shown in the myth of Phobos. Also that they have visualized this union as something surreptitious, from which both true calamities are born, such as terror, as well as wonderful virtues, such as concord.

Phobos actions

Whenever Ares went to war he was accompanied by his sister who was also apparently her lover, Enio. This was a Greek goddess who was called “destroyer of cities.” She usually carried weapons and was almost always seen covered in blood.

Likewise, Ares was accompanied by Phobos who, as already said, represented the fear that leads to flight. The three of them were always present in every battle. When Phobos appeared, the combatants were filled with panic and could no longer coordinate their ideas rationally.. That’s why they fled without control.

In the end, the one who completed the mission was Deimos, Phobos’ brother. This, which was the very representation of terror, was presented to the combatants who had fled, frightened by Phobos. When they saw Deimos, they were filled with horror and were completely paralyzed. In this way, the Greeks showed the different faces of fear.

Phobos and its effect

The myth of Phobos indicates that he was represented with a lion’s head that looked backwards.. His mouth was full of several rows of teeth that were very scary. The mere presence of those teeth discouraged the contenders in battle. It was also noted that Phobos was always eager to get into the ranks of the warriors.

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Both Phobos and his brother Deimos were in charge of driving and pulling their father’s war chariot.. Greek mythology says that it advanced thanks to the strength of three stallions, each one with a different flame. These were Aiton, who breathed red fire; Plagiarism, which sent out a strong flame; and Konabos, who caused tumult with his mere presence.

The men of war worshiped Phobos, but he was not appreciated among good men.. He was described as a minor god who was terrible and whose function was to sow disorder, within the chaos of war itself. It was also pointed out that he made conflicts into insensitive and cruel confrontations.

It is said that Alexander the Great made a series of sacrifices to Phobos before the famous Battle of Gaugamela.. He was going to confront Darius III, king of Persia. When Darius learned that these rituals had been carried out, he fled the battlefield. Psychological warfare had worked.