From the school program, many remember the heroes of ancient Greek mythology, one of which is the god of war Ares. He lived on Olympus along with all the gods and with the supreme deity - Zeus. His life is full of various events, in most cases associated with military actions and weapons, but his image is useful for comparison with peaceful images bearing justice, honesty and kindness.
Who is Ares?
One of the gods of ancient Greek mythology, personifying weapons, war, cunning and insidious deeds - such is Ares, the son of Zeus. According to myths, it was often found in the environment of the goddess Enio, who had the ability to cause fury among the adversaries and make confusion in the course of the battle and the goddess Eris, personifying discord.
The Greek god Ares lived on Olympus. According to some sources, he was born not in Greece, but has a Thracian origin. The state of Thrace was located on the territory of modern Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey. Information about the origin of this god is different. According to one myth - he is the son of Hera, who gave birth to him after touching the magic flower, on the other - the son of Zeus (the supreme god of Olympus). The second variant occurs much more often in the literature. The main attributes of Ares, with which you can see the deity in illustrations and images:
- a spear;
- lit torch;
- dogs;
- kite.
What did Ares patronize?
According to the myths of ancient Greece, Ares is the god of a cunning war, accompanied by dishonest, unjust actions, the use of deadly weapons and bloodshed. Ares patronized the insidious military maneuvers and was characterized by perfidy. Often it is depicted with a spear, which also indicates participation in hostilities.
Ares - powers and abilities
Ares is the god of ancient Greece and the patron of military operations. He was distinguished by his fierce strength, ferocity, severity, and aroused fear among the Greek population. There is information that he had a cunning and cruel character, for which he was not respected by the inhabitants of Olympus. According to some information, regardless of his strength, ferocity and stern gaze, he was afraid of someone who was stronger than him and from whom Ares could get a stern rebuff.
Myths about Ares
Much of the legends about the ancient Greek gods have myths about Ares. His image of an evil, warlike, cunning god is an example of unacceptable behavior that can cause trouble, strife or death. Bloodthirsty Ares was not in high esteem not only among all Greeks and inhabitants of Olympus, but also according to some traditions of his father Zeus. In addition to military actions, Ares participated in the peaceful life of the Olympic hill, which is also reflected in mythology.
Ares and Aphrodite
Despite the passion for military action, the ancient Greek god Ares did not forget about earthly pleasures and was a secret admirer of the beautiful Aphrodite, who was married to Hephaestus. Learning about the secret connection of his wife with Ares, Hephaestus arranged a trap for lovers. He made the finest network of bronze, fastened it over his wife's bed and went away from the house under a fictitious pretext. Taking advantage of the moment, Aphrodite invited Ares's friend to her. Waking up in the morning, the naked lovers turned out to be tangled in a web of Hephaestus web.
A deceived husband called the gods to look at the traitor wife and said that he would not unravel the net until Zeus returns the wedding gifts of Hephaestus. The display of Aphrodite's infidelity seemed stupid and he refused to give presents. Help came Poseidon, who promised to help recover Ares from Zeus part of the wedding gifts. Otherwise, he himself could have been in the place of the god of war, but eventually Hephaestus, having freed the captives, was left without gifts, because he loved his wife madly and did not want to lose it.
Ares and Athena
Athena, in contrast to Ares, was the goddess of a fair war. It advocated justice, wisdom, organization and strategy of military operations. The war between Ares and Athena was irreconcilable. Toughly proving their rightness, both heroes with all their might tried to defend their right to be on Olympus and their fidelity to their principles.
The inhabitants of Olympus and ordinary mortals more patronized Athena, her wise thoughts and the absence of malicious intent in military events were her advantage. In this dispute, the victory was on the side of Athena Pallada. During the Trojan War, Ares was on the side of the Trojans, against Athens - the Greek supporter, when he was injured at her direction by Diomed.
Artemis and Ares
Artemis - the young goddess of family happiness, fertility, chastity, she helps women in childbirth. It is often called the symbol of hunting. Ares is the god of a brutal, bloody war, the personification of weapons. What can bind them? According to some reports, Artemis is bloodthirsty, she used arrows as a weapon for punishment, and was often depicted with them.
In anger, the goddess could be dangerous, sent misfortunes, winds on the ground, punished people. According to legends, more than 20 people became victims of it. Ares was also often portrayed with a weapon, with a spear. Perhaps, on these grounds and can determine the similarity of these gods, but compared with the unquenchable cruelty of Ares, Artemis could show it only in anger.
Who killed Ares?
Often in the battles of Ares accompanied by death. Participating in bloody military battles, he was often on the verge of life and death. Ares was wounded in the Trojan War by Diomedes, assisted by the all-powerful goddess Athena Pallas. Twice he was wounded by Hercules - during the battles for Pylos and at the time of the murder of Ares's son - Kikna. The father wanted to avenge his son, but there was no equal to the weapons of Hercules. It is possible that on the battlefield Ares found his death, but this could happen in a peaceful life. For sure, nothing is known about this.
Although the god of war Ares is not a positive character of ancient Greek myths, his image is an integral part of the legends. He, as opposed to good, honest, loyal to the heroes, advocating peace and justice, is not an honorable inhabitant of Olympus. He is sometimes afraid, shunned, which gives the reader to understand which principles should not be supported.