Ares
God of War
Ares
Ares is one of the Twelve Olympians, and is the son of Zeus and Hera. He was born at Thrace, were he also grew up and found refuge after the affair with Aphrodite when the other gods had heard of it. But often in Greek literature, he is always depicted as the cause of the physical or violent and untamed aspect of war, compared to his sister, Athena, who functions as the goddess of intelligence and military strategy.
Even though the ancient Greeks worshiped Ares as their military leader, he was actually frowned upon and considered unpopular by many because of his short tempers, aggressiveness, and his craving for war and conflict.
He also was seen with his children Phobos (Fear), Deimos (Terror), and also his sister Eris (Strife).
Statue of Ares
Ares armor
Worshiping the God of War
Painting depicting Greek soldiers worshiping Ares after a they won a battle(battle is unknown)
The Fame of Ares in Other Places and Stories
The Greek God of War to Others
Ares is the god of war to the Greeks, but he is also a wimp. When he came back from the battlefield of Troy, he was wounded and started complaining about it to Zeus. But Zeus only said ," Do not side beside me and whine, you double faced liar. To me, you are the most hateful of the gods who hold Olympus. Forever quarreling is dear to you heart, wars and battles. And yet I will not long endure to see you in pain, since you are my child, and it was to me that your mother bore you. But were you born of some other god and proved so ruinous long since you would have been dropped beneath the gods of the bright sky.
But Ares was also recognized as a famous war veteran to the Macedonians with superb military skills and physical strength. They also looked up to him as a god. Also in Sparta, he was viewed as a masculine soldier in which all of his strength and intelligence unrivaled. They still honored him even though in their literature, if Ares was losing a battle he would turn to the enemy's side and fight for them instead.
Ares killing Poseidon's son, Halirrhothios
An ancient Greek painting of Ares
Ares without his helmet on; located in Athens, Greece
Sources
www.greekmythology .com