Who is Ares the goddess of what. God of War Ares - what he patronized, powers and abilities

Greek mythology is one of the most interesting in the world. In general, it is worth saying that mythology (of any country) is very entertaining reading. Indeed, no one can say for sure and one hundred percent that all the events described in it actually happened.

Unfortunately, in those distant times, stories and narrations were not written down, but were passed on from mouth to mouth, or there were storytellers and singers who described certain events in the lives of gods and heroes (in particular, the famous Iliad and Odyssey were just told, or rather sung by Homer). And if with heroes Ancient Greece everything is more or less clear - some really existed, the events attributed to them were proven by scientists - then with the gods the situation is a little different.

Origin

As you know, the ancient Greeks were pagans, that is, they worshiped not one god, but many. They had a whole pantheon. Each god was responsible for one thing - weather phenomena, sea spaces, family relationships. The god of war Ares is one of the key figures divine pantheon Ancient Greece. Let's imagine for a few minutes that he (like his family on Mount Olympus) really existed, and how his life went. Ares was one of the sons supreme god Zeus and his sister-wife Hera.

Note that his sister, Pallas Athena, was also “responsible” for military operations in Greece and beyond, where the Greek army fought. But, unlike her, Ares was more interested in rivers of blood, deceit and betrayal on the battlefield, war for the sake of war, so to speak. Ares represented the darker aspects of war, including brutal violence. He was considered the opposite of Athena, who represented tactical strategies and smart military planning. Ares acted impulsively while the other gods in the battle planned their attacks. He was impulsive and bloodthirsty, known for his love of battle and combat. Although he was not a beloved god among men, Ares was considered decisive and fearless.

No mention is made of the early life of the god of war. According to one version, Hera gave birth to him from touching a flower (that is, he had nothing to do with it). Other sources claim that he was still the natural son of the rulers of Olympus, but unloved (we remember that everything that is said in mythology should not be taken at face value).

However, despite the hostility of relatives and mortals, Ares was revered in some areas of the country, especially in the north and south. In former times, human sacrifices were made to him (as they did in Sparta), using prisoners of war for this purpose. Sparta also offered dog sacrifices, which was quite unusual. There was also a festival in his honor - on these days all of Laconia celebrated. Women were not allowed. The capital, Athens, did not forget about the warlike god. A temple was dedicated to Ares at the foot of the hill, which still bears his name - the Areopagus.

god of War

As the god of war, Ares was only interested in battles and battles. While the Greeks believed that the gods should protect them, they knew that Ares would only help them in a war, even against a rival. He received several nicknames, including "bloody Ares" and "raging Ares" due to his temperament and impulsive nature. Also, a lot of time and attention was paid appearance God.

Most artistic depictions of Ares show him on the battlefield, as he never misses another battle. Artists and sculptors show him during a fight with a weapon in his hands and a helmet on his head. He is usually shown with a spear, but this is not his only weapon. It can be noted that Ares had a pleasant appearance, a muscular, pumped up body, which certainly helped in his numerous love affairs, including with Aphrodite.

Love story

The love story with the goddess of beauty became one of the most recognizable legends of antiquity. Aphrodite was incredibly beautiful and attracted many suitors, but she was married to Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths and fire, the most skilled jack of all trades. He was calm, quiet, gentle and not at all suitable for Aphrodite, who was constantly in a relationship (to put it modern language), was looking for ideal partner in love affairs.

Hephaestus did not possess these qualities, but Ares suited her in all respects. They begin a passionate romance. Hephaestus found out about this and decided to punish Ares by insulting his pride. He created an invisible net that was very strong and threw it onto the marital bed to take the lovers by surprise and captivate them. Then the whole Olympus discussed the lovers, but it didn’t matter.

Their union with Ares was long and fruitful - they had several children, including the famous Eros (love), Harmony, Pothos (god of love's longing), as well as some children similar to their father - Phobos (fear), Deimos (horror) ). Like anyone ancient greek god, Ares had relationships with mortal women, who also gave him offspring. The majority became rulers of certain cities and states.

Each god had his own symbol dedicated only to them. Ares is associated with several various symbols. His sacred animals were the boar and the dog. The boar is said to represent his fierce nature, while dogs may be a symbol of sacrifices to the god.

Ares is the god of war, a character from ancient Greek mythology. The son of Hera and Zeus, he was never loved by his father. Since childhood, he was famous for his hooligan antics, bringing Zeus only troubles and grief. Hera, in order to pacify and keep her son busy, suggested that her husband send him to study military affairs. Priapus became the boy's teacher, who taught him the art of dance, and then military skill. Since then, Ares has become the god of war. All the Greeks disliked and feared him, because they considered him extremely cruel, savage, bloodthirsty and even ferocious. His name alone terrified people.

Although there was nothing repulsive about Ares's appearance. According to the description, he was tall, black-haired, with fair skin and regular facial features. Ares saw the meaning of life only as battles and wars, meaningless and devoid of fair participation. Everything from the names of his horses to his favorite attributes spoke of Ares' cruelty. He enjoyed the groans of the wounded and admired the pools of blood on the battlefields. God’s favorite pleasure is to mingle with the warriors during battle and emit an incredibly powerful cry, similar to the cry of tens of thousands of warriors. Everyone who heard him became frantic killers, full of cruelty, mercilessly destroying everything in their path.

Warlike Ares in the photo above.

The relationship between Ares and the goddess Athena, who always advocated a fair war, was difficult. She even managed to defeat the warlike god in battle several times, but Zeus did not come to his defense, considering the punishment deserved.

However, Ares's heart was not so cruel, since he was able to passionately fall in love with the most beautiful goddess of Olympus, Aphrodite. The legitimate husband of the goddess Hephaestus, having learned about the betrayal, set a trap for the lovers. He personally made a net as thin as a cobweb, but strong, attached it to the sinful bed and caught Ares and Aphrodite at the moment of love pleasures. Having called the gods to admire the sinners, he expected their condemnation, but the gods just laughed at poor Hephaestus and left it at that. As a result of their sinful relationship, four sons Phobos, Deimos, Eros and a daughter Harmony were born. Phobos and Deimos became their father's constant companions on the battlefields, Harmony took after their mother, and Eros struck human hearts with arrows of love.

God of War.

War is too complex and too frequent, so one god of war was not enough for the Greeks. However, they did not create special gods, say, for offensive or defensive war, just war, etc. But (in full accordance with practical experience) they had one god of war, which is waged wisely and therefore ends in victory, and another the god of war, which is waged with blind rage, and therefore its outcome is unclear. The god, or rather, the goddess of the first of these wars was the daughter of Zeus, the god of the second war was Ares.

Thus, Ares was the god of furious war, murder, and bloody carnage on the battlefield. He loved war for its own sake, fighting for fighting's sake. It didn't matter to him what started the war, and in most cases he wasn't interested in how it would end. He was pleased with the warlike cries, the clanking of weapons and the smell of blood; the death of the soldiers pleased him as much as their courage. The reverse side of this love for war (or its logical addition) was hatred of order, which prevented this war from igniting; Ares always helped those who tried to disturb the peace. Because of these qualities, neither gods nor people loved him. Ares himself said more than once to his face that he was disgusted with him and, if he had not been his son, he would have long ago cast him into the gloomy Tartarus.

There was no battle in which Ares would not intervene with a large shield, with a bronze sword, in copper armor, he suddenly appeared on the battlefield, sowing death around him. Usually he was accompanied by his sons and Phobos, the embodiment of horror and fear, in front of his chariot rushed the goddess of discord Eris and the goddess of frantic massacre Enyo. Ares mastered the military craft perfectly, there was no doubt about it, but in battle he was unreliable, he could support one side or the other.

Illustration after Rubens' painting Mars and Rhea Silvius, c. 1616-1617, Vienna, Liechtenstein Palace.

Despite his strength and agility, he was not invincible. When rage clouded his mind, he was often beaten. Athena, who never succumbed to blind passion, invariably gained the upper hand over him; once even a mortal defeated him: in the battle under the walls of Troy, with the help of Athena, he was seriously wounded by the leader of the Argives. Ares then roared in pain like “ten thousand men,” not a trace of heroism remained, and he ran screaming from the battlefield to Olympus itself. In addition, one day he was defeated, and even earlier two young giants, and Ephialtes, tied him with chains and kept him in a copper barrel for thirteen months. If Hermes, the god of merchants and swindlers, had not rescued him, he would have remained there forever, to the joy of all good people.

As for appearance, Ares looked quite interesting, a stately young man, although his manners were somewhat rude, like a soldier, but many women even like it. The goddess of love and beauty herself, the wife of a good-natured but unsightly god, fell in love with him, and even had five children from him: Deimos and Phobos inherited all the unpleasant traits of Ares, Eros and took after their mother; their fifth child was the beautiful Harmony. Ares was also considered the ancestor of the warlike.

Photo: Venus (Aphrodite) and Mars (Ares)

Ares was most likely a god of Thracian origin, who already entered the Greek pantheon in the Mycenaean era. The Greeks revered him less than other gods. True, in Athens they dedicated the temple on the Agora and the Areopagus hill, on which the residence was located, to him supreme court, but such signs of respect were the exception rather than the rule. We also know the temples of Ares in Argolis and in Halicarnassus in Asia Minor - that’s probably all. Before the battle, the Greek commanders tried to quickly win over Athena; even in militaristic Sparta, Ares sacrificed, at most, young dogs. But the Romans respected him extremely; among them he became the second most important god; however, Roman Mars does not coincide in everything with the Greek Ares (see the article “Mars”).

The most famous of the surviving ancient statues of Ares: the so-called Ares Borghese, a Roman copy of a Greek original attributed to Alcamenes (circa 430 BC, Paris, Louvre), and the so-called Ares Ludovisi, also a Roman copy of a Greek original (2nd half 4th century BC, Rome, National Museum of Baths). Famous Etruscan bronze statue, the so-called Mars from Todi (mid 4th century BC, Vatican Museums), most likely does not depict Mars; this is just its traditional name. The image of Ares is surprisingly rare on vases. The plot of “Ares and Aphrodite” appears on several Pompeian frescoes of the 1st century. n. e.

Modern mantel clock "Ares and Aphrodite"

Of the works of art of modern times dedicated to Ares, or Mars, we mention the most famous: “Venus and Mars” by S. Botticelli (c. 1483, London, National Gallery), “Minerva and Mars” by J. Tintoretto (1578, Venice, Doge’s Palace ), “Venus and Mars” by P. Veronese (1560-1570, New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art), “Mars” by X. W. R. Rembrandt (1655, Glasgow, Art Gallery), two paintings by P. P. Rubens : “Mars Crowned by the Goddess of Victory” (1612, Dresden Gallery) and the later “Triumph of Mars” (Rome, Vatican Museums); sculptures: “Mars and Cupid” by B. Thorvaldsen (1809-1810), “Mars and Venus” by Ares Canova (1816). In Prague there is the sculpture “Mars and Venus” by Ares de Vries (c. 1600, Prague Castle Picture Gallery) and a ceiling painting with images of Mars in the Wallenstein Palace and the Klam-Gallas Palace.

Aristocratic residences of late feudalism and military ministries in many countries of Europe and America abound in images and statues of this ancient god of war. Museums and castles mainly display copies of Ares Borghese and Ares Ludovisi, of comparatively late origin.

The post uses footage from the 2012 film Wrath of the Titans, the sequel to Jonathan Liebesman's fantasy film Clash of the Titans. The role of the god of war Ares is played by Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramirez (Édgar Filiberto Ramírez Arellano).

Each nation has its own beliefs, pagan and religious movements. Ancient Greek mythology is no exception. In this article we will look at one of the twelve gods of Olympus - a divine mountain in Greece, where the gods lived, according to the beliefs of the ancient Greeks. Ares is the god of war and everything connected with it - conflicts, fights. Initially, he was considered the patron of storms, storms, wind, bad weather, thunderstorms, but then his meaning was rewritten. It is worth noting that the Greeks are a peace-loving and non-conflict people, so they were not particularly revered, they were even disliked.

But the Romans, being a warlike people with aggressive goals, greatly respected Ares (in their way, Mars). Mars was perhaps one of the most important gods in their beliefs, only the powerful Jupiter was more important. Legends say that Ares is a child Zeus And Hera. But in other mythologies there are references to the fact that Hera became pregnant without any participation from Zeus - she simply touched some magical, magical flower that bestows fertility. Certain sources say that Hephaestus was conceived in exactly the same way.

Birth

In one way or another, it is not precisely known, Ares was born. From infancy, he had to confront two insanely strong giants, the Aloads. They, in turn, had very aggressive and great plans - they wanted to reach the heavens from Mount Olympus. It so happened that because of a conflict with Ares, they imprisoned the latter in a metal vessel, where he had to spend more than a year without food or water. There were rumors that the Aloads were planning the overthrow of Zeus himself.

The stepmother of the twin giants talked too much about everything that was happening - this is how Hermes learned about Ares’s captivity, who later became the child’s liberator. Immediately after his release, his mother sent him to training, where he first learned to dance, and only then began to master military affairs. This was precisely what became his main hobby, which entered his life.

In public, the young man, already matured, appeared in his retinue with a kite and wild dog. His favorite attributes were a sharp, long and heavy spear and an undying torch. Much can be said about the character of this formidable warrior, but almost all of the qualities are negative. He was scandalous, conflicting, insidious, which is why few people respected him. In battle, in military affairs, he showed himself to be a bloodthirsty, harsh, merciless, vile fighter who loved to use various tricks in the name of victory.

In general, all the principles of this deity were not approved by the correct, peaceful inhabitants of Olympus. Because of his belligerence and thirst for battle, he very often got into trouble and risked his own health (there is no talk of life, since all the inhabitants of Mount Olympus possessed such a quality as immortality). In many battles, which were also glorified in myths, the fighter was seriously wounded by his enemies.

Despite his cruelty and belligerence, this warrior was a skilled lover. His appearance, the beauty of his face and body drove many female representatives crazy. Not wanting to get married, he lived a free and free life, thanks to which he left behind more than fifty children!

The only romance that lasted long enough was with Aphrodite, the wife of Hephaestus. Their romance resulted in the birth of as many as seven offspring. Hephaestus soon learned about his wife's infidelities and decided to punish the lovers.

He created a metal net, which he pulled over the bed. The next time the lover came to Aphrodite, a net fell on him, in which he became entangled. The celestial inhabitants of Olympus, whom Hephaestus called for “trial,” watched everything that happened. What was happening came as a shock to everyone, the cuckold called on the Thunderer to separate them.

Zeus shook his head, thought and decided not to destroy the marriage of Aphrodite and Hephaestus, which the latter was very dissatisfied with. Illegitimate children became full participants in ancient Greek myths.

After all these ups and downs, the lovers got married. Many children were born in the joint marriage. Many of them later became famous.

Data

Enough interesting fact: Athena, being the complete opposite of her brother, constantly entered into disputes, conflicts and proceedings with him. Ares was not an opponent of meanness and cunning - he won many battles and battles this way. Athena was a supporter of a wise, fair struggle, diplomacy and peaceful resolution of issues.

Because of this, these two relatives had constant quarrels, which were witnessed by all the inhabitants of Olympus. It's not hard to guess who they preferred. Being a peace-loving people, they, of course, sided with the goddess Athena.