Son of the war god Ares and Aphrodite. Ares - ancient Greek god of war

ARES, GOD OF WAR: warrior, dancer, lover

Ares, as the embodiment of aggression, has always been one of the most significant forces in human history. The Olympian "man of action", god of war and argument, tireless and tempestuous lover, he thrives in conflict and revels in the joy of battle. In Ares we see our own aggression, raw and bloody, as it was before civilization tamed and suppressed it.

Arianna Stasinopoulos, "Gods of Greece"

In literature and art, Ares is known to us in two roles: warrior and lover (this is how Homer described him). His Latin name Mars is actually synonymous with the word "war." This name is also used to describe a person who enjoys the heat of bloody battle.

Philip Myerson,
"Classical Mythology in Literature, Art and Music"

Ares as a god, archetype and man embodies the image of masculine strength, assertiveness and readiness for action. His heart and instincts drive him to act and react physically without thinking about the consequences. His father, Zeus, did not like this son and never took his side in disputes - similarly, the qualities of Ares are not viewed positively in a patriarchal society.

Ares as a god

Ares (the Romans called him Mars) was the god of war. Out of twelve olympian gods he enjoyed the least respect among the Greeks - they were disgusted by his recklessness and tendency to lose his head from rage in battle. Ares embodied an irrepressible passion for fight and bloodshed. The Romans, on the contrary, highly revered Mars - in their pantheon he was the second most important god after Jupiter (Zeus). For them, he was the protector of the people and the father of the founders of Rome, the twins Remus and Romulus.

He is depicted as a strong, energetic man, sometimes with a beard, sometimes without, usually wearing a helmet and carrying a shield, sword and spear, sometimes with a metal breastplate, and occasionally in full armor.

Genealogy and mythology

Ares is the only son of Hera and Zeus. However, according to one Roman version of the myth of his origin (Ovid), Ares, like Hera's other son, the Olympian Hephaestus, was conceived parthenogenetically by touching a magic flower that endowed fertility even in completely sterile creatures. We do not know the detailed circumstances of his birth.

As a child, Ares was almost killed by the twin giants Aloada* (obviously, they were also still children then). The Aloads chained him and imprisoned him in a bronze vessel. Ares remained in captivity for thirteen months and would probably have died (despite the fact that he is a god and therefore immortal - a rather strange contradiction) if the stepmother of the giants had not told Hermes about his fate. When Hermes freed Ares, he was already barely alive from the torment he had experienced.

* Aload - two brothers, Ot and Ephialtes, sons or grandsons of Poseidon. They threatened the gods to pile Mount Ossa on Olympus, and Mount Pelion on Ossa, and so reach the sky; they wanted to forcefully marry Artemis and Hera. They were killed by Apollo's arrows. (See: Encyclopedia "Myths of the Peoples of the World.) - Ed.

Hera gave Ares to be trained by Priapus, the phallic deity-monster. Priapus first taught his pupil the art of dancing and only then military affairs.

On the battlefield

The prevailing attitude towards Ares in society is described in the Iliad. Homer portrays Ares, who took the side of the Trojans in the war between the Greeks and the Trojans, as a despicable bloodthirsty braggart and whiner, who was constantly defeated, insulted and humiliated by his half-sister Athena. One day, Ares saw that his son had been killed in battle and, defying Zeus’s prohibition, rushed into the thick of the battle. For this, Athena called her brother “stupid” and “madman,” blaming him in every possible way for his recklessness and intemperance (lack of virtues characteristic of Athena herself and highly valued by the Greeks). They wrote that this god “does not know justice”, and was also reproached for lack of character, since he “constantly rushes from side to side.” Ares reacted to events outside world very emotional. Following the pull of his feelings, he without hesitation entered into battle on the side of men with whom he felt a personal connection - including blood. A sense of loyalty and a desire for revenge guided him, overshadowing all other considerations. For other Olympians, the Trojan War was something of a sports spectacle - some were rooting for the Greeks, others for the Trojans. The Olympians themselves also sometimes intervened in the course of events - but only in strict accordance with the rules established by Zeus. Ares, obviously, did not perceive this war as a “game.”

During one battle, where people and gods participated, Athena directed the hand of Diomedes (one of the heroes who enjoyed her special protection), and he wounded Ares with a spear. Ares howled wildly in pain and complained about his sister to Zeus. Zeus took Athena’s side, but rejected Ares and humiliated him even more with these words: “Don’t you dare come to me with complaints and whining. After all, there is nothing dearer to you than squabbles and fights - for this I hate you, like none of the Olympian gods.” ".

However, Homer admitted that Ares greatly encouraged the Trojans when he came to their aid, accompanied by his sons, Fear and Terror.

Aphrodite's Lover

Ares and the goddess of love Aphrodite make a very wonderful love couple. Aphrodite had several children from Ares: sons Deimos (fear) and Phobos (horror), who accompanied their father to the battlefield; daughter Harmony, whose name indicates the harmonious relationship between two great passions - War and Love; and perhaps the god of love Eros. Myths give two options for the origin of Eros: either he is the son of Ares and Aphrodite, or a primordial generative force that has existed since the beginning of time.

Ares and Aphrodite shared the strongest bonds of devotion of all the Olympians. There is such a moment in the Iliad: when Athena knocked Ares down with a stone, Aphrodite tried to carry him out of the battlefield, for which Athena hit her with her fist.

Despite the feelings connecting them, both had many other lovers. When Aphrodite was seduced by Adonis, Ares turned into a furious boar and killed the beautiful young man.

When Aphrodite's husband, the god of the forge Hephaestus, was told about his wife's relationship with Ares, he came up with a way to catch the lovers in the act. Hephaestus created an invisible and unbreakable net and secured it above the bed. Then he pretended to go to his forge - this was the signal for the god of war to enter the house of Hephaestus and lie down with Aphrodite on the bed. Hephaestus caught the lovers in a net and called the gods to witness the treachery of Aphrodite and Ares. However, instead of being indignant and standing up for Hephaestus, all the gods just rolled with laughter at the sight of such an amusing spectacle.

Father of many children

Ares fathered at least three of Aphrodite's children (and Roman Mars also fathered Romulus and Remus). In addition to these famous children, he was involved in the birth of two dozen more descendants from many women, some of whom bore him more than one child. No less than three of his sons were among the Argonauts, and one of his daughters, Penthesilea, was queen of the Amazons.

Ares is very attached to his children and is always ready to stand up for them. When one of the sons of Poseidon raped Ares' daughter Alkipa, the god of war killed the rapist on the spot. Poseidon addressed the assembly of gods, accusing Ares of murder. The trial took place at the very place where the murder took place, and Ares was acquitted. Subsequently, the place in Athens near the acropolis where the trial took place was called the Areopagus (“Hill of Ares”). The death of his son caused a similar reaction in Ares during the Trojan War: upon learning that his son Ascalaphus had died in battle, Ares furiously rushed into battle to take revenge - despite the fact that Zeus forbade the gods to interfere.

When another son of Ares, the robber Cycnus, who was waiting for travelers carrying gifts to Delphi, challenged Hercules to battle, Ares intervened, taking the side of his son. However, Athena came to the aid of Hercules, and thanks to the assistance of the goddess, he wounded Ares and killed Cycnus.

Another child of Ares was the sacred serpent who guarded the spring in Thebes. Having killed this serpent, Cadmus was forced to serve Ares for eight years, after which he married Harmony, the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite, and founded the city of Thebes.

Conflicting reviews

In Greece, a negative attitude towards Ares prevailed, and it was reflected in the poems of Homer. Ares was the most significant of the gods who took the side of the Trojans, who were defeated in the war and thus lost the opportunity to write history. As myth researcher Walter Otto notes, speaking about Ares, “Against the background of the dark spirit of murder and bloodshed, the bright figure of Athena appears - and the poet uses this contrast quite deliberately.”

However, in the "Hymn to Ares" Homer extols the qualities of the god of war in the following words: "Ares, mighty heart", "Ares, father of victory", "Ares, supporter of justice", "Ares, leader of all men", "Ares, bearer of the rod of masculinity" . He is called "the helper of humanity, bestowing pristine youthful courage." This attitude towards Ares, also not alien to the Greek tradition, is consistent with the positive view of the god of war that existed among the Romans (they called him Mars).

When juxtaposed with the rational Athena, we see Ares in a negative light—we dislike this crazed killer. If we want to present Ares in a positive light, then first of all we remember the beauty of his heart and courage (the English word courage comes from the French word coeur - “heart”); this is a god who reacts to everything emotionally. But in the family of Zeus, children who have good control over their emotions are most favored.

Ares as an archetype

The Ares archetype, like this god himself, manifests itself through passionate, violent reactions. Under the influence of the Ares archetype, a surge of emotion directly entails physical action. This is a reactive archetype, completely immersed in the here and now. The Ares archetype undoubtedly predisposes a person to constantly live with bodily sensations, which can have a very positive effect on sexuality. However, when rage boils within him, Ares acts under the influence of instincts and often finds himself in situations that are unfavorable for himself and dangerous for others. Ares doesn't take into account who he's dealing with or what consequences to expect, and this can get him into trouble.

Warrior as a hero or a bully

Ares embodies aggression, the impulsive impulse to fight, that instinct that draws some men into the thick of conflict and prompts them to mindlessly wield a knife or fists. If this man serves in the army, he can become a hero, hung with awards, in whose record the words “disregarding danger and risking his own life, he ...” appear every now and then.

Filmmakers love to describe the moment when Ares awakens in a man and he turns into a furious, destructive, unstoppable force. The hero of one series is a mild-mannered scientist who, when enraged, turns into a muscular, green-skinned Hulk with superhuman strength - unstoppable and reckless. In the movie Rocky starring Sylvester Stallone, there is a moment when the exhausted and bloodied boxer continues the fight, holding on only by instinct, and wins. This character represents Ares much less expressively than the Hulk, but he too is in the grip of reckless aggression. The Rambo films also portray Ares as a hero who, like God himself, is driven by loyalty, righteous anger and a thirst for retribution.

The mythological Ares symbolizes the uncontrollable irrational fury of battle. He is intoxicated by the atmosphere of battle. IN real life Alcohol intoxication often really awakens Ares in a man, resulting in brawls in bars. Ares does not enter a fight for competition or strategic reasons, it is simply an emotional reaction to provocation.

The Ares archetype reflects the passion of battle. In Homer's portrayal, Ares is a god who loves war for its own sake, enjoying the clash of weapons and the roar of fighting armies, murder and destruction. This aspect of Ares explains the thrill of battle experienced by both the barroom tough and the decorated war hero.

For the immortal Olympians, battles like those fought on the fields of the Trojan War were just games. During this war - where the deities were mostly just spectators, supporting either the Greek side or the Trojan side - the gods rarely rushed into battle themselves. The modern Ares likes to be on the playing field amidst the commotion and noise, he needs to fight and be aggressive, and not sit in the stands betting on the players. A football or hockey player driven by the Ares archetype often receives penalties for rough play, breaking the rules, or for arguing with the referee when things get heated. Ares finds recognition in contact sports - although this player is often fined, no one blames him for his violent temperament. In gentlemanly sports like tennis, form and skill are valued, and anger is considered bad manners. Fans expect the tennis champion to behave like Apollo, as John McRoy discovered when he was booed by the crowd for reacting like Ares.

Lover

Ares and Aphrodite were lovers - and one day they were caught by Aphrodite's husband, Hephaestus, who suspected that Ares was visiting his wife while he was leaving for work. It was a long and strong relationship of equals. Aphrodite had four children from Ares. Other mistresses also bore him more than one child. In contrast, most Olympian relationships were a one-time act - most often a god seducing a mortal woman. Even in relationships within the community of gods, seduction and rape were commonplace - women were taken by force, deceived or kidnapped. In these cases it can hardly be said that the gods “made love to women.”

The passionate nature of Ares, his penchant for physical action and the depth with which he immerses himself in the emotions of the moment all define Ares as a lover. Making love with the goddess who has the richest sexual experience, Ares does not worry about how he looks in comparison to others. His passionate sexuality is very personal and devoid of a Dionysian transpersonal component. Mellors, the hero of D.H. Lawrence's novel Lady Chatterley's Lover, has many of the characteristics of Ares the Lover. Like Ares, those around him considered Mellors a lower-class creature for his mundane nature and occupation.

Dancer

According to Greek myth, Ares's mentor Priapus first taught the boy to dance and only then took up military affairs with him. Although little is said about this side of Ares's life, the art of dance is very close to this archetypal image. Such a person is more inclined to activity in the physical than in the mental sphere, his body and emotions act synchronously. He may well become a dancer, and it is quite logical that passion and emotionality play a more important role in his work than technique. For example, the dance of Mikhail Baryshnikov evoked in the audience not cold-blooded admiration for the beauty and precision of movements - although he had all this. The charismatic dancer from the Bolshoi Theater, who fled the USSR to the West and acquired a reputation as a ladies' man, had a huge physical and emotional impact on the audience.

The world heavyweight boxing champion, young Cassius Clay (who later took the name Muhammad Ali), also had not only aggression and drive, but also the grace of Ares the dancer.

In primitive tribal cultures, warriors are also dancers: before battle, men perform a ritual dance. Drumming and music awaken the Ares in the warrior.

Heavenly Father's Unloved Son

The Ares archetype, like this god himself, is met with disdain from men who are inclined to demonstrate their strength without making physical contact, cold-blooded strategists and clever deceivers (after all, they often do not shun deception when they want to take away power from someone or achieve proximity of a woman). If Ares could condescend to the role of a simple soldier on the battlefield, Zeus preferred to throw lightning from afar, and Hermes, instead of engaging in direct combat with his rival brother Apollo, simply stole his cows. The Greeks idealized rationalism and clarity of thought, and since antiquity these qualities have been central patriarchal values. Zeus hated Ares. From a psychological point of view, Ares represents the shadow of Zeus - that part of nature that he neglects because it is underdeveloped in him and (or) contradicts the idealized image of himself.

Ares is similarly dismissed and undervalued in our culture. Nowadays, the attributes of Ares are attributed to blacks - they are shown the same disdain and contempt that Zeus felt towards the god of war. Ares's sexuality, violent tendencies, even his choreographic abilities (qualities that actually coincide with racist stereotypes) are all attributes of a "bad" son.

These values ​​and judgments are cultivated in white families from generation to generation. Male patients often report that they were ignored and unappreciated as children because their successful father favored a brother or sister with a better tongue and a more alert mind. One patient always felt like a complete idiot and could not squeeze out a word when his father, trying to engage his son in a conversation, asked him smart questions in front of guests. At the same time, the boy achieved considerable success in sports, but the father never came to his son at the stadium and did not even ask about training. Despite the lack of support from his father, this boy at least played sports at all and had the opportunity to embody the Ares archetype. And many men take the disdain for Ares for granted and suppress this archetype in their character in order to adapt to the demands of society and achieve success in life. They don’t know the joy of seeing you do a job well that is archetypally close to you.

Ares - protector

A prudent person prefers not to enter into conflict with Ares's loved ones, because this means incurring inevitable punishment. The God of War is always ready to stand up for his friends, daughters and sons. In fact, Ares is the only god who behaved this way. Later, the god Mars equally zealously protected the citizens of Rome.

The former US Secretary of Justice, Robert Kennedy, had the disposition of Ares, which instilled fear in the mafiosi and corrupt union leaders, because for him the fight against them was not a game played in the legal field, but a merciless and furious battle. He was distinguished by loyalty and devotion, was extremely impulsive, he had many children - with all these features, Robert resembled Ares, like no other of the Kennedy brothers.

Ares doesn't hesitate to jump into a fight when someone close to him is attacked, especially if he's in a tough situation. Ares (as opposed to the vengeful Poseidon) does not hold a grudge against the offender and will not take revenge on him many years later. Even after the most humiliating defeat, Ares will calmly lick his wounds and go his own way.

Develop your Ares

Today, in a patriarchal world ruled by Zeus, the Ares archetype remains undervalued - it is more often suppressed than cultivated. Men who strive for success are especially zealous in eradicating Ares within themselves.

But if the Ares archetype in the psyche of a man is suppressed, the sensuality characteristic of this god remains inaccessible. This aspect of the personality simply does not receive development (here it is appropriate to recall the Ares boy imprisoned in a bronze vessel).

He can only be saved if the man feels within himself the movements of this boy, who was once spontaneous and physically active. Little Ares, sealed in a bronze vessel, symbolizes the many unexpressed facets of personality. This is his desire for physical contact with his father, who never jokingly fought with him or hugged him tightly. This is the never realized urge to casually place a hand on a friend’s shoulder. It's that guy inside of him who selflessly twirls to the music (or always wants to twirl). This is a boy who once played ball in the city yard. It's passion, sweat and soil. Sometimes there come moments when a man feels a strong desire to release Ares: will he free this boy at such a moment or will he continue to keep him locked in the jar?

After Ares has been in the bottle for a long time, physical reactions to people and events (the bodily expression of emotional processes) may be completely repressed beyond the scope of consciousness. Outwardly, it seems that a man (or woman) lives mainly a mental life, but still the body reacts to external events with tension and relaxation. For example, a person may not feel acute attacks of anger or fear, but the muscles tense and the palms clench into fists. He usually doesn't notice these physical reactions himself until someone points them out to him. Ares is even less conscious and physically manifest, making himself known only by changes in blood pressure or diseases such as stomach ulcers.

Since Ares is not loved in society, just as Zeus did not love this god, his traits are often not developed or are suppressed - especially if this is not the main archetype in the psyche this person. In order for Ares, locked in a jug, to be saved and freed, a person must realize the current situation. Those around him can help him with this. Perhaps someone close to the Ares man knows how to read body language or intuitively senses those feelings that Ares himself cruelly suppresses and is not aware of. If Ares listens to this to a loved one and trusts him, then he will soon be able to understand what is happening to him. He will begin to read his own body language little by little. But this is just the beginning. Next, he needs living physical sensations - physical contact with other people or activities during which his body can awaken the suppressed Ares within itself and give him the opportunity to develop.

Ares as a man

The Ares man is assertive, active, and very emotional. It is embodied in a person who reacts to external stimuli without thinking. Some innate traits continually drag him into various troubles, and how this person’s life turns out largely depends on the attitude of those around him.

early years

The Ares boy is active, emotional and expressive from birth. Most likely, he will immediately show his character with a loud howl of protest. Soon this loud cry becomes firmly established in the life of the parents, because almost something goes wrong (he is hungry, or wet his diapers, or hurt himself somewhere), and this baby immediately makes his needs known: “Do something immediately!” When he cries, his whole body participates in protest - his face is red, his arms and legs are tense. With every stroke he demonstrates: “I feel bad!” or "I'm angry!" But as soon as the baby receives a pacifier or breast, or manages to burp a balloon, the baby changes completely. The typical Ares eats with great appetite. When he's doing well, this little guy is very charming and friendly. He loves physical sensations and from a very early age he laughs heartily, enjoying the game, jumping and tumbling with pleasure. If he hurts himself or is frightened by something, his protest is expressed just as violently.

Months pass and little Ares grows older. If something attracts his attention, his hand lags behind his admiring gaze for just a moment. Now it is important to make sure that the house is as safe as possible for the child, because this is the baby who can roll down the stairs, put his fingers in a socket, break a vase or tease the cat so that he bites and scratches him. He fearlessly goes to any subject that interests him. This kid needs more Band-Aid and green stuff than the average child because he's only learning personal experience, and this leads to countless bruises, abrasions and scratches.

This child's nascent self-esteem is also covered with countless bruises and abrasions, for his impulsive nature serves as an inexhaustible source of trouble, and also brings criticism and punishment upon him. Here, a lot depends on parents and teachers: on their patience, consistency and ability to understand that this is what he is, an impulsive, emotional, spontaneous, restless boy, prone to exaggerated reactions.

Parents

Since little Ares is very energetic, demanding, careless and does not think before doing anything, it is not easy to manage this child. Therefore, he especially needs firm, loving and patient parents. Little Ares needs more attention than other children, but often the opposite is true. It is completely natural for this child, carried away by the impulse of the moment, to forget what his elders told him, and with his forgetfulness he often provokes the anger of his parents - especially authoritarian and pedantic ones. They regard this behavior as disobedience or unnecessary. He is careless in everything, including not knowing how to keep his mouth shut and can, in a fit of anger, say too much, provoking his cruel father to beat him.

Conversely, mothers with a weak character often find that they are completely unable to control this demanding and formidable baby, who terrorizes them almost from the cradle: four-year-old Ares can become a real tyrant for some mothers. Ideally, his mother is a strong, loving, physically active woman who is able to keep such a child within certain limits, leaving, however, enough freedom for the baby to be himself. She hugs her son often and knows how to channel his energy into physical activities, which helps him develop self-confidence, as well as patience and discipline.

Sometimes a mythological situation is reproduced in life, and the parents of Ares turn out to be the angry Hera and Zeus, who rejects this child. In the modern version, the father may be a powerful, successful man who is closed even to those sons whose character he approves of. Such a person categorically rejects Ares - for his emotionality, impulsiveness and tendency to live with his body and not his mind. If the father is angry and unrestrained, then the impulsive son will constantly provoke him into beatings and insults, as a result of which it will be even more difficult for little Ares to learn restraint. As a result, the boy who is the victim of abuse becomes an abused man himself.

Mother Hera is very attached to her husband. Emotionally and archetypally, she is more of a “wife” than a “mother.” Son Ares often receives insufficient maternal warmth - she is disgusted by his sensuality and vulnerability, he does not fit into her ideas about " little man"It happens that such a woman is constantly angry with her son Ares, beats and insults him. Perhaps in her relationship with her husband she feels humiliated and powerless, but is still very attached to him - and takes out her anger on her son Ares. More an introverted child could avoid problems and somehow get along with those parents who are capable of making the Ares boy's life a nightmare.So, how this boy grows up depends largely on his parents.

Youth and youth

Adolescence is a critical period for Ares: due to the activity of male hormones during puberty, qualities such as impulsiveness, aggressiveness, physical activity, emotionality and sexuality increase. At this age, Ares is very susceptible to peer influence. Will he be able to discipline himself, channel his aggression into sports, and gain recognition and admiration from others? Will he take up football, rugby, hockey? Or will he join a gang and use his talents in criminal wars? Will he drop out of school? Will he oppose himself to any authorities and society as a whole, bringing problems upon himself? Or will his drive and tendency to surrender himself to the power of the moment be realized in auto racing and rock climbing? Will music, dance, and love become the most important discoveries and sources of pleasure for him? Or will sexuality simply turn into a channel for releasing pent-up aggression?

High school and college promise Ares either an early fall or a path to success. If this young person does not know how to plan ahead and tends to overestimate the opportunities of the current moment and emotional impulses, he may interrupt his education early. While it is possible that his alluring opportunities will come to fruition, it is more likely that Ares will undermine his future prospects by stopping his studies, music, or sports.

Job

Ares's temperament predisposes him to intense physical labor, he loves to work with his hands, using tools, and enjoys movement. Paperwork and long-term projects make him bored and impatient. Ares doesn't fit well into the corporate hierarchy. He is attracted to work that involves a certain amount of risk, and if he does not indulge in different hobbies, then over time he achieves significant mastery in his chosen field. He enjoys working in a team environment and shows brotherly affection towards other men.

If, following the call of Ares the warrior, he enlists in the army or navy, his record will most likely be littered with disciplinary actions. He will either remain until the end of his service as a non-commissioned officer, or will be promoted during combat operations. If other archetypes are also active in his psyche, he may rise to the rank of officer, but will acquire the reputation of a warrior, always striving for the real deal. Soldiers of fortune, mercenaries of all armies, warriors of the French Foreign Legion - very often these people embody the archetype of Ares the warrior.

Having entered the field of professional sports, Ares is able to give his all to the team, but it is often difficult for him to restrain aggression in acute situations. If he learns to restrain his reactions to a controversial referee's whistle or an opponent's provocations (impulsivity may well result in penalty points for Ares), this will serve him well in other areas of life. A hockey player or football player who does not know how to curb his violent temper harms both himself and the team by provoking the referee to call a penalty - for rough play, for breaking the rules, for arguing with the referee.

Having become a man of art - an actor, musician, dancer - Ares often attracts attention with his emotionality and eccentric behavior on stage and off.

Active and risky people with the character of Ares often become builders and oil workers. They earn good money and spend money easily.

Ares's success is highly dependent on luck, as he is not inclined to make long-term plans. Sometimes success comes as a result of a chain of interconnected events. In addition, such a man can succeed due to the development of certain innate qualities - but they develop not through diligence and perseverance, but simply because he can do what he likes for a long time.

When success comes to Ares, it often comes as a big surprise both to those around him and to himself. On the way to success, he certainly has many clashes with his superiors, and he is constantly fired for his temper and absenteeism. If he is appreciated at work, it is only due to his ability to learn from his mistakes, abilities and intuition.

Relationships with women

According to myths, Ares's beloved was Aphrodite, and it was with women of this type that the Ares man best compatibility. They have similar temperaments with the goddess of love and beauty, they are united by eccentricity and sensuality. Both live here and now. Every now and then “fireworks” happen in their lives - a bright flame of eroticism and sparkling outbursts of anger. Quarrels break out between them every now and then, which are always followed by reconciliation. However, despite such expressiveness, their relationships are often quite harmonious - these people show much more mutual acceptance and tolerance to each other than any of them can receive from anyone else. An alliance between an emotionally damaged, angry and cruel Ares and a woman with low self-esteem who experienced bullying as a child would be extremely unfavorable for both partners.

The Athena woman with the sharpened mind of a strategist will treat the Ares man in the same way as the goddess Athena, who constantly strove to teach the god of war a lesson for being emotional and impulsive. Women who value in a man primarily status and the ability to earn money, and also expect that he will provide them with confidence in tomorrow, do not consider Ares as a potential spouse. Some are put off by his demeanor, perceived as unceremonious. Therefore, the Ares man often feels that women judge him and consider him inferior. This attitude awakens resentment in him, which manifests itself in anger - and further alienation.

The Ares man often has friendly relations with many women, with whom he can be very affectionate and courteous, regardless of their age, but women, as a rule, are not among his best friends. Usually he is not associated with women either by common hobbies or work.

Ares is attracted to women with whom he can act sincerely and spontaneously, showing his affection physically. Sex, dancing, eating together, playing - he is completely immersed in all these activities and prefers that the woman also devote herself completely to them.

Relationships with men

The Ares man loves to spend time in the company of other men - doing common things, playing various games, organizing practical jokes, watching sports programs or playing sports. Such a man is not attracted to deep conversations or philosophical discussions; his topics of conversation are limited to women, sports, his own affairs and the affairs of friends. He is attached to his friends and is always ready to come to their defense.

Often, Ares's strongest bonds are with the men in uniform with whom he has gone into battle and fiercely fought for victory - whether in combat, sports, or crime. In such circumstances, his aggressiveness turns out to be a valuable quality, and he gets the opportunity to express himself to his full potential. In this environment, he can cry without being called a weakling, or hug a friend tightly without awakening homophobic feelings in anyone.

This person suffers very painfully when his comrades avoid him or make him a scapegoat - which often happens to the boy or man Ares. He is not only offended, he feels that he has been deprived of the male friendship that Ares desperately needs.

Sexuality

Whether an Ares man will love women or beat them up depends on the circumstances of his childhood. If Ares had a good enough childhood to develop a lover, he will grow into a man who adores sex, loves the female body, and can make love for hours. This is a man who prefers mature, sexually uninhibited women who love sex as much as he does. Ares does not look like a mystical Dionysus lover seeking ecstatic experiences, nor does he strive for victories on the love front. This man cheerfully makes love for simple physical pleasure. In the film "Tom Jones", based on the novel by English writer Henry Fielding, Albert Finney, who starred in leading role, very vividly played Ares the lover with his earthiness, amorality, cheerfulness and lust for life.

The Ares man lives uncomfortably in a patriarchal, hypocritical society. Ares may consider his passion a vice, believing that this part of his nature is subject to condemnation and suppression, especially if he is married to a sexually inhibited Puritan and is constantly haunted by thoughts of “going left.” If Ares implements these ideas, then he usually fails to hide his adventures - he is not a good enough strategist for this. Therefore, he is caught red-handed and subjected to public condemnation, as was the case with the god Ares.

Homosexual Ares, on the contrary, feels quite at ease (at least, this was the case before the AIDS epidemic) thanks to his impulsiveness, complete involvement in the current moment, immorality and the abundance of partners ready for contacts in bars and public baths. In addition, in a homosexual environment, non-monogamous relationships (such as those between Ares and Aphrodite) are considered completely acceptable, when two people are in a deep, strong relationship, but each has other lovers. Often a homosexual Ares dresses in leather - a modern version of military armor - and also builds up muscles, which even achieves an external resemblance to Ares.

Marriage

The Ares man does not strive for marriage, but does not avoid it either. He is completely absorbed in the current moment and does not make far-reaching plans. This person does not ask questions: “Will this woman be a good wife?”, “What kind of mother will she make?”, “How will our union affect my career?”, “Will I marry her?”

If others - the woman, her parents, his parents - want this wedding, then it will take place. An Ares man often gets married immediately after finishing school, especially if he comes from a working environment where this is customary. Since he has a passionate, sensual nature, marriage often results from pregnancy. If he loves his wife, if they are happy sexually, if he has a secure job, if he can sometimes play football or basketball with his friends, and if his wife is satisfied with their life together, then he does not complain about fate. Family and stable work serve as support for him in life, he is satisfied with himself and satisfied with those around him.

However, as soon as any difficulties arise, they immediately develop into problems. On the one hand, an impulsive nature can lead to serious conflicts at work or push him towards adultery, which will cause tension in the family or even divorce. On the other hand, perhaps under the influence of other archetypes, ambition and intelligence will awaken in him over time and he will meet men and women from a completely different circle. Then Ares, who married early, may discover that the woman who once attracted him physically now seems too primitive to him. If the mutual attraction between them weakens; or if during the courtship period the current wife’s reaction to his passion was feigned; and also if a woman turns out to be more demanding or jealous than he thought - all this can create additional stress, which, combined with his impulsiveness, can lead to family scandals.

Children

The Ares man often conceives children unintentionally, due to his sensuality and because he lives in the moment and does not think about the consequences. A woman should take care of pregnancy protection on her own, otherwise conception becomes purely a matter of chance.

If he is present at all in the lives of children, he usually behaves very authoritatively and menacingly. If Ares's life is going well and his family becomes the center of his life, he spends quite a lot of time with his children. Ares teaches his sons to play baseball and football, takes them to competitions, wrestles with them - he likes to play with the kids. He willingly dances with his daughter and carries her with him on his shoulders when he goes to see friends. The children of such a man feel fatherly care from an early age. Conflicts may arise when the children grow up - if the child turns out to be an introvert or an intellectual, he will not be able to share Ares' interests and will be irritated by his father's attempts to interfere in his life. In addition, conflicts and mutual grievances often arise if children from a working-class family try to climb up the social ladder.

If Ares is an outcast, embittered man who is always at odds at work and in the family, he treats children harshly. Children are very afraid of a father filled with anger, who flies into a rage at the slightest provocation. Such a man can physically abuse children - especially if he drinks.

In addition, it happens that the Ares father does not pay attention to his children at all, especially if he conceived them while still emotionally immature. And in general, the Ares man often sows his seed quite generously. At the same time, it is likely that he does not have either the mental strength or the financial means to take care of all the children conceived both within and outside of marriage. Therefore, such a father is often completely absent from the children’s lives. However, if he is able to take care of his children, he usually does so. He is naturally generous and willingly gives if he has something to give.

Average age

The status of an Ares man in middle age directly depends on what class he belongs to at birth. For example, it is often very difficult for Ares, who was born into a family of ambitious parents belonging to the upper middle class, where emotional restraint, composure and intelligence are valued, as well as the ability to manipulate people, achieve power and make money. Such a man awaits the fate of the mythological Ares, rejected and despised by Zeus. The Ares man, whose father is archetypally similar to Zeus and belongs to a social class that is the modern equivalent of the Olympian family, often shares the fate of the god Ares, subjected to constant humiliation and defeat on the corporate battlefield.

In order for Ares, who comes from a family of businessmen or high-class professionals, to be satisfied with himself in his middle years, it is important that he understands in his youth that he is different from his family or his social class. He needs someone's emotional support in order to live his own interests, develop his innate talents, and also view his temperament favorably (he is more moderate or hot-blooded than cold-blooded). To remain himself, emotional support is absolutely necessary for him. It can be given to Ares by a psychotherapist or some person who plays an important role in his life, but it is best if his parents do it, loving him and accepting him for who he is. But even under favorable conditions, it is not easy for Ares to establish himself from this social stratum by the middle of his life. He has to fight a lot for his place in the sun. His path in such an environment is extremely individual and therefore difficult.

It is easier to find stability and peace in the middle of life for Ares, who was born into a working-class family in a friendly neighborhood. This environment provides more opportunities for the acceptable manifestation of his temperament and for the implementation of a penchant for physical activity - this applies to both work and entertainment. Male friendship, sports, and even fights that happen from time to time - all of this serves as an excellent outlet for his aggression. In addition, Ares needs others to treat his lustful nature with condescension and even approval. The environment of modern ambitious professionals cannot provide any of this. In the work environment, occupations that require physical strength and dexterity from a man are respected, so here it is easier for him to achieve acceptance from others, and therefore develop fairly high self-esteem.

To a greater extent than among representatives of other archetypes, the fate of Ares is finally determined by mid-life. It is very dependent on such external factors as the social class to which he belongs, for our culture as a whole does not favor Ares.

Old age

So, in middle age, the main features of the life of an Ares man have already been determined. How stable Ares’s life and high self-esteem in his mature years is determines how old age will go.

Many Ares men do not live to old age at all. These people often die early: in fights, as a result of accidents, in war. Due to their temperament and occupation, their lives are especially susceptible to danger. And if the country is at war, then Ares is even more likely to die early. Among the victims of the Vietnam War, the proportion of Ares men was disproportionately large, partly due to the fact that they were less likely to receive exemption from military service or permission to perform alternative service. Often, the life of Ares is also interrupted as a result of stress-related illnesses - a person is killed by anger combined with helplessness. During periods of economic downturn, when industries close, these people lose confidence in the future, which leads to increased violence and instability in their families.

However, many Ares men in their old age are quite satisfied with their lives, perhaps even more so than in any other period. Blessed is the working-class family man when the long-awaited retirement age arrives! He has a family, a favorite sports team on TV, fun times with old friends, grandchildren to tinker with, maybe a cottage near a lake with great fishing, and an innate ability to enjoy the moment.

No less satisfaction, although it was achieved through great effort, awaits that Ares man who had to swim against the tide in life. He usually does not have to count on the support of established social structures; his path is purely individual. Where such a person lives, with whom he lives, what he does - all this is the result of personal choice based on deep and sincere motives. He has learned to adapt to society while remaining true to himself, and is one of the most independent and mature men. Old age for him it is time for a rich harvest.

Psychological problems

Of all the Olympian gods, Ares suffered the most. This god was beaten and humiliated every now and then. In the same way, Ares men are often offended and rejected in childhood and adolescence. The result of certain personal traits and the negative attitude of others becomes a whole series of problems that trouble the Ares man.

Identification with the god of war

A man who is "only Ares" is completely identified with this archetype and never develops the ability to look at himself from the outside and reflect on his actions. He reacts to everything impulsively, and therefore his choice of actions in each situation is limited. An extreme example is the street bully who simply cannot help but fight when provoked. From time to time, Hollywood stars make headlines precisely because of their impulsive behavior. The photographer takes a photo of him at the wrong time or someone makes an offensive remark, and - despite the inevitable newspaper scandal, arrest and fine - the provocation has taken place, “the button is pressed”, the god of war gets out of control, the actor clenches his fists and rushes into battle, smashing lamps and smashing chairs.

Offended offender

If an Ares man turns his fists against women and children, most likely he is an offended offender - that is, he himself was beaten and humiliated as a child. Emotions push him to react to any situation with physical actions. Such a man has an offended, intimidated or humiliated child inside him, and now he beats someone else who, in his opinion, deserves to be beaten. Thus, the sins of the fathers are endlessly passed on from generation to generation. Visit a therapy group for abusive men (these groups are modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous) and you will discover that all of these men were abused as children.

To survive as a child, he had to struggle to suppress feelings of horror and helplessness. As a result, now he cannot put himself in the place of the victim. It would seem that this man should understand better than anyone else what it’s like to be beaten by a person who has lost control over himself, strong enough to cripple him - after all, he experienced all this from his own experience. However, he cannot show compassion, because then he would have to expose the victim in himself.

Thus, the family becomes a battlefield for the Ares man, and when he is dissatisfied with himself, he unleashes his rage on those close to him. The angry god archetype acts on behalf of the inner child - the humiliated and offended boy in the soul of a man who has now gained enough strength to take revenge on the world.

Scapegoat

In childhood and adolescence, Ares often succumbs to various provocations from a group of peers and violently displays resentment and anger where it would be better to remain calm and unperturbed. In life, parallels are often observed with the myth of the Aloads, when boys unite against the boy Ares and do not allow him passage (so two young twin giants imprisoned Ares in a bronze vessel). In addition to physical suffering, emotional suffering can be added - because his peers reject him and do not accept him in their game. And since Ares tends to act rashly and openly show his emotions, rejection from peers is not uncommon for this child. And if little Ares is also beaten and offended at home, he suffers ostracism from his peers especially painfully.

In a family, this child may suffer not only from the attitude of the parents, but also due to the fact that he constantly loses in confrontation with his brother or sister (as Ares invariably lost to Athena). Not only is he himself prone to getting into trouble, he is often provoked into mischief by a brother or sister, and one of the parents “catch him in the act” and punish him - it is Ares who is punished, since he is already prejudiced against this “obnoxious” child .

At school, Ares is often forced into the role of scapegoat. Every now and then he gets kicked out of class or sent to the principal for bad behavior. If the role of a hooligan has already become established in him, then the teacher is biased towards him. Knowing this, other children do not stand up when he is unfairly blamed, and Ares has to take the rap for the misdeeds of others.

If Ares is scapegoated as a child, this image is often reinforced into adulthood: he is provoked into unacceptable actions and then ostracized. Moreover, it is likely that subsequently the same attitude will extend to his entire family.

Work and unemployment blues

Hot-tempered people have problems at work. Such a person loses his temper and is fired. In addition, it is very difficult for Ares to “do everything as expected”, to follow the rules and regulations of his superiors - he prefers to always act at his own discretion. Problems also arise due to the habit of always “cutting the truth” – including in cases where this is not diplomatic and unreasonable. Or, following the dictates of his heart, he makes exceptions where there is an immutable rule. For all these reasons, even if Ares does not give in to his anger, he does not manage to hold on to bureaucratic positions or business for long.

Promotion at work is also difficult for him. Ares is not a strategist and does not know how to look far into the future, which is not conducive to career growth. Due to the inability to think about tomorrow, Ares often does not study well and leaves school early.

Ares and alcohol

The lover who lives in the moment, the dancer, the warrior, the bully - all these qualities of Ares are suppressed and condemned by other archetypes and our culture, which requires that a man live with his head, not his body. Often, only alcohol frees Ares - both his positive and negative qualities. Alcohol removes the restrictions that prevent spontaneous expression of feelings - it strengthens the bonds of comradeship between members of a sports team or soldiers who fight together and drink together. But alcohol can also release rage and cruelty in a man - a drunk Ares is much easier to provoke into violent actions.

Unfulfilled expectations

God Ares is a lover, but not a husband. His father, Zeus (a type of chief executive), could not stand Ares' behavior. This archetype lacks the qualities and motivations that make a person responsible in marriage and successful in their career. As a result, the Ares man does not live up to anyone's expectations and because of this he feels guilty. If this happens too often, he lives with a constant feeling of failure and considers himself a failure. This problem is especially acute when he is first loved for who he is, and then suddenly expected to become something completely different. For example, a woman may be attracted to Ares by his sensuality and love of life, or by his strength and sexuality. Or she saw in him an offended, rejected boy, and her heart responded with compassion. However, having established a more or less strong relationship, she can try to turn Ares into a good family man and an ambitious professional focused on career growth, and having failed in this endeavor, she becomes angry with him.

Problems for others

If the partner of an Ares man is jealous, their relationship promises to be very turbulent. It is difficult for an Ares man to remain faithful - it is not something natural for him, but can mature through love and devotion. He needs to learn to say “no” to momentary impulses and his own immoral, purely instinctive sexuality - otherwise decisions will be made not by him, but by his penis. Long-term consequences are much less important for Ares than the immediate situation, even if he has stepped on this rake more than once before. The partner is offended - “How could you!” - and blames him for all mortal sins. It is common for Ares to learn from experience, and usually only learns a lesson after many repetitions.

If a woman is inclined to be tormented by unreasonable jealousy, then Ares involuntarily fuels her by the fact that he does not know how to intelligibly account for the time of his absence. Maybe he lingered in the bar, carried away by a conversation or game, or maybe he just sat on a bench in the park, losing track of time. If a woman is tormented by jealousy, then she cannot count on Ares to be able to protect her from unnecessary worries. However, after several scandals, realizing the pain jealousy causes his beloved, he can learn to say “no” to temptations or call her when for some reason he is delayed. In another type of man, such irresponsible behavior may be an indirect manifestation of hostility or resentment: he remembers his jealous lover, but wants to torment her. Ares, most likely, is simply at the mercy of the current moment and forgets to warn his beloved.

Illegitimate children

The god Ares had many children from different women, and the Ares man often reproduces this pattern of behavior. Following the impulse of the moment, the sensual and erotic Ares does not think about contraceptives. Besides, he loves children and has nothing against having them, even if he doesn’t want to get married at all. A woman who has sexual intercourse with Ares must take care of pregnancy prevention herself and be prepared for the role of a single mother. The birth of a child should not be expected to force this man into marriage. On the other hand, often the child becomes the only reason for him to get married.

Cruelty

In the worst case scenario, the woman and children become victims of bullying from the Ares man, who is inclined to take out his anger on them. Such women should know that the abuse will not stop unless she decisively ends it. If she tolerates cruelty towards herself and towards the children, this will lead to the fact that this situation will not only persist in the present, but most likely the children themselves will begin to behave in the same way in the future. If a man threatens or carries out violent actions, the woman should immediately leave him or call the police - this will protect herself and the children, and also help the man stop. If after the first outburst of cruelty the woman does not leave him and/or does not report to the police, the beatings will probably become regular, and pretty soon this woman will need outside help.

Development ways

Psychological growth begins when Ares learns to consciously choose how to respond to provocation, or whether to respond at all—as long as he goes beyond purely knee-jerk reactions. To do this, he needs to learn self-control, as well as develop other skills. archetypes.
Learn self-control

Prone to emotional reactions, Ares is angry and responds to provocations with aggression, which is why it is more difficult for him to learn to control himself than for bearers of other archetypes. Self-control can best be taught by consistent, patient, and loving parents, who have to repeat the lessons over and over again until Ares masters them.

For example, several years ago, twenty-eight-year-old Hollywood actor Sean Penney, who had previously been prosecuted many times for fighting, once again appeared in court and was sentenced to two months in prison. Recognizing that the man needed to learn to control himself, his lawyer, Howard Weissman, put the situation this way: "He needs to realize that people will often provoke him into antisocial behavior. He needs to understand - and he understands this - that such incidents (the actor thought that a man was trying to kiss his wife, rock star Madonna, and Peni beat him) are simply inevitable."

The same lesson should have been learned by the former tennis champion with the temperament of Ares, John McEnroe. Discussing his violent outbursts of anger on and off the court, journalists unanimously insisted that McEnroe was behaving unsportsmanlike and simply childish.

To learn this important lesson, a man (or woman) must first recognize the need to change and then practice controlling his impulsive reactions. Ares will eventually be able to soften his violent emotionality if his ego learns to choose a different response to the stimulus. In this he may need the help of other archetypes.

Hermes the Savior, Apollo the Ally

Fortunately, all archetypes are present in potential form in the human psyche, and even if one of them dominates (in particular, Ares), a person can develop others. According to myths, when the boy Ares was captured and imprisoned in a bronze vessel, Hermes came to his aid. Likewise, the Hermes archetype can come to the aid of a person who tends to react like Ares to everything: instinctively exploding in response to any provocation, after which he is scapegoated, labeled and blamed - as was the case with McEnroe.

Hermes represents the ability to communicate and act deliberately, while being resourceful and witty. Hermes is able to rescue Ares from a dangerous situation. Be it an adult Ares, who is provoked into unseemly behavior by photographers who want to take a scandalous photo; or a child who is pushed by someone in the schoolyard to get into a fight - in any case, if he enters into a conflict, he will get himself into trouble. Ares has already been labeled a brawler, so he will always be made to blame and he will once again play the role of a scapegoat. But everything can change if Hermes teaches him to use speech - suggests a few words that will soften or prevent conflict.

Sometimes his family helps him learn to show restraint, think before acting, and use words rather than force. If his family did not help him with this in childhood, then later Ares can be taught all this by a coach, a psychotherapist or another person who cares about him and who sees that this man should not be reprimanded or beware, but should be taught to control himself and adequately express his feelings.

Scientific work or sports activities contribute to the awakening of the Apollo archetype - another potential ally of Ares. Apollo is the archetype of discipline, emotional detachment, self-control and the ability to set long-term goals. He, like Hermes, has the ability to look at a situation from the outside and consider the possible consequences. In addition, Apollo personifies the gift of effectively using the will and intellect.

Robert Kennedy, whose Aresian nature made him a passionate fighter, could well have become President of the United States if he had not been assassinated. Robert was the favorite son in a family of politicians, where there was always a lively exchange of ideas over dinner and some kind of sporting competition was held almost every day. In addition, in college and at the university law faculty, he was specially prepared for a political career. Thus, from early childhood, Robert Kennedy's Aresian emotionality was softened by the traits of Hermes and Apollo, as a result of which he was able to communicate effectively and win the positive attitude of others.

Pause to think and make a decision: the influence of Athena

The Greek hero of the Trojan War, Achilles, was Athena's favorite, although his temperament was more like Ares. Once, when the commander of the Greek troops, Agamemnon, ordered his beloved to be taken away from him, Achilles had already put his hand on the hilt of his sword and would certainly have committed a rebellion and bloodshed if not for the intervention of Athena. Invisible to the rest, she descended from heaven, grabbed him by the golden curls and said: I came to calm your anger, but will you obey me?... Do not take the sword in your hand, refrain from fighting, you can defeat him in a word. ...One day you will be given a gift three times more magnificent.

Athena here symbolizes a moment of reflection, an inner voice, a pause that prevents an emotional reaction and gives a person the opportunity to act, guided by a conscious choice. Ares often experiences his own thinking as the presence inside of an “other person”—an advisor whom he learns to call upon at the right moment. For many men, this advisor represents not the second masculine aspect of his being, but the feminine voice inspired by the prudent, loving mother.

Active imagination: turning to archetypes

You can resort to the help of active imagination. Having realized that his problem is a tendency to react without thinking, a man or boy can cultivate the habit of mentally calling upon Athena. Having imagined this goddess, he enters into an imaginary dialogue with her. She advises him to keep his cool in an emotionally charged situation and think about the consequences before doing anything. (If Achilles had not listened to Athena, the Greeks would have been defeated in the Trojan War, and the Iliad would have had only one chapter instead of twenty-two.) Similarly, you can conjure up Apollo or Hermes in your imagination.

Remember childhood traumas

If a man was abused as a child and, as is often the case, has "forgotten" or suppressed the experience because it carried too many painful emotions, he may benefit from a therapist or participation in a support group. Memories will gradually be restored, deeply buried anger, resentment and feelings of helplessness will come to the surface. If this does not happen, painful feelings will remain unconscious, but will have a strong influence on the person's behavior. Cruelty is a parental sin that is passed down from generation to generation until someone neutralizes this pattern of behavior - which requires not only retrieving repressed information, but also opening one's capacity for trust and compassion. An Ares man must definitely solve this problem if he notices that he is treating others as cruelly as he was once treated.

Evolution from Ares to Mars

Transported to another time and another culture, hungry for battle greek god During the war, Ares evolved and became the protector of the Roman people of Mars. In the same way, the Ares archetype in a man can change and evolve. Perhaps in his youth the Ares man played football or hockey roughly and against the rules and was excessively lustful. He thought he would never settle down, but in most cases it happens sooner or later. And if his parents did not reject him and did not treat him cruelly, then, having started his own family, he can become a caring father who loves to tinker with the kids and is deeply interested in their lives. By nature he is a protector: anyone who decides to offend his children will have to deal with father Ares, who is ready to use his fists if necessary. His children feel emotionally protected. Having reached adulthood, he can become a good community leader: the Ares man is ready to actively fight for the safety and rights of others.

God of crafts Hephaestus

Hephaestus and his lameness. Hephaestus, the son of Zeus and Hera, was born on bright Olympus. The child was ugly: with thin crooked legs, a frail body and an excessively large head. Hera became angry because her child was so ugly, and threw him down from Olympus. Hephaestus fell to the ground and broke his leg. So, in addition to natural unsightliness, he also received lameness. On earth he was sheltered by Eurynome, the daughter of the gray-haired old man Ocean, and Thetis, the daughter of the prophetic sea old man Nereus.

In an azure grotto at the bottom of the Ocean, they raised Hephaestus, and he became a skilled craftsman. He made many beautiful vessels, combs, brooches from gold and silver for his saviors. Even the Olympian gods, having heard about his skill, turned to him with requests, and Hephaestus helped everyone and fulfilled all orders.

The Golden Throne of Hera. He never did anything to Hera alone. But one day it seemed to the gods that Hephaestus had changed his anger to mercy - he sent Hera a beautiful golden throne. The delighted goddess immediately sat down on him - and then shackles appeared from somewhere, which tightly chained her to the throne. All the efforts of the other gods were in vain, and there was no way to free Hera.

Then they turned to Hephaestus. But he accepted the gods with a proud look and responded to their requests with an unconditional refusal - his mother treated him in childhood in such a way that now he does not have the slightest desire to help her. The great Olympians became despondent, not knowing what to do now, and then Dionysus suggested: “Now let me try to persuade him!” Taking with him several wineskins of wine, he went to Hephaestus and offered him a drink to meet him. He agreed. The first cup was followed by a second, followed by a third, a fourth... when Hephaestus was already completely drunk and, because of this, more accommodating, Dionysus told him how Hera, chained to the throne, was suffering.

Hephaestus leaves for Olympus. By this time, Hephaestus had grown older and had had enough of his revenge, so he agreed to go to Olympus and free his mother. But it’s one thing to agree, and quite another to get to Olympus. Hephaestus was already so drunk that he could not only walk, but even stand on his feet. Then Dionysus called his retinue and ordered him to be seated on a donkey. And so Hephaestus was put on horseback, a wreath of grape leaves was put on his head, and so that he would not fall, the satyrs began to support him from the sides. So, in a noisy Dionysian fias, bawling drunken songs, a new member of the family of Olympian gods entered Olympus. The wine he drank did not deprive Hephaestus of his skills, so he easily freed Hera and completely reconciled with her.

Hephaestus's main forge. Moreover, he not only reconciled, but once suffered greatly for his mother. This happened at a time when Zeus severely punished Hera, and none of the gods dared to contradict him. Only Hephaestus tried to stand up for his mother, and then the Father of immortals and mortals threw him from Olympus a second time. Hephaestus fell on the island of Lemnos and broke his second leg; therefore, he was sometimes called “The Lame of Two Legs.” Since the people of Lemnos treated him well, he fell in love with the island. Here the city of Hephaestius was named in his honor, and here, under a fire-breathing mountain, was his main forge, in which he worked together with the Cyclopes who helped him.

Hephaestus brings the gods a good mood. On Olympus, Hephaestus built majestic palaces for all the gods and for himself, and in his own he built another forge. Covered in sweat, all black with dust and soot, he works in it all his free time. Wonderful things are made in his workshop: indestructible weapons, jewelry made of gold and silver, bowls and goblets. Having finished his work and washed himself, Hephaestus goes, limping slightly, to the feast of the gods, to his father, the thunderer Zeus. Hephaestus is friendly and good-natured, and often manages to stop a quarrel between his parents. When he begins to hobble around the table, pouring nectar into golden goblets, the gods cannot see this without laughing. The fun begins at the feast, all grievances and misunderstandings are forgotten.

Aphrodite is the wife of Hephaestus. The wife of the ugliest of the gods was the most beautiful goddess - Aphrodite. Hephaestus, who had an easy-going character, loved his wife very much and did not attach importance to the fact that she was not always faithful to him. He himself spent more time in his forges than with his wife. Of course, his lameness prevented him from working, but he built himself maids out of gold who could move and carry out all his orders. [Hephaestus was inseparable from his craft, so he was always depicted as a blacksmith - in a pointed leather hat, with a hammer and tongs in his hands. However, not only blacksmiths, but also all artisans considered him their god.]

Hephaestus and human affairs. Hephaestus was so busy and passionate about his work that he did not interfere at all in earthly affairs. He happened to make different things for people (for example, he made copper bulls for the king of Colchis Eetus, for Achilles - his weapons and armor, for Hercules - a golden armor, greaves and helmet), but in general their wars do not interest him, and even in He intervened in the Trojan War only once, when with his fire he tamed the raging Scamander River, which threatened to drown Achilles.

God of War Ares

Birth of Ares. As much as Hephaestus is alien to wars, his brother, the violent Ares, the god of war, loves them. They say that he was born in an unusual way. When Hera was angry with Zeus for giving birth to Athena himself, without her participation, she went to the far shores of the Ocean, where she touched herself with a magic flower that was able to cope with any infertility. From this touch Ares was born, who inherited the obstinate character of his mother.

Ares on the battlefield. Only brutal battles can please this god. He loves it when one after another the slain heroes fall to the ground. In sparkling weapons, Ares rushes furiously among the combatants, followed by his two sons, Phobos and Deimos - “Fear” and “Horror”, the goddess of discord - Eris, the bloodthirsty Enyo, instilling confusion in the fighting warriors. The battle is boiling and roaring; Ares, splashed with blood, rejoices. He cuts left and right indiscriminately, piling up piles of wounded bodies around him. He lets out a triumphant cry when he slays a warrior with his terrible sword and hot blood gushes onto the ground. No one can cope with the ferocious and formidable Ares, but if he gets very upset in battle, if too many heroes lose their lives because of him, Zeus allows Pallas Athena to oppose him, and then the formidable god of war is conquered. With wisdom and calm strength, Athena defeats him and forces him to leave the battlefield.

Ares, Aphrodite and Hephaestus. Outwardly, Ares is very attractive: he is strong, athletic, and tall. That is why Aphrodite could not resist his beauty: she began to secretly meet with Ares, thereby disgracing her husband, Hephaestus, in front of all the gods. The benevolent master did not suspect anything for a very long time, but one day the bright Helios, who sees and knows everything, told him about his wife’s betrayal. Hephaestus planned to take revenge. And then one day, when he, as always, went to his forge, Ares appeared on a date with Aphrodite. However, this time everything ended in failure and shame for them: they were entangled in a thin golden net, in which they floundered like fish caught in a net, and all the gods invited by Hephaestus laughed at them. When they finally managed to extricate themselves, they fled and did not dare to appear on Olympus for a long time, fearing ridicule. But then Hephaestus forgave his wife, and everything went as before.

Ares. Roman
copy from Greek
original

Ares is captured. Despite having this appearance, Ares is quite cowardly and does not tolerate pain. When, in the battles of Troy, the hero Diomedes, with the help of Athena, wounded him with a spear, the cry of Ares was as strong as the cry of ten thousand people. And once he was even captured. It happened like this. Once upon a time there lived the brothers Aloada, Ot and Ephialtes, sons of Poseidon. They were so strong that they threatened, having piled Pelion and Ossa, the mountains neighboring Olympus, on top of each other, to overthrow the gods from heaven to earth. So they captured Ares. The mighty god of war was placed in a huge copper barrel and sealed in it. Only after the death of the strong men were the gods able to free Ares from captivity.

Children of Ares. Just as violent and cruel as Ares were his children, born from mortal women: the king of Thrace Diomedes fed his mares with the meat of travelers who wandered into his domain, the king of Elis Oinomaus killed the suitors of his daughter Hippodamia, the king of one of the Greek tribes Phlegias set fire to the temple of Apollo in Delphi. Fortunately for the people, most of them were killed by the heroes who cleared the earth of monsters and villains.

Ares in the eyes of the Greeks.

It is quite natural that no one liked Ares - neither the gods (with the exception of Aphrodite, Phobos and his other companions), nor people. Even Zeus himself said that Ares was most hated by him of all the immortals. Therefore, there were few temples of Ares, and few images of him have reached us. And how could one treat God with love, whose very nicknames spoke of his character - “Bloody”, “Destroyer of Men”, “Destroyer of Cities”, “Furious”, “Furious”, “Raging”! The symbols of Ares were also formidable - a spear, a helmet, a lit torch; his horses bore the names “Shine,” “Flame,” “Noise,” “Horror,” and everywhere Ares’s chariot was accompanied on the ground by flocks of dogs, and in the sky by flocks of kites.

Ares is a god in whom the inhabitants of Ancient Greece believed. The Romans called it . The patron of war and aggression, he repeatedly influenced the course of history. A legendary lover and champion of strife, he appears in these roles in mythology and in works of art left by his ancestors.

Origin story

The Greeks, not prone to recklessness and unplanned battles, loved Ares less than other gods. A passionate fan of fights and deadly fights was not so much in demand in Greece. The Romans praised him and revered him a little less than Jupiter, supreme god. The god of war was also mentioned in Scythian mythology.

Ares was the only common son of both. Myths say that he was the fruit of magical intercourse. Hera became pregnant from touching a magical plant, which gave the miracle of fruition even in difficult cases. The details are not described in the legend.

It is known that in his infancy Ares was forced to confront the twin giants Aload. Descendants, they threatened to move Mount Ossa to Olympus and reach the sky. The giants' plans also included the overthrow of Zeus. As children, they shackled Ares and placed him in a bronze container, where the baby remained for more than a year. The child's liberator was the boy who learned about Ares' imprisonment from the twins' stepmother.

After Ares returned, his mother entrusted his training to Priapus. The first skill that the god of war acquired was dancing. The next step in raising the boy was his acquaintance with military wisdom.

Mythology

The biography of Ares is described in the myths of the ancient Greeks. God lived on Olympus and often appeared in public accompanied by Enyo or Eris. The first goddess easily aroused the wrath of rivals, while the second personified strife and enmity. The attributes of Ares are considered to be a spear and a burning torch. He is often accompanied by dogs or a kite.

Ares was famous for using cunning in battle. He did not disdain cunning tricks and treachery. The deity’s arsenal includes strength and severity, the ability to cause fear and bloodthirstiness. His character was characterized by inflexibility. The hero's strong-willed temperament and stamina did not inspire respect among his brothers. He was disliked for his tendency to take an aggressive approach to solving problems.

Ancient Greek mythology is replete with tales of Ares. The warlike cunning became a participant in events in which death and enmity figured. Ares is a true symbol of masculinity and steadfastness, but even such a serious opponent faced characters who could fight back.

Being the patron of battles, God often endangered own life. Like other inhabitants of Olympus, he possessed immortality, but wounds did not bypass him. During the Trojan War, he wounded Ares with the help of. inflicted injuries on the god in the battle for Pylos and in the battle against the son of Ares, Cycnus.

It is difficult to imagine legends about battles and wars without mentioning their patron. A negative character, Ares proclaimed principles that were not encouraged by the good and decent inhabitants of Olympus.

Family

Despite his unpleasant reputation, Ares was incredibly popular among the fair sex. He was famous for his attractive appearance and bestowed the love of mortal women and goddesses. Nymphs and Erinyes were also on his list of love victories. Ares was against forced relationships, which set him apart from other Olympians. The passionate lover left behind 50 offspring.

God's novels were fleeting. The only connection that remained for many years was between him and his wife. Ares did not intend to bind himself by marriage, but his love with Aphrodite brought seven children to the world. Eros and Harmony, Anteros and Phobos, Himeros, Deimos and Pothos were born in secret from the legitimate husband of the goddess.

Hephaestus decided to teach the lovers a lesson. Having forged a thin bronze net, he pulled it over Aphrodite's bed. Ares, who was paying a visit to his chosen one, became entangled in a net. All the gods summoned to trial by Hephaestus became witnesses to the betrayal. The offended cuckold demanded that Zeus return the wedding offerings, but the Thunderer refused.

The union of the spouses was preserved, and the children of Ares and Aphrodite became famous characters in myths. Three sons sailed for the Golden Fleece. The daughter of Ares and Aphrodite became the leader of the Amazons. Her image was used by the Marvel film company when filming the film "". God loved his children and helped them whenever possible.

• Athena was opposed to Ares, since she advocated fair competition. Ares preferred to defeat his opponent by cunning. Wisdom and justice were the main precepts of Athena, so she constantly entered into an argument with her opponent. She and Ares constantly defended their own beliefs and fought for a place on Olympus. The ancient Greeks loved the goddess more because they opposed evil intentions.
• Ares is also mentioned in a duet with. The goddess of fertility, family hearth and chastity patronized hunters. The goddess's bloodthirstiness manifested itself during punishments, during which she used arrows. Artemis's anger provoked all sorts of troubles and cataclysms. The cruelty of the goddess in a bad mood is comparable to the bloodthirstiness shown by Ares.

God Ares in Marvel

• The God of War penetrated into TV series, computer games and comics, which dealt with the warrior princess and the amazing adventures of Hercules. In television series, a hero named the same as ancient greek god war, played by an actor from New Zealand.

Ares - god of war, character 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 military training. 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.

The god of war in ancient Greek mythology was distinguished by treachery and cunning, preferring treacherous and bloody war, war for the sake of war itself. The attributes of God were dogs, a kite, a burning torch and a spear. Ares participated in the Trojan War on the side of the Trojans and was defeated by Athena.

Pallas Athena is the goddess of fair and just war, the goddess of organized war, military strategy and wisdom, one of the most revered goddesses of Ancient Greece, who was one of the twelve great Olympian gods. In addition, she is the goddess of knowledge, arts and crafts; warrior maiden, patroness of cities and states, sciences and craftsmanship, intelligence, dexterity, and ingenuity. Her attributes: helmet (Corinthian - with a high crest); aegis (shield) covered with goatskin and decorated with the head of the Gorgon Medusa; appeared accompanied by the winged goddess Nike; olive - a sacred tree of the ancient Greeks; owl and snake (symbols of wisdom).

Details

Ares' parents were the most powerful and significant gods Olympus - Zeus and Hera. Despite this, his father treated Ares poorly because of his bloodthirstiness. The God of War was distinguished by his cunning and mercilessness. He did not know what justice was, he simply went crazy from the sight of blood and in the end he killed all the participants in the battles. In the war, his constant companion was the goddess of discord Eris. The Greeks feared this god because he brought death and grief with him.

Zeus did not take part in the birth of Ares, since it happened from Hera’s contact with a magic flower. Despite the horror and fear, the Greeks portrayed the god of war as a stately young man of tall stature with broad shoulders. He always had a helmet on his head and a shield, spear or sword in his hands. Interestingly, the god of war was never depicted in battle. Mostly he was presented in a peaceful pose, as if he was resting after a battle. Its attributes were considered to be: claws, dogs, a burning torch and a kite. In some cases, the god of war was depicted holding in his hands a statue of the goddess of victory Nike and a branch of an olive tree. The mistress of the Greek god of war, Ares, was Aphrodite. There are many cultural monuments where this pair of gods is depicted together. Ares rode in a chariot drawn by four horses. His two sons, Deimos and Phobos, also accompanied him in battles.

According to one of the legends ancient god Wars loved to directly take part in wars, imagining himself as an ordinary person. During the battle, he let out a scream that drove the other warriors crazy, and they began to indiscriminately kill all living things that came in their way. In such battles, not only men died, but also animals, children, and women. Therefore, many Greeks believed that it was Ares who was to blame for all the problems and sorrows. Mortals believed that only by pacifying the god of war would life improve. To do this, they turned to the giants for help, who captured Ares and locked him in prison. The Greek god of war was imprisoned for 13 months, and then Hermes released him.

With Aphrodite, they had five children: Deimos and Phobos had all the features of the god of war, Ares, Eros and Anterot began to continue the work of their mother, and one of the daughters was Harmony. There is also information that Ares gave rise to the strong and warlike Amazons.

The most famous myths associated with Ares

In Greece, the most arrogant god of war was hated by Athena, who was responsible for a fair and just war. One day she took the spear of Diomedes and launched it at her opponent so that it hit a place unprotected by armor and struck him. Ares went to Olympus, but Zeus said that he got what he deserved and his place is not with them, but in Tartarus with the titans. Like the other gods of Olympus, Ares is not invincible, even given his strength. Greek god of warWhen he lost his mind in battle, he was often beaten. Most of all he suffered defeats from his main rival Athena. According to some legends, once he was even able to be beaten by an ordinary mortal warrior. Hercules and the giants defeated him; in general, Ares had to feel humiliated more than once. Homer describes how the god of war took part in the Trojan War on the side of the Trojans. Out of jealousy for Aphrodite, Ares turned into a boar and killed her lover Adonis. This was the only god who was not invited to the wedding of Peirithous, which became the reason for the outbreak of war between the Lapiths and the centaurs.

• The cult of Ares was not widespread among the Greeks, as among other peoples. In Athens there is one temple on Mount Agora dedicated to this god. Before the battle, the warriors turned to Athena, not Ares. He was treated more favorably in Thebes.
• Despite his unpleasant reputation, Ares was incredibly popular among the fair sex. He was famous for his attractive appearance and bestowed the love of mortal women and goddesses. Nymphs and Erinyes were also on his list of love victories. Ares was against forced relationships, which set him apart from other Olympians. The passionate lover left behind 50 offspring.
• God's novels were fleeting. The only connection that remained for many years was between him and Aphrodite, the wife of Hephaestus. Ares did not intend to bind himself by marriage, but his love with Aphrodite brought seven children to the world. Eros and Harmony, Anteros and Phobos, Himeros, Deimos and Pothos were born in secret from the legitimate husband of the goddess.
• Athena was opposed to Ares, since she advocated fair competition. Ares preferred to defeat his opponent by cunning. Wisdom and justice were the main precepts of Athena, so she constantly entered into an argument with her opponent. She and Ares constantly defended their own beliefs and fought for a place on Olympus. The ancient Greeks loved the goddess more because they opposed evil intentions.
• Ares is also mentioned in a duet with Artemis. The goddess of fertility, family hearth and chastity patronized hunters. The goddess's bloodthirstiness manifested itself during punishments, during which she used arrows. Artemis's anger provoked all sorts of troubles and cataclysms. The cruelty of the goddess in a bad mood is comparable to the bloodthirstiness shown by Ares.