It is known that many ancient peoples had their own beliefs, which today are called paganism. The mythology of the ancient Greeks is especially interesting for the wide variety of legends and characters - titans, immortal gods, nymphs and muses. Each of them takes its own place, has a unique character and its own purpose. Ares, the god of war, occupies an important place in mythology - he is one of the twelve main gods of Olympus.
Origin of god
It is believed that Ares is the only one and Hera. In addition, in Roman mythology, there is a version according to which Ares was born as a Hero on his own, without the participation of Zeus - conception occurred due to the touch of a magic flower, which endowed fertility. It is known that Hephaestus was born in this way.
There is another, less common, version of his name - Arey, or Areyon.
Specifications
Ares was not the only patron of the war - his sister Pallas Athena personified an honest and just war. Ares was bloodthirsty, reckless, he was always eager to fight, despite the fact that the Olympians were forbidden to directly interfere in the affairs of people and participate in battles. He preferred war for the sake of war itself, and often, under the influence of emotions, he could take sides and fight, destroying everything in his path.
Ares is the god of bloody and brutal war. In relation to other spheres of life, he is characterized as aggressive, hot-tempered and impulsive, committing rash acts, for which the rest of the inhabitants of Olympus dislike him. The judicious Athena even despises Ares for his violent disposition and constantly strives to teach a lesson. Also dislikes God and his father - Zeus. However, the Olympians have to reckon with Ares only because of his noble birth.
But Ares also has good qualities - loyalty and devotion, a willingness to stand up for his loved ones and protect those to whom he is supportive. It is worth noting that not everyone can boast of these qualities.
Lover and father
Despite how cruel and insidious Ares is, the god does not remain indifferent to the legendary beauty of Aphrodite. She was the wife of Hephaestus, but it is believed that it was with Ares that she had the strongest and most passionate love. The union of War and Love turned out to be quite strong. Although love relationships often arose between the gods of Olympus, so sometimes it is no longer clear who and whose was the lover, the bonds of Ares and Aphrodite can rightfully be called one of the strongest and most durable.
As a result of this love, the gods had children: the sons Phobos (horror) and Deimos (fear), who accompanied their father on the battlefield. And the name of their daughter - Harmony - symbolizes the harmony of the relationship between the opposing Ares and Aphrodite. Eros (Eros, or Cupid) and the opposite Anteros are also considered their descendants, but this is not the only version regarding their origin.
The god of war had other descendants, at least three of them participated in the campaign for the golden fleece, and one of the daughters became the queen of the Amazons. Many of his children inherited the character traits that distinguished Ares. God is very attached to his children and, if necessary, was always ready to intercede for them.
Myths about Ares
Ancient Greek mythology is replete with an endless variety of legends and tales. In fact, there are so many of them that sometimes some myths can contradict each other. Ares is no exception and he also has his own story.
As a child, Ares had a chance to spend thirteen months chained and imprisoned in a bronze vessel - so the giant twins Aloada Ot and Ephialtes "played a trick" on him. Later, the stepmother of the giants told Hermes about this, who saved little Ares and ended his torment.
Initially, Ares studied the art of dance from Priapus, who was entrusted with the education of the young god by his parent Hera. And only after that the future god of war began to comprehend the basics of military affairs.
Another myth about the god Ares tells about those episodes when he was the husband of the goddess, Hephaestus, having learned about the betrayal of his wife, wanted to expose the lovers and take them red-handed. To do this, he created a strong and invisible net, which he fixed over his wife's bed, after which he pretended to leave to go about his business. Ares did not keep himself waiting long and after a while was already lying with Aphrodite, not knowing about the trap that Hephaestus had prepared for them. When the lovers realized that they were trapped, the lawful spouse called the gods of Olympus to witness this betrayal, but as a result, nothing came of it - the inhabitants of heaven only laughed at the captured lovers.
Symbols and attributes of the god of war
Hand in hand with Ares followed by his companions - the bloodthirsty Enio and the goddess of strife Eris. Well, what about in a battle without a horse? The patron of the war had four of them, and their names were accordingly - Shine, Flame, Horror and Noise. However, the symbol of the god Ares is the war itself, its destruction, sacrifices and everything connected with it. His attributes were mainly a spear and a lighted torch, as well as furious dogs and a kite, which tormented the soldiers who died in battle.
Usually, Ares was portrayed as a strong and energetic man. He may or may not have a beard, but he must necessarily have the attributes of a warrior: a helmet, a shield, as well as a sword or spear. Sometimes he is wearing armor or a metal breastplate. He is a huge, blood-stained destroyer of people, destroying cities - this is how the ancient Greeks imagined Ares, the god of war.
Attitude towards Ares
In ancient Greece, Ares was generally treated negatively, disliked and feared him. This is reflected in the poems of Homer, describing, for example, in which the god of war himself took part. A bloodthirsty madcap, rushing from side to side - such is the description of God in the Iliad. Ares is boastful and unrestrained, and when he is defeated, he even complains and whines. It happened when Athena once again brought certain inconveniences to her brother, directing the hand of Diomedes, which helped him to wound the immortal and strong god with a spear. But Zeus did not heed the complaints of his son and only humiliated him even more, saying that he was disgusting to him due to Ares' tendency to fight and carnage.
However, it was not only the thunderer Zeus who treated the god of war badly, let alone the constant confrontation between Ares and Pallas Athena. The ancient Greeks loved rationality and prudence, and Ares just lacked these qualities. However, even Homer found positive epithets for the god of war - in the "Hymn to Ares" he is spoken of as the father of victory, a supporter of justice, an example of masculinity.
In Roman mythology
If the Greeks did not particularly revere Ares, then the Romans, on the contrary, treated the god of war with great respect. In the ancient Roman tradition, Ares was called Mars, and he occupied a significant place in the pantheon of gods - only Jupiter (Zeus) was above him. Mars is considered the patron saint of the people and the state, and is also the father of Romulus and Remus, the founding brothers of Rome.
Sculptures
In ancient Greece, Ares was not very popular, therefore, not many of his sculptures are known in our time. The most significant are the statues of antiquity "Ares Borghese" and "Ares Ludovisi", which are actually Roman copies.
In the Parisian Louvre today there is one of these monuments, which depicts the god Ares, his photo is presented above.
Greek mythology is one of the most interesting in the world. In general, it should be said that mythology (of any country) is a very entertaining reading matter. 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 narratives were not recorded, but passed from mouth to mouth, or there were storytellers and singers who described certain events in the life of gods and heroes (in particular, the famous Iliad and Odyssey were just told, or rather , sung by Homer). And if with the heroes of Ancient Greece everything is more or less clear - some really existed, the events attributed to them have been 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 - the weather, the sea, family relationships. The god of war Ares is one of the key figures in the divine pantheon of 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 of the 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 in love with rivers of blood, treachery and betrayal on the battlefield, war for the sake of war, so to speak. Ares represented the darker traits of war, including brutal violence. It was considered the opposite of Athena, which represented tactical strategies and smart military planning. Ares acted on impulse while the other gods in battle planned their attacks. He was impulsive and bloodthirsty, known for his love of battles and battles. Although he was not a beloved god among humans, Ares was considered decisive and fearless.
Nowhere is there any mention 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 (remember that everything that is said in mythology should not be taken at face value).
However, despite the hostility from relatives and mortals, Ares was revered in some parts of the country, especially in the north and south. In former times, human sacrifices were brought to him (as they did in Sparta), using prisoners of war for this purpose. Sparta also offered dog sacrifices, which was rather unusual. There was also a festival in his honor - these days all Laconia was celebrating. Women were not allowed. The capital, Athens, did not forget about the warlike god. Ares was dedicated to the temple at the foot of the hill, which still bears his name - Areopagus.
god of War
As a 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, and even a rival. He has earned several nicknames, including "Bloody Ares" and "Raging Ares" due to his temperament and impulsive nature. Also, a lot of time and attention was paid to the appearance of the god.
Most of Ares' art depictions show him on the battlefield, as he will never miss another battle. Painters and sculptors show him while fighting with weapons 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, of course, helped in his many love affairs, including with Aphrodite.
Love story
The love story with the goddess of beauty has become 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 handyman. He was calm, quiet, gentle and was not at all suitable for Aphrodite, who was constantly in a relationship (in modern terms), looking for an ideal partner in love affairs.
Hephaestus did not possess these qualities, but Ares suited her in all respects. They have a passionate romance. Hephaestus found out about this and decided to punish Ares, insulting his pride. He created an invisible net that was very strong and threw it on the matrimonial bed to catch the lovers by surprise and captivate them. Then the whole Olympus discussed the lovers, but it was all the same.
Their union with Ares was long and fruitful - they had several children, including the famous Eros (love), Harmony, Pofos (god of love longing), as well as some father-like children - Phobos (fear), Deimos (horror ). Like any ancient Greek god, Ares had relationships with mortal women, who also gave him offspring. Most became the rulers of certain cities and states.
Each god had its own symbol, dedicated only to them. Ares is associated with several different symbols. His sacred animals were a boar and a dog. The boar is said to represent its fierce nature, while the dogs can be a symbol of sacrifices to the god.
Ares - in the mythology of Ancient Greece, the god of war. He was one of the gods of the Olympic pantheon, revered by the Trojan tribes. According to the descriptions, he had an attractive appearance: a strong muscular body with fair skin, regular facial features, which contributed to the success of Ares with women, from goddesses to mere mortals. In the photo of Greek sculptures depicting the god of war, you can see a very handsome, strong man. Pictures illustrating Greek mythology show us the same thing.
Ares' origins
In Greek and Trojan mythology, there is no unequivocal information about the origin of the god of war Ares. According to some sources, he is recognized as the legitimate son of the supreme deity Zeus and his wife, the goddess Hera. Over time, versions of the unnatural origin of the god of war appeared in Greek mythology. Hera, upset by the constant love affairs of Zeus and the fact that in childbirth he often did without her participation, producing offspring now from the thigh, now from the head, fertilized herself with the touch of a magic flower.
Zeus hated Ares and called him the most hated of the gods. If not for kinship, he long ago cast down the god of war in Tartarus, where he belongs. Hera, the guardian of morality and family values, despite the windy nature of her son, always helped him and stood up for him before her husband. However, Ares' illegal relationship with the goddess Aphrodite angered her too. Ares' teacher was Priapus, who taught him dancing, and later the art of war.
Attributes of Ares and his companions
According to the legends of Greece, the sword of the god of war Ares crushed more than a dozen enemies on the battlefield. Not a single military campaign could do without him, including the Trojan War, in which he was defeated by Athena. He patronized a cunning, insidious, merciless and bloody war. His favorite pastime was to hide in the crowd of warriors during the battle and utter a thunderous cry that drove the soldiers crazy and provoked their unbridled rage.
Attributes with whom you can see Ares in illustrations of Greek myths:
- kite;
- dogs;
- a spear;
- lit torch.
Ares' companion, the goddess Eris, patronized the strife, and the goddess Enio aroused rage in the warriors. Ares' horses were called Glitter, Flame, Horror and Noise. This is how the Greeks saw the god of war, who immediately used his sword.
However, according to mythology, Ares was not invincible and often lost to Pallas Athena. Also Ares was wounded twice by Hercules and once by the hero Diomedes.... Despite the fierce and furious disposition, the deity, having received a thrashing, became quiet and submissive and went with complaints to his father Zeus.
Ares and Athena
In ancient times, hostilities were carried out too often, so one deity who patronized the war was clearly not enough. In contrast to Ares, who had no respect among the Greeks, this people was highly revered Athena Pallas- the daughter of Zeus, a goddess who patronized a fair and fair war. She advocated wisdom, organization, and competent strategic actions of the military leaders. On the contrary, Ares has a love for "war for the sake of war" - the extermination of the living only for the sake of shedding blood, no matter whose.
The war between brother and sister was irreconcilable. Each, proving his innocence, tried to surpass the other in the military craft in order to defend the right to stay on Olympus. Gods and mere mortals loved Athena more which was facilitated by the absence of malice in her words and actions. For this reason, most of the myths are about the thrashing that Ares received from his sister repeatedly.
The women and children of Ares
Despite the wild unbridled nature, the Greek god of war Ares enjoyed immense success with women(largely due to its attractive appearance). Hundreds of times, hiding his sword in a sheath, he indulged in love pleasures with a goddess, then with a mortal, or even with a mythical creature - a nymph or Erinnia.
Unlike many Olympians, including Zeus, Ares never raped his chosen ones. Those always surrendered voluntarily, conquered by the charisma of a strong, affectionate man. The merciless warrior, hiding his sword, became an ardent and passionate lover. The result of these adventures was many children, of whom there are up to 50 people in different versions of Greek myths. In terms of fertility, Ares is not inferior to his father Zeus and uncle Poseidon.
Most of these novels were fleeting and fleeting. A completely different picture is observed in the relationship between Ares and goddess Aphrodite, wife of Hephaestus. This connection can be called a second marriage, although the windy Ares remained a convinced bachelor until the end of his days. As a result of this long-term relationship, 7 children were born:
- Eros;
- Anteros;
- Harmony;
- Hymeros;
- Phobos;
- Deimos;
- Pophos.
Hephaestus, who learned about his wife's secret relationship with Ares, decided to arrange a trap for the lovers. Having made the finest net of bronze wire, he fixed it over Aphrodite's bed and left the house under an invented pretext. The lover, who secretly came to visit Aphrodite, did not fail to take advantage of the moment. In the morning, naked lovers were entangled in a net.
Angry Hephaestus gathered all the gods to witness his wife's infidelity. He stated that he would not untangle the web until Zeus returned his wedding gifts. Zeus thought this situation was stupid, and he refused to return the gifts. Poseidon volunteered to help Hephaestus get the gifts back, but failed. As a result, Hephaestus was left without gifts, but with Aphrodite, since he loved his wife and did not want to lose her.
At least three descendants of Ares participated in the campaign for the Golden Fleece, and one of the daughters later becomes the queen of the Amazons. In spite of a large number of offspring, Ares loved all his children, stood up for them and took cruel revenge in case of death.
This is how he was, according to the legends. On the one hand, a merciless and cunning warrior, whose sword is stained with the blood of Adonis, Gallirofius, Mimanta, Pelor, Periphantus and many less famous enemies. On the other hand, there is a skillful lover and a kind father who never leaves sons and daughters in trouble. Despite some disgusting character traits and hatred from gods and mortals, Ares rightfully took his place on Olympus.
Among the Olympian gods of Ancient Greece, the god of war, Ares, stands, as it were, aloof. The Greeks have always treated him in two ways. They praised him for physical strength, courage, valor, but at the same time noted pathological cruelty, mercilessness towards the vanquished and an insatiable desire for war for the sake of war. In this, Ares was radically different from Athena, which was personified with a just war based on military strategy and reasonable humanity.
The analogue of the bloodthirsty ancient Greek god was the Roman god Mars. But he, like Athena, was respected by Roman citizens. He was considered a reliable defender, a courageous, brave and just warrior who smashed enemies for the sake of peace and well-being of the Romans. With Ares, he was united only by courage, but it was aimed not at destruction, but at creation.
According to ancient Greek mythology, Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera. But the father treated his tough son with obvious dislike. He even somehow wanted to send him to Tartarus, where the defeated titans were staying, but did not do this, since toughness and violence at all times are in demand no less than kindness and humanity.
Ares' wife was the most beautiful of the goddesses, Aphrodite. But she was too loving to be faithful to her husband. Before the god of war, her husband was Hephaestus. And then she met with Dionysus, Hermes, and from all these gods gave birth to children. In addition to the celestials, Aphrodite also had mortal lovers. This is the handsome Adonis, Anchis, Phaon (the namesake of Phaon, with whom Sappho fell in love).
From the god of war Ares, Aphrodite gave birth to Anteros (hatred and passion), Eros (love), Himeroth (attraction), Harmony (consent), Deimos (horror), Phobos (fear). The last two children always accompanied the tough god of war on his campaigns. Together with them, Ares' sister named Enyu (discord) was inseparable. In ancient Roman mythology, Enya was identified with Bellona.
In some myths, it was argued that the Amazons, women warriors, went from the connection of a cruel god with a loving goddess. In particular, the couple gave birth to Hippolyta, who later became the queen of the Amazons. But according to some legends, her mother was not Aphrodite, but Otrera. The latter also gave birth to the Amazon Penthesileia, who also later became queen.
Ares, Aphrodite and their children
As already mentioned, in ancient Greece, they did not like a tough celestial. The only exception was Sparta. There, the god of war, Ares, was respected and honored. The Spartans admired his physical strength, fortitude, and did not see anything terrible in his desire to fight and destroy the vanquished.
Human sacrifices were even made to this god, which was considered unnatural for Ancient Greece. In Sparta itself there was a statue depicting Ares chained in chains. By this, the Spartans, as it were, emphasized that the fighting spirit and the desire for victory could never leave the city.
Sparta's admiration for a pathologically cruel god is evidence of the great cultural difference that existed between the Spartans and other Greeks, especially the Athenians. In all city-states, Athena was considered a cult goddess. This is indicated by a huge number of monuments and ancient texts dedicated to her.
The opposition of a tough god and a virtuous warrior was reflected in the Trojan War. The Trojans, defending the city, enjoyed the support of Ares, and Athena sided with the Greek army that besieged Troy. We all know that, in the end, Troy fell, which means that the god of war Ares lost to Athena, and rational virtue triumphed over cruelty, cunning and the desire to kill for the sake of murder.
The symbols of the odious god were a spear, a helmet, a dog and a vulture. It was this celestial who made a significant contribution to the creation of Thebes. He had a conflict with Cadmus (Greek hero before Hercules, who killed monsters). He killed the water dragon, recreated by Ares, and incurred the wrath of a tough god. To appease the angry celestial, Cadmus married his daughter Harmony. As a sign of reconciliation, the city of Thebes was founded, in which Cadmus or Cadmus became the first king.
Nowadays, the cruel ancient Greek god of war is quite tolerated. He is put on a par with other Olympic gods and is not singled out in any way. And, for example, NASA named its transport ship after him. This organization has long practiced Roman and Greek names for missiles and programs. They have programs Saturn, Mercury, Apollo, and now here is Ares. This is just a name, and it has nothing to do with the true nature of the ruthless god of war.
ARES, Ar e th (Ἄρης),
in Greek mythology, the god of war, insidious, treacherous, war for the sake of war,
unlike Pallas Athena, the goddess of war, fair and just. Initially, Ares was simply identified with war and lethal weapons (traces of this identification in Homer, Hom. Il. XIII 444, in Aeschylus, Agam. 78). The oldest myth about Ares testifies to his non-Greek, Thracian origin (Hom. Od. VIII 361; Ovid. Fast. V 257). Sophocles (O. R. 190-215) calls Ares a "despicable" god and calls on Zeus, Apollo, Artemis and Bacchus to strike him with lightning, arrows and fire. The ancient chthonic features of Ares were reflected in the myth that he, together with one of the Erinyes, produced the Theban dragon (Schol. Soph. Ant. 128), killed by Cadmus. Even in the children of Ares, the heroes, traits of unbridledness, savagery and cruelty are manifested (Meleager, Askalaf and Ialmen, Phlegius, Enomai, the Thracian Diomedes). Ares' companions were the goddess of strife Eris and the bloodthirsty Enio. His horses (the children of Boreus and one of the Erinyes) bore the names: Shine, Flame, Noise, Horror; his attributes are a spear, a burning torch, dogs, a kite. His very birth was thought at first purely chthonic: Hera gave birth to Ares without the participation of Zeus from touching the magic flower (Ovid. Fast. V 229-260). In Olympic mythology, Ares with great difficulty gets along with her plastic and artistic images and laws, although now he is considered the son of Zeus himself (Hom. Il. V 896) and settles on Olympus. For Homer, Ares is a violent deity, possessing at the same time the traits of romantic love that were previously unusual for him. He screams like nine or ten thousand warriors (V 859-861); wounded by Athena, it stretches seven dessiatinas along the ground (XXI 403-407). His epithets: “strong”, “huge”, “fast”, “raging”, “malicious”, “treacherous”, “destroyer of people”, “destroyer of cities”, “stained with blood”. Zeus calls him the most hated of the gods, and if Ares were not his son, he would have sent him to Tartarus, even deeper than all the descendants of Uranus (V 889-898). But at the same time, Ares is already so weak that he is wounded not only by Athena, but also by the mortal hero Diomedes. He falls in love with the most beautiful and gentle goddess Aphrodite (Hom. Od. VIII 264-366). Ares' love and Aphrodite's violation of marital fidelity is often mentioned in ancient literature and even children from this connection are named: Eros and Anteros (Schol. Apoll. Rhod. III 26), Deimos ("horror"), Phobos ("fear") and Harmony (Hes. Theog. 934 next). The Orphic hymn (88th) praises Ares as an Olympic high deity (although the 65th hymn still paints him in the light of complete immoralism). The violent and immoral Ares with great difficulty assimilated with the Olympian gods, and numerous strata of different eras have survived in his image. In Rome, Ares is identified with the Italian god Mars, and in the art and literature of later times he is known mainly as Mars.
Lit.: Losev AF, Olympic mythology in its socio-historical development, "Scientific notes of the Moscow State Pedagogical Institute. IN AND. Lenin ", 1953, v. 72, v. 3; Schwenn F., Der Krieg in der griechischen Religion, “Archiv für Religionswissenschaft”, 1920-22, no. 20-21; him, Ares, ibid., 1923-24, no. 22.
The most significant antique statues that have come down to us are Ares Borghese and Ares Ludovisi (Roman copies). Ares was depicted in scenes of gigantomachy (reliefs of the eastern frieze of the Parthenon and the treasury of the Siphnians in Delphi, works of vase painting). The plot of "Ares and Aphrodite" was embodied in several Pompeian frescoes. In medieval book illustrations, Ares is portrayed as the god of war and as a symbol of the planet Mars. In the art of the Renaissance and especially the Baroque - mainly due to the influence of Ovid - plots related to the love of Ares and Aphrodite became widespread in painting (paintings by S. Botticelli, Piero di Cosimo, Giulio Romano, J. Tintoretto, P. Veronese, B. Spranger, M. Caravaggio, P.P. Rubens, N. Poussin, C. Lebrun); sometimes Ares was depicted in chains worn by Aphrodite (fresco by F. Cossa) or Eros, which symbolized the victory of love over belligerence and savagery. Another plot - "Ares and Aphrodite, caught by Hephaestus" (works by J. Tintoretto, H. Goltzius, Rembrandt, L. Giordano, F. Boucher, etc.) has not lost its popularity in modern times (L. Corinth "Mars in the networks of the Volcano "). Works were created, the symbolism of which was based on the ancient mythological tradition: in them Athena opposed Ares ("Minerva and Mars" by J. Tintoretto, P. Veronese, etc.), and sometimes entered into single combat with him ("The Duel of Minerva and Mars" by J. L. David). The first statues of Ares were created in the second half of the 16th century. (Giambologna, J. Sansovino). As a monument to A.V. Suvorov a statue of the god of war by M.I. Kozlovsky was erected in 1801 in St. Petersburg on the Field of Mars.
MARS
The wife of Mars was considered to be identified with Venus and Minerva Nerio or Neriene, originally the "Valor of Mars" (Aul. Gell. XIII 23).
V 366 BC A temple was dedicated to Mars at the Capen gate, from where the army marched to war, and the horsemen to the annual parade (Liv. VII 23, 8; Dion. Halic. VI 13). In the center of the forum, Augustus dedicated a splendid temple to Mars the avenger in gratitude for defeating Caesar's assassins. In the era of the empire, Mars was often depicted on coins, enjoyed wide popularity in the army, often together with Honor and Virtus, he was endowed with the epithets "victor", "fighting", "expanding the empire", "companion of Augustus", "guardian", "appeasement". In the western provinces, the main gods of tribal and territorial communities were often identified with Mars and he was endowed with epithets derived from the names of tribes and settlements (for example, Mars Latobius - from the Latobik tribe in Noric), as well as the "king of light", "wise" in Gaul , "King of the community" in Britain, Mars Tings (ie the god of the Tinga - the assembly of the people) on the Rhine, etc. This suggests that the early Roman concept of Mars as the supreme god of the community continued to exist in popular beliefs.
Lit.: Dumézil G., Juppiter, Mars, Quirinus. ; Hermansen G., Studien über den italishen und den römischen Mars, Kbh., 1940 (Diss.); Thevenot E., Sur les traces des Mars céltique, Brugge, 1955.
Shtaerman
Unexpected findings
Nations in the era of tribal organization worshiped different forces of nature - earth, fire, water, etc. In those days (for Roman history, this VIII - VI centuries BC BC) people believed that the whole world around, all natural phenomena, all types of economic activity, all the feelings and states of the people themselves havespirits- patrons or special deities.Gradually, these spirits were endowed with names, united in pairs or put at the head of the tribe.
In tricky words, the Gods are a manifestation of the archetype of the people.
As the tribe unites on the Apennine Peninsula, there is a spiritual mutual enrichment of peoples, including as a base - the "exchange" of deities (or the perception of someone else's archetype).
Areus and Mars in the "educational" literature are presented as one and the same god.
However, even with the most superficial comparison, it is striking that Ares was not perceived by the Greeks as their own god, they did not even recognize him as the son of Zeus (the father of the gods), but then they still accepted him as an “unloved” son.
It is likely that Areus, undoubtedly possessing the data of God, energetically came to Greece from outside (as a result of the infusion of people (or peoples) who worship Areus into the Greek community).
Areus is strong, dexterous, but does not arouse respect among the Greeks, they oppose the martial art of Athens to his martial art, and it seems they even rejoice at his defeat at Troy.
It is likely that the Greeks, like warriors, had their own skills in waging war, and the power of Areus scares them, they seek protection from it from “their” gods.
The Romans have a completely different attitude to this god. Here Mars is in the trinity of great gods. One of the most revered gods and the father of the founder of Rome (remember that Rome (Mir) was founded by the Proto-Slavs - the Aryans). This is their native god - the God of the Aryans. They are not afraid of his formidable manifestations, for them he is a parent.
It turns out that the Romans were Aryans. Also, the Aryans were the tribes of Gauls, British, inhabitants of the banks of the Rhine! The Greeks did not. Therefore, they did not love the god Ares.
PS: I found an interesting confirmation of my conclusions .
But what about the Slavs? The Slavs have one of the riding gods - Description of characteristics one to one Mars (Areus). By the way, the victim of the truncated Russian language, since it should have been written through the iotyped A i.e. Yarilo.