Ares: The Ancient Greek God Of War

Greek mythology has been studied and celebrated for thousands of years. Stories of mythology often teach bravery or triumph, and have forever entertained many. One major character in Greek mythology who is still researched and honored today is Ares, the Ancient Greek god of war. Thousands of years ago the Ancient Greeks worshiped and praised Ares through stories, as well as traditional rituals. Ares was one of the major gods in Ancient Greece because he was believed to possess important powers, was often symbolized in common objects everywhere, and because he played a crucial role in their religion.
Ares was is an Ancient Greek god who was common throughout Greek mythology because of his important powers and symbols. Often, Ares is still written

about in novels and informational pieces. Ares was an important Greek god who changed everyday life in Ancient Greece. The important role Ares played in mythology allowed him to be part of the Olympian Gods. These were the 12 most important gods in Greek mythology and were also the most powerful (“Ancient History Encyclopedia”). Since the Olympian Gods were so important, Ares was given special treatment and was celebrated in worship ceremonies. This made him more superior, in the eyes of the Ancient Greeks, than most of the other gods. He was also primarily thought to be an important god in Greek mythology who impacted Ancient Greek life because of his key powers that developed mythology.

Ares possessed crucial powers that influenced Greek mythology, and was often symbolized in everyday Ancient Greek life. Ares was the god of war, violence, destruction, rage and manliness. His powers made him one of the most powerful Greek gods in mythology. He was believed to be in charge of when are where wars would happen. He was thought to watch over the battlefield during combat and direct the troops strategy. This differs from Athena, the goddess of war strategy, who controlled how the troops actually fought (“Theoi Project”). This means that Ares was assumed to be in control of the outcomes during major wars. With the ability to control lives and wars, Ares was worshipped as the god of war by the Ancient Greeks. Additionally, Ares had a few objects that represented him and his personality. Ares was symbolized in Ancient Greeks by a spear, battle armor and the scrappy, bloodthirsty vulture. Many Ancient Greeks felt that a spear symbolized him because of its relation to battle and death. Both things that Ares was known for (“Theoi Project”). They believed that the battle armor did not only represent his thirst for conflict, but also his cowardliness. Although Ares was the god of war and manliness and was immortal, he

stilled feared wounds and injuries. Ares was never known to be courageous, nor was he thought to be sympathetic. Ares was also symbolized by a vulture. “The vulture was a bird of ill omen. Because it haunted the battlefield feeding upon the bodies of the dead, it was closely associated with the war-god Ares.” (“Ancient History Encyclopedia”). This quote shows that Ares of was a sickly, hostile god. All of these things that were mentioned were common beliefs of his symbols. The Ancient Greeks overall associated these objects with Ares because of the similarities they share with him and his personality. Just like Ares, many other Greek gods were symbolized through everyday Ancient Greek life. Ares’s unique and important powers made him an important part of Ancient Greek religion and worship. Also, his formidable abilities allowed him to be symbolized in daily life.
Similar to the other Olympian Gods, Ares was believed to have a deep background and family history.

He was also portrayed in many feuds and rivalries. Having a deep background and family history meant that Ares was associated with many other Gods. Ares had an extensive family tree that led him to be connected with other Gods and goddesses. The Ancient Greeks believed that Ares had around 40 sons, daughters and monsters for offspring. Britannica’s Ancient Encyclopedia mentioned that, “Like most of the gods, the majority of Ares' children were only linked to him with the briefest of genealogical references.” This shows that Ares developed many offspring in Greek mythology and, that he was connected to so many other mythology characters just because of his family descendancy. This allowed him to be a common character in Greece. Ares was also in the middle of various feuds because of his involvement with many mythological characters. Ares was hated by many other gods because of all the rivalries he was involved in. “Ares was perhaps the most unpopular of all the Olympian gods because of unquenchable thirst for conflict.” (“Ancient Encyclopedia”). Ares was always getting into disagreements with other Gods, causing much conflict. Due to Ares constantly looking for trouble, and always being in the middle of arguments, he was viewed as an unpopular figure by the rest of the Gods. Although there are many different instances where Ares would have trouble with others, there is one

instance that he is very well-hated for. Ares became hated by many of the Gods in Greek mythology, predominantly because of his cowardly affair with the Greek goddess Aphrodite. In Greek mythology, there is a story about Ares and his love affair with a fellow God. The tale states that Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, who was already wed to another man, had a love interest with Ares. Aphrodite was thought to actually bore four children that belonged to Ares (“Theoi Project”). This act of adultery was shunned upon by the other Olympian Gods. Despite his famousity, the disappointment of Ares’s actions led him to be very disliked by the rest of Mythological society. Ares many offspring and deep family history, as well as his thirst for conflict gave him a despised characterization in Ancient mythology.
The Greek god Ares was a significant figure in Greek mythology because of his immortal powers, common symbolizations in everyday life and his important role in Ancient Greek religion. Ares held powers that could change the outcome of massive wars. He was symbolized through everyday animals and battle gear. His deep family connections and endless feuds made him well-known and hated by the rest of the Greek Mythological characters. Ares and all of the others Greek gods influenced everyday Greek lives and what they believed in. The Greeks valued Ares and all of the others. Their stories and myths taught them life mottos and lessons. This research shows how important and in-depth the Ancient Greeks were with their religion and how much their religion meant to them.