Greek Mythology · deity

Ares

Ἄρης
also: Mars (Roman)
deitywar (violence, bloodshed)

God of the violent, bloodier aspect of war; son of Zeus and Hera; lover of Aphrodite.

"Ludovisi Ares", Roman copy after a Greek original ca. 320 BCE (Palazzo Altemps) — "Ludovisi Ares"
"Ludovisi Ares" · Unknown · 1622 · Palazzo Altemps, Rome · Public domain
The account

Who they are

Ares (Mars) is the god of war — specifically its violent, brutal, blood-soaked aspect, as opposed to Athena's strategic, disciplined side of war [S2]S2 · Homer, Iliadc. 750 BCEtextOpen source ↗[S4]S4 · Homeric Hymnsc. 700–300 BCEtext. Son of Zeus and Hera, he is one of the few Olympians born of a union that required no pregnancy in the usual sense (Hera 'conceived' him, in one account, without a consort) [S4]S4 · Homeric Hymnsc. 700–300 BCEtext[S5]S5 · Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library (Bibliotheca)c. 1st–2nd c. CE (transmits earlier)text. He is a major character in the Iliad, where he is a fierce combatant but is also treated with a mix of awe and disdain — the Greeks call him 'the hound of war' [S2]S2 · Homer, Iliadc. 750 BCEtextOpen source ↗. His most famous myth is his affair with Aphrodite, caught in the act by her husband Hephaestus and displayed before the assembled gods in shame [S2]S2 · Homer, Iliadc. 750 BCEtextOpen source ↗[S5]S5 · Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library (Bibliotheca)c. 1st–2nd c. CE (transmits earlier)text.
Worth knowing
  • God of war's violent side, contrasted with Athena's strategic side [S2]S2 · Homer, Iliadc. 750 BCEtextOpen source ↗[S4]S4 · Homeric Hymnsc. 700–300 BCEtext.
  • Caught in an affair with Aphrodite by Hephaestus — a famous shame-myth [S2]S2 · Homer, Iliadc. 750 BCEtextOpen source ↗[S5]S5 · Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library (Bibliotheca)c. 1st–2nd c. CE (transmits earlier)text.
Uncertainties & variants
  • Ares's 'born without a consort' account is one variant; the standard is Zeus & Hera [S4]S4 · Homeric Hymnsc. 700–300 BCEtext[S5]S5 · Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library (Bibliotheca)c. 1st–2nd c. CE (transmits earlier)text.
Relationships (3)

Connections

Family & kinship

PARENT_OFZeus — Zeus (with Hera) is the parent of Ares.[S4] [S5]

Partners

PARTNER_OFAphrodite — Aphrodite's lover was Ares.[S2] [S5]
PARTNER_OFAphrodite — Ares and Aphrodite were lovers.[S2] [S5]
Local graph

Their corner of the divine world

View
hierarchical — generations top → bottom, partners side by side
Overlays
FocusAresGreek
GREEK · 41variantvariant♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥AegisHelmet of HadesCaduceus of Her…Trident of Pose…Thunderbolt of …Alcmenamortalthe mortal mother of Heracles1 relationsAndromedamortalthe rescued princess2 relationsAphroditedeitylove7 relationsAtlasdeitythe sky (bore)1 relationsChaosprimordialorigin2 relationsDanaemortalthe mortal mother of Perseus1 relationsDemeterdeityharvest6 relationsEchidnamonsterthe monster-mother2 relationsGaiadeityearth6 relationsHadesdeitythe dead7 relationsHeradeitymarriage8 relationsHestiadeityhearth1 relationsLetodeitymotherhood (as mother of Apollo/Artemis)2 relationsMedusamonsterthe Gorgon3 relationsMetisdeitycounsel2 relationsOceanusdeitythe great world-river1 relationsOdysseusherocunning2 relationsPenelopemortalthe faithful wife of Odysseus2 relationsPoseidondeitythe sea6 relationsRheadeitymotherhood2 relationsSemelemortalthe mortal mother of Dionysus1 relationsTethysdeitythe primordial sea1 relationsTyphonmonsterthe great monster7 relationsCerberusmonsterthe guardian of the underworld3 relationsErosdeitylove2 relationsHebedeityyouth2 relationsHephaestusdeityfire6 relationsMaiadeitythe nymph2 relationsUranusprimordialsky6 relationsPersephonedeitythe underworld2 relationsTelemachusmortalthe son of Odysseus2 relationsCronusdeitytime (later association)9 relationsZeusdeitysky29 relationsApollodeitysun (later)4 relationsAresdeitywar (violence, bloodshed)3 relationsArtemisdeitythe hunt3 relationsAthenadeitywisdom4 relationsDionysusdeitywine3 relationsHeraclesherostrength7 relationsHermesdeitymessengers5 relationsPerseusheroheroism8 relations
zoom 2.89× · close
  • parentage
  • marriage ♥

far = primordials · medium = all · close = detail — scroll/pan, click a deity to focus

Artworks

Depictions

"Ludovisi Ares", Roman copy after a Greek original ca. 320 BCE (Palazzo Altemps) — "Ludovisi Ares"
"Ludovisi Ares" · Unknown · 1622 · Palazzo Altemps, Rome · Public domain
"Ludovisi Ares" · 1622
Ludovisi Ares (detail, Palazzo Altemps) — Ludovisi Ares (detail
Ludovisi Ares (detail · Miguel Hermoso Cuesta · undated · Palazzo Altemps, Rome · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ludovisi Ares (detail · undated
← Greek MythologyAll galleries