Ares god of war son of Zeus. Generation of sons-ares. In Roman mythology

Ares - ancient greek god war.

The myth of Ares

There are two versions of the circumstances of his birth. According to the first version, Ares is the son of Zeus. According to the second, he was born when his mother Hera touched a magical flower.

Unlike his sister, the goddess of reason Athena, Ares was a fan of the cunning and bloody war, enjoyed it and unleashed wars himself. He was friends with Eris - the goddess of discord and Enyo - the goddess of violent war.

Ares was in love with the beautiful goddess of love, Aphrodite. From the god of war, Aphrodite had children: sons Phobos (horror) and Deimos (fear), and daughter Harmony.

Out of jealousy, Ares killed Aphrodite's lover, Adonis.

According to one version, the god of love Eros (Eros, or Cupid) and his opposite Anteros were also the children of Ares and Aphrodite, but there are other versions of their origin.

In addition, he had many other children.

The god of war had four horses, which bore the names: Shine, Flame, Horror and Noise.

Ares' attributes are: a kite, a dog, a burning torch and a spear.

The god of war was vindictive on the basis of love for children. stopped until he saw the dead body of the enemy.

Zeus did not love his son and considered him the most terrible god of Olympus, and even said, according to myths, that he would have thrown him into tartar if not for the fact that he was his offspring.

Ares fought in the Trojan War, helping Troy, but was defeated by Athena, who helped Diomedes, as a result of which he wounded the god of war with a spear. Ares complained to his father about his sister, but Zeus only got angry. The god of war was not loved not only by Zeus and Athena, but also by the Greeks.

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

Unfortunately, in those distant times, stories and narratives were not written down, but passed on 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 the Odyssey were just told, or rather , sung by Homer). And if with heroes Ancient Greece everything is less and 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 - weather phenomena, sea expanses, family relationships. The god of war Ares is one of key figures divine pantheon of ancient Greece. 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 fond of rivers of blood, deceit and betrayal on the battlefield, war for the sake of war, so to speak. Ares represented the dark features of war, including raw violence. He was considered the opposite of Athena, who represented tactical strategies and clever military planning. Ares acted impulsively while the other gods in battle planned their attacks. He was impulsive and bloodthirsty, known for his love of combat and fighting. Although he was not a beloved god among humans, Ares was considered to be determined and fearless.

No mention is made of the early years 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). Other sources claim that he was still the 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 made to him (as they did in Sparta), using prisoners of war for this purpose. Sparta also offered dog sacrifices, which was quite unusual. There was also a festival in his honor - these days the whole of Laconia celebrated. Women were not allowed. Do not forget about the warlike god and the capital - Athens. Ares was dedicated to the temple at the foot of the hill, which still bears his name - the Areopagus.

god of War

As the god of war, Ares was only interested in battles and battles. While the Greeks believed that the gods should protect them, they knew that Ares would only help them in a war, and even a rival. He has received several nicknames, including "Bloody Ares" and "Raging Ares" due to his temperament and impulsive nature. Much time and attention has also been devoted to appearance god.

Most artistic depictions of Ares show him on the battlefield, as he never misses another battle. Artists 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, muscular body, which certainly 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 jack of all trades. He was calm, quiet, gentle and not at all suitable for Aphrodite, who was constantly in a relationship (phrasing modern language), was looking for the perfect partner in love affairs.

Hephaestus did not possess these qualities, but Ares suited her in all respects. They begin a passionate romance. Hephaestus found out about this and decided to punish Ares by hurting his pride. He created an invisible net that was very strong and threw it on the matrimonial bed to take the lovers by surprise and captivate them. Then the whole Olympus discussed 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, Pophos (the god of lovesickness), as well as some children similar to their father - 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 his own symbol, dedicated only to them. Ares is associated with several various symbols. His sacred animals were the boar and the dog. The boar is said to represent his fierce nature, while the dogs may be a symbol of sacrifices to the god.

In the beginning, there was only eternal, boundless, dark Chaos. In it was the source of the life of the world. Everything arose from the boundless Chaos - the whole world and the immortal gods. From Chaos came the goddess Earth - Gaia...

Rhea did not want to lose her last child. On the advice of her parents, Uranus-Heaven and Gaia-Earth, she retired to the island of Crete, and there, in a deep cave, her youngest son Zeus was born. In this cave, Rhea hid her son from a cruel father...

Deep in the abyss of the sea stands the wonderful palace of the great brother of the Thunderer Zeus, the shaker of the earth Poseidon. Poseidon rules over the seas, and the waves of the sea are obedient to the slightest movement of his hand, armed with a formidable trident ...

Deep underground reigns the unforgiving, grim brother of Zeus, Hades. His kingdom is full of darkness and horrors. The joyful rays of the bright sun never penetrate there. Bottomless abysses lead from the surface of the earth to the sad kingdom of Hades. Dark rivers flow in it...

The great goddess Hera, the wife of the auspicious Zeus, patronizes marriage and protects the sanctity and inviolability of marriage unions. She sends the spouses numerous offspring and blesses the mother at the time of the birth of the child...

The god of light, the golden-haired Apollo, was born on the island of Delos. His mother Latona, driven by the wrath of the goddess Hera, could not find shelter anywhere. Pursued by the dragon Python sent by the Hero, she wandered all over the world...

The eternally young, beautiful goddess was born on Delos at the same time as her brother, the golden-haired Apollo. They are twins. The most sincere love, the closest friendship unites brother and sister. They also deeply love their mother Latona...

The goddess Pallas Athena was born by Zeus himself. Zeus the Thunderer knew that the goddess of reason, Metis, would have two children: a daughter, Athena, and a son of extraordinary intelligence and strength. Moira, the goddess of fate, revealed to Zeus the secret that the son of the goddess Metis would overthrow him from the throne ...

In the grotto of Mount Kyllene in Arcadia, the son of Zeus and Maya, the god Hermes, the messenger of the gods, was born. With the speed of thought, he is transferred from Olympus to the farthest corner of the world in his winged sandals, with a caduceus wand in his hands ...

  • The god of war, the frantic Ares, is the son of the Thunderer Zeus and Hera. Zeus does not like him. He often tells his son that he is the most hated by him among the gods of Olympus. Zeus does not love his son for his bloodthirstiness...

  • Not the pampered, windy goddess Aphrodite to interfere in bloody battles. She awakens love in the hearts of gods and mortals. Thanks to this power, she reigns over the whole world. Only the warrior Athena, Hestia and Artemis are not subject to her power...

    Hephaestus, the son of Zeus and Hera, the god of fire, the blacksmith god, with whom no one can compare in the art of forging, was born on the bright Olympus as a weak and lame child. The great Hera fell into anger when they showed her an ugly, frail son ...

    powerful great goddess Demeter. She gives fertility to the earth, and without her beneficial power, nothing grows either in shady forests, or in meadows, or in rich arable lands. The great goddess Demeter had a young beautiful daughter, Persephone...

    Since time immemorial, this order has been established in the world. The goddess of the night, Nikta, rides across the sky in a chariot drawn by black horses and covers the earth with her black veil. Following her, white bulls with strong horns slowly draw the chariot of the moon goddess Selena...

    There once lived a king and a queen, and they had three daughters. The eldest daughters were born beautiful, but with the youngest, named Psyche, no one could compare with beauty. She was the most beautiful on earth, people from all countries flocked to the city to admire her. Everyone admired her charm and charm and found her similar to Venus...

    Ares is the god of war in Greek mythology. 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 features, which contributed to the success of Ares with women, from goddesses to mere mortals. In the photo of the Greek sculptures depicting the god of war, you can see a very pretty, strong man. Pictures illustrating Greek mythology show us the same thing.

    Origin of Ares

    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 in Greek mythology versions appeared about the unnatural origin of the god of war. Hera, upset by the constant love affairs of Zeus and the fact that in childbearing he often did without her participation, producing offspring from the hip, then from the head, impregnated herself with the touch of a magical flower.

    Zeus hated Ares and called him the most hated of the gods. If not for kinship, he had long since cast the god of war into Tartarus, where he belongs. Hera, the guardian of morality and family values, despite the windy disposition of her son, always helped him and stood up for him before her husband. However, Ares' illicit relationship with the goddess Aphrodite angered her as well. 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 the cunning, insidious, merciless and bloody war. His favorite pastime was to hide in a crowd of warriors during battle and utter a thunderous cry that drove the soldiers crazy and provoked their unbridled rage.

    Attributes, with which you can see Ares in the illustrations of Greek myths:

    • kite;
    • dogs;
    • a spear;
    • lit torch.

    The companion of Ares, the goddess Eris, patronized discord, and the goddess Enio caused 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 put his sword into action.

    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 ferocious 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 conducted too often, so one deity who patronized the war was clearly not enough. In contrast to Ares, who did not have respect among the Greeks, these people highly revered Athena Pallas- the daughter of Zeus, the goddess who patronized the fair and honest war. She stood for wisdom, organization, competent strategic actions of military leaders. On the contrary, Ares has a love for "war for the sake of war" - the extermination of the living just for the sake of shedding blood, no matter whose.

    The war between brother and sister was irreconcilable. Each, proving his case, tried to outdo the other in 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 malicious intent in her words and actions. For this reason, most of the myths are about beating Ares repeatedly received from his sister.

    Women and children of Ares

    Despite the wild unbridled temper, the Greek the god of war Ares was a huge hit with women(largely due to the attractive appearance). Hundreds of times he, having hidden his sword in a scabbard, indulged in love pleasures either with a goddess, or 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 have always given themselves voluntarily, subdued by the charisma of a strong affectionate man. The merciless warrior, hiding the sword, became an ardent and passionate lover. The result of these adventures was a lot of children, which in different versions of the myths of Greece, there are up to 50 people. 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 relationship 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 relationship, 7 children were born:

    • Eros;
    • Anteros;
    • Harmony;
    • Gimeros;
    • Phobos;
    • Deimos;
    • Pophos.

    Hephaestus, who learned about his wife's secret relationship with Ares, decided to set up a trap for lovers. Having made the thinnest net of bronze wire, he fixed it over Aphrodite's bed and left the house under a fictitious 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.

    Enraged, Hephaestus gathered all the gods to witness his wife's infidelity. He declared that he would not unravel the net until Zeus returned his wedding gifts. This situation seemed stupid to Zeus, 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, as 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. Despite the large number of offspring, Ares loved all his children, stood up for them and severely avenged them in case of death.

    That's how it was, according to legend. On the one hand, a merciless and treacherous warrior, whose sword is stained with the blood of Adonis, Gallirophius, Mimant, Pelor, Perifant and many less famous enemies. On the other hand, he is a skilled lover and a kind father who never leaves his sons and daughters in trouble. Despite some disgusting character traits and hatred from the gods and mortals, Ares rightfully took his place on Olympus.




    Initially, he was revered as the patron of storms and various elements hostile to agriculture. Later, they began to identify it with the war, which is also detrimental to agriculture. In mythology, Ares is the god of war, he is described as so ferocious and cruel that even his own father, the Thunderer, hates him. In Roman mythology, he is identified with the second most important deity - Mars.

    Birth

    According to one source ancient god Ares was born to a Hera who conceived him by touching a magical inflorescence. According to others, Zeus recognizes him as his child. Although the most unloved, but native, which protects Ares from overthrow to Tartarus.

    Parents

    His mother, Hera, patronizes her son, despite his exorbitant cruelty. However, even she can't look past his antics.

    Hera is known as an ardent guardian of good manners. She severely punished violators of marital morality. The most revealing were the persecution of numerous mistresses of Zeus and their offspring.

    This explains her anger, which the Greek god Ares caused by his illegitimate relationship with Aphrodite.

    Zeus has repeatedly publicly stated that he hates his son more than all other Olympians. The Thunderer refused Ares help, respect. Was rude and cruel to him. However, the son took this behavior for granted, because he himself had never been an affectionate boy.

    A family

    Ares is a god born from the marriage of the supreme Olympians Hera and Zeus. From the same parents were born two of his sisters - Hebe and Ilithyia, and brother Hephaestus.

    Also in Ares' environment, his follower Eris is regularly mentioned. She accompanies the god on his travels.

    Ares had many mistresses. However, the only connection, which in some sources is even called marriage, is their love with Aphrodite. Since the goddess was married to another, ancient mythology mentions their relationship quite condemningly.

    Children

    Ares is the god of what we have already written above. It would seem that the ferocity and ruthlessness of such an Olympian could not be attractive to women. However, in mythology there are many references to his love affairs.

    Unlike many gods of the pantheon, Ares did not rape or take the deceptions of his chosen ones. All his women were sincerely in love with the warrior.

    The most scandalous and fruitful was his relationship with Aphrodite. At least seven known children were born from this connection. The son of Eros became a symbol of love, Anteros - of passion, greed and hatred. Daughter Harmony became the patroness of harmony, personified happy marriage. Himeros is the god of passionate love, and Pophos is the god of romantic longing.

    Two more sons of lovers - Phobos (fear) and Deimos (horror) - and a daughter, the goddess of war Enyo, accompanied Ares everywhere in his bloody battles.

    Also Ares - the god of war - had an affair with Pyrene (Pelopius in other sources). From their connection came the son of Kykn, later killed by Hercules.

    According to some sources, it was Ares who became the father of the Amazons.

    The sons Romulus and Remus were born from a relationship with Sylvia (according to another version of Emilia). Later in history and mythology they become known as the founders of Rome.

    myths

    Unlike other Olympians, Ares - the god of war - was honored with mentions in a much smaller number of myths. Often he is contrasted with the goddess of war, Athena. Such a comparison often takes place in a light that is far from favorable to him.

    Many myths contradict each other. Starting from the history of his birth and ending with love and military adventures.

    According to one of the myths, Ares' teacher Priapus began to teach him to dance. And only having mastered this art, he moved on to military training.

    The stories describing the god's childhood highlight his conflict with the brothers of Aloada (probably still young children). The giants chained him with chains and placed him in a copper barrel. There he spent whole year own life. However, Hermes found out about this incident, and he released Ares.

    Tales of his military adventures are always bright and colorful. A soldier, a military leader, he appears with a retinue consisting of two sons - Phobos and Deimos - and a faithful sister, Enyo. His wagon is driven by the horse of the god Ares named Shine. There were also horses - Flame, Noise and Horror. Interestingly, the warrior did not just train elite horses. His horses are unique mythical creatures. They originate from the connection of the Boreas wind and the goddess of revenge from Erinyes.

    According to legend, Ares most of all preferred to spend his free time in Thrace, the country of winds and bad weather.

    Reflection in art

    Rarely enough, when compared with other Olympic gods, the creators honored Ares with their attention. The best preserved sculpture was the work of Scopas the Younger - Ares Ludovisi. God is depicted immersed in his thoughts. Baby Eros swarms at his feet.

    In the works of the Romans, Ares is represented in full growth and in all uniforms. His emblems were often depicted on money. It was very popular to depict Ares with Aphrodite together.

    We know a lot about him from Homer's Iliad. The poet also dedicated the Odyssey hymn to Ares VIII and the Orphic hymn LXV.

    veneration

    It is natural that most of all the god of war was revered in Lagan, among the fighting Spartans.

    There was also a unique sculpture representing Ares in metal chains. The god was also highly valued in Thebes.

    Most famous temple, built in his honor, is located in Athens. But in general, the cult of Ares in Greece was not particularly popular.

    Defeat

    Surprisingly, the only area where Ares did not know defeat was the love bed. The myths describe the only case when he was caught red-handed with Aphrodite's husband Hephaestus. Upon learning of the betrayal, the god of fire forged the thinnest network. Having deceived adulterous partners into her, he tried to disgrace them in front of all the Olympians. However, the lovers did not meet any condemnation. Having laughed at the comical picture, the audience released the lovers, and the enraged Hephaestus was forced to reconcile.

    But on the battlefield, the strong and bloodthirsty Ares quite often suffered defeat. In many myths and stories, Ares is opposed to the goddess of war, Pallas Athena. The sympathies of the Greeks were often on the side of the cunning daughter of Zeus.

    Ares' defeats to mortal men are also described.

    So, the most famous are two heroes who managed to defeat the warrior-god. Among them is the mythical king of Argos, Diomedes. During the Battle of Troy, he hit Ares with a copper spear. Of course, it was not without reason that a mortal defeated the Olympian god. His blow was directed by the hand of the eternal rival of Athena.

    Twice he was wounded by Hercules. For the first time - in the battle for Pylos. Having escaped from the battlefield to Olympus, Ares turned to Apollo for help, who cured the terrible wound. Having recovered, the frantic warrior immediately rushed back to the battle, where he was again wounded by the arrow of Hercules.

    The second time this happened was when the son of Ares, the criminal Kykn, called the hero Hercules to battle. Martial God intervened and, as always, supported his son. Nevertheless, his help did not help Kiknus, since Athena still came to Hercules. Thanks to the assistance of the goddess, he wounded Ares and almost killed him. This time, his father saved him from the death of God. This was almost the only time Zeus stood up for his son. You can't really call it "intercession" because supreme god did not take the side of any of the combatants. However, the Thunderer did not allow the murder.

    The God of Ancient Greece is revered today both as the patron of storms, elements hostile to agriculture, and as a warrior. And in Roman mythology, he is identified with the second most important deity - Mars. Be that as it may, Ares is the name of a divine fighter, to whom some people still pray and ask for success in business, victory over enemies, an end to wars on earth, and so on. All this is alien to Christianity and for the most part belongs to the legends of ancient times.