Greek Mythology 101: Who is Ares?

Greek mythology has so many deities, it’s sometimes difficult to keep track of them all. Here, we outline the who’s who of Greek mythology, explaining each god and goddess in turn. Welcome to Greek Mythology 101! Today’s topic: the indestructible warrior, Ares.

General Info

Ares is the god of war, one of the twelve Olympians and son to Zeus and Hera. Unlike Athena, whose domain includes the strategic side of war, Ares’ domain is the rage, bloodlust, and brutality of war. While viewed as a harsh, violent god, he was also known as the god of courage, embodying the valor needed to be victorious in battle.

Symbols & Sacred Animals

Since he’s the god of war, Ares’ symbols are a helmet, spear, and shield. The helmet in particular demonstrates Ares’ status as a warrior and represents his readiness for battle. 

His sacred animals include the serpent, boar, hound, and vulture. Ares was often depicted holding a serpent or seen with a serpent on his shield. It is also believed that Ares’ sacred sites were guarded by serpents.

The boar is symbolic of Ares’ brutality and fury, while the hound symbolizes loyalty and ferocity. Since the vulture is a carrion bird that is often found circling the carnage after a battle (and pecking at the bodies left on the field), it was seen as representative of the death and decay that follows war.

Relationships

Of all the Olympians, Ares was the least liked by both mortals and gods, particularly by his father Zeus. His rage and brutality was enough to repel just about anybody, and it didn’t help that he was seen as uncivilized.

That being said, Ares did have a great love in his life: the goddess of love herself, Aphrodite. The two of them had a very public affair, which resulted in many children, including Phobos (god of panic) and Deimos (god of fear) who accompanied Ares into every battle.

Ares was also known to favor mortals who were great warriors, and he certainly did not discriminate between men and women. In fact, Ares was the patron god of the most fearsome female warriors in Ancient Greece, the Amazons. He bestowed them with their fighting spirit and helped them achieve victory in their many battles.

Final Thoughts

As the god of war, Ares is rageful and ruthless. He may not be well-liked, but he doesn’t care to be. After all, war is vicious and Ares is the epitome of everything a true warrior should be.

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