Ares

The God of War

Ares embodies the physical valor and untamed violence of war. While Athena represents strategy, Ares is the chaotic frenzy of battle. He was not well-liked by the Greeks, who found him dangerous and overwhelming.

Affair with Aphrodite

His most famous myth involves his affair with Aphrodite. Her husband, Hephaestus, crafted an unbreakable golden net and trapped the lovers in bed, inviting all the other gods to laugh at them.

A Greek Contrast To Roman Mars

Ares matters partly because Greek myth often uses him as a warning about war without restraint. He appears powerful, but not admirable. That contrast becomes especially clear beside Roman Mars, who absorbs military honor, civic order, and ancestral prestige in a way Ares rarely does in Greek storytelling.