Throughout history, man has warred amongst himself over and over. In doing so, each side inevitably avails themselves of a deity. Ares, the Greek Deity, served the role in ancient Greece.
Among ancient polytheistic cultures, the deity of war has always been an important figure - believed to be the guardian of those in battle as well as the entire culture of war. In Rome, the deity of war in highest esteem was Mars; but along with this deity, inherited from the Etruscans, they, along with the residents of Greece, also worshiped Ares - the Greek deity of war.
Ares was said to be the son of Zeus (the king of deities) and Hera (the goddess queen). Ares was not seen as much of a deity, rather, he was often mistrusted among his kin. His birthplace and home were positioned in an area that was far-off (as not many would venture to see the birthplace of this deity) among the Thracians. Ares was found on a couch with Aphrodite, whom he had four children with, and retreated to his far away home after this episode.
Ares - the Greek deity - was not elevated to cult status in many areas of Greece. Spartans would invoke him before going into battle, and he was only featured in a few myths and stories, including the creation myth of Thebes. In the city of Sparta, there was a statue of Ares erected where he was shown to be in chains, which was to symbolize the fact that Ares was supposed to never leave the city. Occasionally, dogs and even humans were sacrificed to him.
The symbols of Ares were a quadriga, which was pulled by four immortal stallions, and very flashy armor and weaponry. His favorite animal was said to be the dog, and because of this, black puppies were often sacrificed to Ares in the area of Sparta. Ares also had a number of different birds that were seen to be symbolic of his power, they included the vulture, barn owl and woodpecker. Sculptures of him often depict this deity as naked, wearing only a crested helm and carrying a spear. His companions were his children by Aphrodite, Deimos (the spirit of terror) and Face (the spirit of fear).
Ares is by no means the most well-known of the Greek deities, and even during the ancient Greek time period he was not well loved or cared about. While the Roman deity of war Mars was revered and worshiped, Ares - the Greek deity - was seldom spoken of or given tributes. His female war counterpart, Athena, was far more popular and loved.
Richard Monk is with FactsMonk.com - a site with facts about everything.
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