Free to follow every thread. No paywall, no dead ends.
Ares: the story on HearLore | HearLore
— Ch. 1 · Origins And Etymology —
Ares.
~5 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
The name Ares appears in Mycenaean Linear B tablets as the syllabic form a-re. This earliest attested version dates to the Bronze Age, long before classical Greek literature emerged. Georg Autenrieth connected the word to the Greek term arē, meaning bane or ruin. Walter Burkert described it as an ancient abstract noun for a throng of battle. R. S. P. Beekes suggested a Pre-Greek origin for the root. The adjectival epithet Areios meant warlike and appeared attached to other gods like Zeus or Athena when they took on warrior aspects. Aphrodite herself received the title Areia in Sparta, where she stood fully armored alongside Athena. In Homer's Iliad, the word ares functioned as a common noun synonymous with battle itself. During the Classical period, Ares gained the epithet Enyalios, which also appeared on the Mycenaean KN V 52 tablet as e-nu-wa-ri-jo. Some scholars viewed Enyalios as a separate war god rather than just another name for Ares.
Cult Practices And Rituals
Pausanias recorded an altar dedicated to Ares at Olympia during the second century AD. The Athenian agora housed a temple that moved under Augustus' reign around 2 AD, becoming a Roman temple to Mars Ultor. Numismatist M. Jessop Price noted that Ares had no important cult in Sparta despite representing their traditional character. He never appeared on Spartan coins. Pausanias described two examples of his worship conjointly with Aphrodite on the Spartan acropolis. Matthew Gonzalez observed that cults to Ares in Asia Minor were more common than many sources claimed. These sites numbered twenty-nine different locations and over seventy local coin issues from the fifth century BC into the Roman Imperial era. An oracle of the late Hellenistic era instructed cities like Syedra, Lycia, and Cilicia to set up chained statues of bloody man-slaying Ares. Each city received iron fetters to bind the statue annually alongside Dike and Hermes. This ritual transformed him into a peaceful deity who would drive enemies away and bring prosperity. In Sparta, youths sacrificed puppies to Enyalios before engaging in hand-to-hand combat at the Phoebaeum. Porphyry mentioned Apollodorus of Athens claiming Spartans made human sacrifices, though this may reflect mythic prehistory rather than historical fact.
What is the origin of the name Ares in ancient Greek religion?
The name Ares appears in Mycenaean Linear B tablets as the syllabic form a-re during the Bronze Age. Georg Autenrieth connected the word to the Greek term arē meaning bane or ruin while Walter Burkert described it as an ancient abstract noun for a throng of battle.
Where did people worship Ares in Sparta and Athens during antiquity?
Pausanias recorded an altar dedicated to Ares at Olympia during the second century AD and noted that Athenian agora housed a temple that moved under Augustus' reign around 2 AD. Numismatist M. Jessop Price observed that Ares had no important cult in Sparta despite representing their traditional character since he never appeared on Spartan coins.
How does Homer's Iliad portray the behavior of Ares compared to Athena?
Homer's Iliad portrays Ares as frequently humiliated when he appears in battle scenes with Zeus expressing recurring Greek revulsion toward the god. This pattern of humiliation contrasts sharply with strategic warfare embodied by his sister Athena who overpowered him by striking with a boulder.
Which Thracian and Scythian deities were identified as Ares through interpretatio Graeca?
Herodotus identified a Thracian god as Ares among three otherwise unnamed deities worshipped by commoners while the Scythians honored an indigenous form of Greek Ares ranked beneath Tabiti, Api, and Papaios. His cult object was iron sword used in blood-sacrifices or ritual killings of cattle, horses, and one in every hundred human war-captives.
Who are the children of Ares according to ancient mythological sources from eighth century BC through twelfth century AD?
The union of Ares and Aphrodite created gods Eros, Anteros, Phobos, Deimos, and Harmonia while other versions included Alcippe as daughter. List includes Meleager, Sinope, Solymus sometimes children Ares sometimes given other fathers alongside Odomantus, Edonus, Biston, Terpsichore appearing various sources from eighth century BC through twelfth century AD.
Homer's Iliad portrays Ares as frequently humiliated when he appears in battle scenes. Zeus expressed recurring Greek revulsion toward the god when Ares returned wounded from Troy. Diomedes fought Hector while seeing Ares fighting for the Trojans. Athena drove Ares from the battlefield after granting permission to Diomedes. The spear struck home and all sides trembled at Ares's cries. He fled to Mount Olympus forcing the Trojans to fall back. Later Zeus allowed gods to fight again, but Ares attacked Athena to avenge his injury. Athena overpowered him by striking with a boulder. Aphrodite persuaded Ares to side with the Trojans despite his promise to fight for Achaeans. Her influence redirected his innate destructive savagery to her own purposes. When Ascalaphus died, Ares wanted to change sides again for vengeance. Athena stopped him from disregarding Zeus's order that no Olympian should join the battle. This pattern of humiliation contrasts sharply with strategic warfare embodied by his sister Athena. The Greeks viewed Thracians as barbarous people connected to Ares, whom they considered his birthplace and refuge after exposure.
Roman Syncretism With Mars
Mars served as the nearest counterpart among Roman gods to Ares. He was originally an agricultural deity before becoming pre-eminent in Rome's military pantheon. As father of Romulus, Mars gained importance as guardian deity of the entire Roman state. His character differed fundamentally from Greek Ares despite identification under Greek cultural influence. Isidore of Seville called Mars Romanae gentis auctorem, originator or founder of the Roman people. One tradition claimed he fathered Romulus and Remus through rape of Rhea Silvia. Another version had Venus giving birth to Aeneas, Trojan prince who founded Rome generations before Romulus. During Hellenization of Latin literature, Roman writers reinterpreted Ares myths under Mars name. Greek writers under Roman rule recorded cult practices pertaining to Mars using Ares designation. In later Western art and literature, mythology of two figures became virtually indistinguishable. Renaissance works replaced Ares with Roman Mars as romantic emblem of manly valor rather than cruel blood-thirsty god. Wall-paintings in Pompeii dated 20 BC to 50s AD showed Mars youthful and beardless reflecting Greek Ares influence.
Regional Variations In Thrace
Herodotus identified a Thracian god as Ares through interpretatio Graeca among three otherwise unnamed deities worshipped by commoners. He named Dionysus and Artemis for other two while claiming aristocracy exclusively worshiped Hermes. The Scythians honored an indigenous form of Greek Ares ranked beneath Tabiti, Api, and Papaios in divine hierarchy. His cult object was iron sword used in blood-sacrifices or ritual killings of cattle, horses, and one in every hundred human war-captives. Blood doused the sword atop statues and complex platform-altars made from heaped brushwood. This sword-cult persisted among Alans according to Sulimirski citing Herodotus Book Four sections seventy-one to seventy-three. Ma'hrem served principal god of Aksum kings prior to fourth century AD, invoked as Ares in Greek inscriptions. Anonymous king commissioning Monumentum Adulitanum late second or early third century referred to greatest god Ares who begat him. Last pagan king Ezana called invincible Ares one who brought forth during early fourth century. In Crete sanctuary at Sta Lenika between Lato and Olus possibly established Geometric period rebuilt late second century BC double-sanctuary to Ares and Aphrodite.
Genealogy And Mythical Offspring
The union of Ares and Aphrodite created gods Eros, Anteros, Phobos, Deimos, and Harmonia. Other versions included Alcippe as daughter. Ares had romantic liaison with goddess of dawn named Eos. Aphrodite discovered them and cursed Eos with insatiable lust for men. Cycnus of Macedonia built temple using skulls and bones of guests until Heracles killed him. By woman Teirene he fathered Thrassa whose daughter Polyphonte loved bear producing sons Agrius and Oreius eating guests. Zeus sent Hermes punishing them chopping hands and feet before turning family into birds. Oreius became eagle owl while Agrius became vulture. Polyphonte transformed into strix small owl certainly portent of war. Servant prayed not becoming bird evil omen choosing woodpecker good omen hunters. List includes Meleager, Sinope, Solymus sometimes children Ares sometimes given other fathers. Odomantus, Edonus, Biston, Terpsichore appear various sources from eighth century BC through twelfth century AD. Amazons Antiope, Hippolyta, Penthesilea connected to Ares in Hyginus Fabulae one hundred first century AD. Melanippe, Lycaon, Lycastus, Parrhasius, Oxylus, Bithys, Tmolus, Ismarus, Chalyps, Dryas, Hyperbius, Lycus Libya, Nisos, Oeagrus, Paeon, Portheus, Tereus all listed offspring with varying mothers across centuries.