Ares the Greek God of War

In Greek Mythology, Ares is known as the God of War, although bloodthirsty and a slaughterer, better describe him. A son of Zeus and Hera, Ares is often portrayed as a middle-aged man with a beard, although many pictures and statues show Ares as a young and very handsome man.

He can most often be seen holding his trusty spear and wearing his bronze armor. He would often have a dog and or a vulture accompanying him. Much of the time when he entered battle, it would be while riding in his golden chariot being driven by flaming stallions.

Unlike the other gods in Greek mythology, Ares was not liked by most humans or the other gods even his own parents detested him.  He was not worshiped as other gods were.  Barbarians and those thirsty for war would often use his name as a battle cry, but callings for him did not go much further than that.  Even for as disliked, hated in fact, as he was he did have a Temple in the Ancient Agora of Athens.  Sacrifices were to Ares, most often by using a dog, the night before a battle to be in his good favor.

Like his father, Ares enjoyed the company of the fairer sex.  His most noted affair was with Aphrodite, the Goddess of love and beauty and the wife of Hephaestus.  Story goes that Hephaestus was informed his wife was having relations with another man, so he set a trap to catch the two in the act.  It worked, but he was not satisfied, he invited all the God to come,  watch the show, so to speak.  The gods laughed, Ares and Aphrodite were humiliated and once released from their trap, Ares fled far away, back to his birthplace in the barbaric lands of Thrace.

While having his affair with Aphrodite she gave birth to their sons Phobor (fear), and Deimos (panic), as well as to Harmonia, their daughter.  Some of Ares’s other children include Macedonia, Adrestia, Romulus, Cycnus, Ialmenus, Thestius, Eros and Arethousa.