Ares was most notably referred to as the God of War he represented the unpleasant aspects of battle.Because of this, he was a less aggressive and physical form, revealing a more calm and understanding demeanour. The Roman counterpart to Ares was Mars, who was known as a father to the Roman people. For example, one famous story of Ares and Aphrodite exposes them to ridicule by the gods when her husband Hephaestus trapped them both naked in a bed using a clever device he made.
He is well known as the lover of Aphrodite, who was married to Hephaestus, and though Ares plays a limited role in literature, when he does appear in myths it is typically facing humiliation. In literature he represents the violent and physical untamed aspect of war, which is in contrast to Athena who represents military strategy and generalship as the goddess of intelligence.Īlthough Ares embodied the physical aggression necessary for success in war, the Greeks were ambivalent toward him because he was a dangerous, overwhelming force that was insatiable in battle. Ares is the god of war, one of the Twelve Olympian gods and the son of Zeus and Hera.