Ares
Ares is a Greek god of war. He is the son of Zeus and Hera, and is also regarded as one of the Twelve Gods, the major deities of the Greek pantheon. His Roman equivalent is Mars.
Influence
5th century BCE
The Followers of Ares worshipped the god, and devoted multiple locations to him, including a cave on the island of Keos.[1]
On the island of Naxos, a bronze jar marked the place where Ares was allegedly held prisoner by the Aloadai, the giant twin sons of the god Poseidon and Iphimedeia, after Ares had murdered the lover of goddess Aphrodite, Adonis.[2]
Ares was also said to have killed Poseidon's son, and for this he was judged in Athens in the place that ever after was known as Ares' Rock.[3]
In stories about the Amazons, it was said that their queen Hippolyta was granted a belt by Ares, which aroused the desire for battle for each strike struck.[1][4] During the Peloponnesian War, an armor set inspired by and dedicated to Ares was also worn, and eventually ended up in the possession of the Spartan misthios Kassandra.[1]
Personality
It was said of Ares that he loved "war and its horror for their own sake."[5]
Symbols and sacred things
Ares is always depicted helmeted and armed, ready for war.[1]
The Stymphalian birds were regarded as Ares' sacred animals.[6]
Epithets
During the Peloponnesian War, a Follower of Ares sent Harpalos a letter, giving the god the epithets 'the Bloodstained', 'the Destroyer', 'the Stormer of Cities', and 'He Who Rallies Men'.[7] These are all present in Homer's Iliad.
Behind the scenes
In Greek mythology, Ares is regarded as the father of Eros, Anteros, Phobos, Deimos, Adrestia and Harmonia.
The mural depicting Ares in a chariot in Assassin's Creed: Odyssey is based on a painting on an amphora from Late Classical period, depicting the Battle of the Giants and Gods. Notably, Aphrodite and their son Eros have been omitted, and Ares is shown riding the chariot of Dionysos instead of his own.
In Assassin's Creed II, the statuette in Monteriggioni, Italy, is said to be Mars. The statue is based in fact on a statue of Ares found in Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli, Italy.
Gallery
-
Banner of the Followers of Ares, depicting the stylized head of the god -
Statue of Ares within the Sanctuary of Olympia -
Ares depicted in a mural in 5th century BCE Greece, with Poseidon on his right -
Appearances
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Naxos: Bronze Vessel of Ares
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Attika: Areopagus
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Korinthia: The Belt of Hippolyta
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – A Growing Sickness
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Arkadia: The Stymphalian Birds
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Follower's Note