Bellona
Roman goddess of war and destruction, companion or sister of Mars, equivalent to the Greek Enyo
The Myth of Bellona
Bellona was the fierce goddess of the battlefield, embodying the destructive fury of combat that Mars's more dignified cult could not fully express. Her temple near the Circus Flaminius served a crucial diplomatic function: since the Senate could not meet inside the city walls with foreign ambassadors or returning generals who still held military command, they met in Bellona's temple just outside. Before her temple stood the columna bellica, a small pillar over which a priest hurled a javelin to formally declare war on distant enemies. Her priests, the Bellonarii, worked themselves into ecstatic frenzies, slashing their own arms and offering their blood to the goddess.
Parents
None recorded
Symbols
Fun Fact
War was formally declared by hurling a javelin over a pillar outside Bellona's temple — a ritual that persisted for centuries
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Enyo
⚡ godGoddess of war and destruction
Enyo was a goddess of war who delighted in bloodshed and the destruction of cities — she accompanied Ares and Eris into battle.
Ares
⚡ godGod of brutal, bloodthirsty warfare
The god of the savage violence of battle — feared, hated, and necessary, embodying the bloodlust that the Greeks recognised but did not admire.
Alecto
⚡ godUnderworld
One of the three Erinyes whose name means "Unceasing" and who embodies relentless anger
Hysminai
⚡ godCombat, fray, hand-to-hand fighting
The daimones of close combat and the chaotic violence of the battlefield melee
Athena
⚡ godGoddess of wisdom, craft, and strategic warfare
Athena was the goddess of wisdom, strategic war, and craftsmanship — born fully armoured from Zeus's head, she was the most respected and feared Olympian after Zeus himself.
Ares
⚡ godGod of war, violence, bloodshed
God of the brutal, savage side of war. Unlike Athena's strategic warfare, Ares represented the raw violence and chaos of battle.
Hera
⚡ godQueen of the gods and guardian of marriage
The queen of Olympus and goddess of marriage who defended the institution of matrimony with a wrath that shaped half the myths.
Minerva
⚡ godWisdom, strategy, crafts, education
Roman goddess of wisdom, strategic warfare, and the arts, equated with the Greek Athena
Athena
⚡ godGoddess of wisdom and strategic warfare
The warrior-goddess born from Zeus's head who embodied strategic intelligence, craft, and the civilising arts of the city.
Phobos
⚡ godGod of fear and panic in battle
Phobos was the god of fear who accompanied his father Ares into battle, spreading terror before the armies.
Nike
⚡ godGoddess of victory
The winged goddess of victory who flew across battlefields crowning the victors and who stood beside Zeus as his constant companion.
Victoria
⚡ godVictory, triumph, success
Roman goddess of victory, equivalent to the Greek Nike