God of War
Ares embodies the brutal, violent side of warfare and was feared even by his fellow Olympians.
The Meaning of God of War
Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera, yet both parents openly despised him. He revelled in the carnage of battle rather than strategy, which made him the opposite of Athena, who represented disciplined warfare. During the Trojan War, Ares fought for Troy but was wounded by the mortal hero Diomedes, guided by Athena's hand. He screamed so loudly that both armies froze. Ares fled to Olympus, and Zeus told him he was the most hated of all gods. His love affair with Aphrodite produced Eros, Phobos (fear), and Deimos (terror). The Areopagus in Athens — the hill where he was tried for murder — became the city's supreme court.
Parents
Zeus and Hera
Symbols
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
Amazonomachy
💭 conceptBattle of Greeks and Amazons
The Amazonomachy was the legendary battle between the Athenians and the Amazons who invaded Athens — depicted alongside the Centauromachy as a key symbol of Greek triumph.
Fury
💭 conceptRage, vengeance, righteous anger
Intense uncontrollable anger, from the Furies (Erinyes), avenging spirits who punished the wicked.
Sacred Band of Thebes
💭 conceptwarfare, love
An elite Theban military unit of 150 male couples who fought alongside their lovers, undefeated for decades until annihilated by Philip II of Macedon at Chaeronea.
Sack of Troy
💭 conceptNarrative
The brutal destruction and plundering of Troy during the night following the wooden horse stratagem
Aristeia of Diomedes
💭 conceptwar, heroism
The battle sequence in Iliad Book 5 where Diomedes, empowered by Athena, wounds both Aphrodite and Ares, achieving the extraordinary feat of harming immortal gods.
Goddess of Wisdom
💭 conceptWisdom, strategy, crafts, warfare
Athena embodies strategic intelligence, skilled craftsmanship, and disciplined warfare, standing as protector of civilized life.
The Trojan War
💭 conceptWar, fate, heroism
A ten-year siege of Troy by a coalition of Greek kings, sparked by the abduction of Helen and shaped by the rivalries of the gods.
Diomedes
💭 conceptwar
The extended battle sequence in Iliad Books 5-6 where Diomedes wounds both Aphrodite and Ares, the only mortal to injure two Olympians.
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.
Hippolytus and Phaedra
💭 conceptNarrative
A tragedy of forbidden desire, false accusation, and divine cruelty destroying an innocent young prince
Gigantomachy
💭 conceptwar, cosmology
The great battle between the Olympian gods and the Giants, fought to defend the divine order established after the Titanomachy.
Martial
💭 conceptWar, military discipline, combat
Relating to war or warriors, from Mars (Ares), the Roman god of war who gave his name to military practice.