by Shy Less

Created on: May 01, 2010

Ares is the god of war and violence. He is a son of Zeus and Hera and is most of the time on his way with Eris. Eris is his sister and the goddess of disharmony. Ares is not married but his lover was Aphrodite. Unlike Pallas Athene (who was fighting with a policy and a clear target on war), Ares just liked to battle. He was always trying to provoke war on different ways. In the Ilias he is knows as a great murderer. He is hated by all gods because of his cruelty and combativeness. Even Zeus and Hera didn’t support him at all times.

Ares had a great posture and a thundering tone of voice. He surpassed all other gods in speed.But he was no match against the amiability of the goddess Aphrodite. Together they got 3 children: Deimos (fear) and Phobos (fright), the horrible twins, and the mischievous god Eros, who could set people on fire with his arrow. The cult of Ares came from Thracie, a land of warlike warriors. But it was not common practised in Greece. Ares was also the only Greece that was honoured with human sacrifices.

According the Roman mythology Ares was later identified with the god Mars. He had a greater meaning then Ares because he was the father of Romulus and Remus. Romulus and Remus were the mythological founders of Rome. According to the Romans, king Numitor once ruled in Alba Longa (which was founded by the son of Aeneas) Numitor was a good king, but his brother Aemilius was a bad man. He expelled Numitor from the throne and took over the command. When he heard that Rhea Silvia (who was the daughter of Numitor), would give birth to a twin that would kill him, he sheltered Rhea Silvia to the Vestal virgins. These women were the

Priestess of Hestia. They made sure the sacred fire kept burning eternal and it was strongly restricted that no man should even touch them.

Even tough it was restricted to touch them by men, Mars had an eye on Rhea Silvia. And when she was in bed, he lied down with her. The result of this night was a pregnancy.

When Aemilius got known of this news he was furious and got Rhea Silvia into locked into the dungeon. When the twins got born she named them: Romulus and Remus.

Aemilius took the children away from Rhea Silvia and gave a slave the order to kill the children. The slave took the children with him to the forest, but because of his emotions he was not able to kill them. He left the children on the forest with the hope that they would be eaten by a couple of wild animals.

A couple of days later a shepherd arrived at the spot the children were left. He saw a mother wolf that was feeding the children. The wolf didn't harm the shepherd and when she was gone, the shepherd took the children with him and raised them as their own sons. When the years were passing by it turned out to be that his sons were bigger, more handsome and smarter then other boys of their age. When they almost became an adult they had a group of friends with whom they were robbing thieves, to give the money back to its rightful owner.

One day Remus was caught. Romulus immediately went to king Aemilius to free his brother. The shepherd also told them the truth that they were not his sons but they were the sons of the disowned niece of Aemilius. Romulus got his friends to help him to get rid of the mean king. First they made his brother set free, then his mother and as last they gained victory on the king. Numitor was brought away from his banishment and placed again on the throne. After this the boys went their own way to establish their own town: Rome.

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