Ares (in Greek old Ἄρης / Ares or Ἄρεως / Areôs ) is the god of the Guerre and the destruction in the Greek Mythologie. Wire of Zeus and Héra, it is identified with Mars at the Romains.
Roles
God of the war
Ares is the god of brutality and carnage. He goes to the combat accompanied by his sister, Éris (the Discord), his sons Déimos (Terror) and Phobos (Panic), as well as Ényo, goddess of the battles. Itself is often called Ἐνυάλιος / Enyálios . Traditionally, the Greeks interpret his name like a derivative of the word “killer”, ἀναίρης / anaírês .
As such, it is haï other gods, in particular Zeus, which declares to him in Iliade :
“I hate you more than any the gods who live on Olympe
Because you dreams only discords, wars and combat. ”
Héra, hardly appreciates his/her mother, it more, dépitée that it is to see it taking party for Troyens during the Trojan War. She declares pareillement about it:
“Zeus Father, aren't you outraged a maltreatment of Ares?
How much brave men Achaens it did not make périr
Wrongly and through! I am sorry, and cependant
Aphrodite and Apollon with the money arc is all heureux
To have released this insane which does not know any law. ”
Athéna, goddess of the war like, represents the positive aspects of the war to him, like the victory, whereas it incarnates the negative aspects of them. Both are hated particularly. In front of Troy, it encourages Diomède to strike it, and itself to him a large block of stone throws, which reaches it with the neck. It should be said that, only among the gods, Arès takes share with the combat personally, and does not scorn to strip Périphas of its weapons, following the example mortal.
Only Aphrodite testifies to the affection to his/her “good brother” who according to other legends is also his lover. In its Oedipus in Colone , Sophocle can thus proclaim it “the god with whom any honor is refused among the gods”.
Its name indicates any form of violent death, and more particularly the Peste. The war is called “dance of Ares” in the epopee S. the Greeks see in him the “god of the tears”. Only the Homeric Anthem which is devoted to him, undoubtedly late, shows it under one day benevolent and names it:
“Bold Heart, carrying shield saver of the cities, capped bronze,
With the robust hands, untiring, extremely by the lance, rampart of Olympe,
Father of the Victoire, happy conclusion of the wars, auxiliary of THEMIS;
Absolute master of the adversary, guides the rightest men. ”
It is interesting to compare the hatred which to the Greeks the rough force of Ares to the respect inspired that the Romains carried to its counterpart Mars: one can see there the contrast of values between these two ancient civilizations.
Parking oaths
Ares is also the god avenger. As such, its name is used in the solemn oaths. It is for example the case in the oath lent by the young Athenians during their éphébie.
Vicissitudes
Its force plugs does not make an invincible combatant of it: in the Shield of Héraclès of pseudo-Hésiode, it is overcome by twice by Héraclès and in Iliade , it must be acknowledged overcome vis-a-vis Diomède. Iliade also reports that the Aloades lock up it for thirteen months in a bronze earthenware jar. According to the scholiaste, it is to have caused the death of Adonis, placed under the load of Aloades. It is delivered, with end of forces, by Hermes. It is probably about the etiologic explanation of an occurring festival every 13 months, lasting which all kinds of licenses were allowed.
According to Euripide and Hellanicos, when Halirrhothios, wire of Poséidon, forces Alcippé - girl whom it has with Aglaure, girl of Cécrops -, it kills it. For this murder, Arès is translated in front of the court of the Olympian gods, on the hill which takes its name (cf Aréopage). According to Euripide, he is discharged. According to Panyasis however, it seems that Arès must be useful among the mortals, undoubtedly for price of this murder.
Loves and posterity
Presented in Iliade like purely fraternal, the reports/ratios of Ares and Aphrodite become in the Odyssey at the same time in love and adulterous, since the goddess of the love is married there with Héphaïstos - this one being the husband of called a Charis in the Iliade . Once again, Arès is turned into ridiculous: denounced by Photogravure, the sun, in love ones fall into the trap with the misled husband who captures them in a net and the exhibe with the hilarious gods. Ashamed, Arès must take refuge at his place, in Thrace.
According to the Théogonie - where Héphaïstos is the husband of Aglaé, one of the three Charites - Aphrodite gives to Arès three children: Déimos, Phobos and Harmony, wife of Cadmos, the founder of Thèbes. The paternity of Eros and Antéros appears for the first time at the lyric poet Simonide and appears to be to him allotted rather by convenience. He is also seen like father of Pathos (passion) and of Himéros (the desire).
His/her other children are often criminals or the insane ones:
- Phlégias, which tries to be avenged for Apollon, which has just killed his/her daughter Coronis;
- Térée, persecutor of Procné and Philomèle;
- Diomède, which nourishes its mares human flesh;
- Cycnos, which defies in duel Héraclès.
Places of worship
Its preferred residence is the Thrace - Thraces, for the Greeks, were warlike people and fighter. It is révéré by the people of Colchide and Scythie. In Greece, it has only few places of worship. A fountain is devoted to him to Thèbes, in remembering the legend of Cadmos, which had sown there the teeth of a dragon, wire of Ares, which gave rise to the Spartes. Thereafter, Cadmos makes peace with Arès by marrying Harmonie, girl of the god and Aphrodite, before founding Thèbes. The metaphor is clear: the end of the wars brings the order and the harmony, and allows the foundation of the quoted.
It is especially with Sparte that it is the subject of a worship. The beautiful young man S sacrifice to him a dog with Thérapné, in Laconie. With Géronthrai, located at the north of Hélos, always in Laconie, it is celebrated in festivals excluding the women. In Sparte even, a sanctuary is dedicated to him under the name of Arès Théritas, i.e. “the savage”, épiclèse sometimes attached to Théra, its nurse.
In Attic, it has a sanctuary with Acharnes. A stele, currently preserved at the French School of Athens, undoubtedly reproduced the statue of the worship. To the 1st century, the sanctuary is transferred on the Agora from Athens and a new statue is set up, of which the Borghèse Ares is undoubtedly a copy.
With Tégée, in Arcadie, the women celebrate it in festivals which are reserved to them, and commemorate their valiancy against the Spartans. Close to Trézène, a sanctuary is devoted to him in remembering the Amazones, his/her daughters. With Athens, he is venerated in partnership with Aphrodite. Lastly, it has temples with Argos and Salamine.
On the whole, its place in the ancient Greek Religion is well far from equalizing that of Mars at the Romains.
Épiclèses, attributes & sanctuaries
-
Attributes: the torch, the lance and the helmet;
- Epithet Homeric:
- plague of the men ( βροτολοιγός / brotoloigós ),
- soiled blood ( μιαιφόνος / miaiphónos ),
- assaillor of ramparts ( τειχεσιπλήτης / teikhesiplếtês ),
- brutal ( μαλερός / malerós );
- Épiclèse S:
- Ényalos ( Ἐνυάλιος ),
- Théritas ( Θηρίτας );
- Sanctuaries: Sparte, Bait (Attic), Thèbes.
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