Ares, the god of war-the sixth Olympian
Ares was the off-spring from the seed of Zeus and Hera. He is one of the two gods of war, who unlike Athena, focuses on the brutal and savage part of war. He is one of the 12 Olympians. Ares is the focus of great ridicule in Greek legends. The most famous humiliation that was inflicted upon Ares was his relationship with Aphrodite. Aphrodite was the wife of Hephaestus, who was a crippled god. Aphrodite obviously wanted more and she went to Ares. Hephaestus smelled something foul going on between his brother and his wife. He unveiled their relationship for all to know, turning him into public ridicule number one.
Another humiliation was when he returned to Olympos from Troy, wounded and bleeding ichor, the golden blood of the gods. As he entered the council, his father spat in his face,
Then looking at him darkly Zeus who gathers the clouds spoke to him:
'Do not sit beside me and whine, you double-faced liar.
To me you are the most hateful of all gods who hold Olympos.
Forever quarrelling is dear to your heart, wars and battles.
And yet I will not long endure to see you in pain, since
you are my child, and it was to me that your mother bore you.
But were you born of some other god and proved so ruinous
long since you would have been dropped beneath the gods of the bright sky."
This has been illustrated in Homer’s Iliad. Not only was this a huge humiliation coming from the top, but it also showed Ares that he was in a very unstable position and that his status as Zeus’s son was the only thing that was keeping him from being cast down from Olympos.
As Rome took over, Ares was re-invented as the Father of all Romans, Mars. All his past was erased and he was elevated to a status that could rival the three main Olympians.
Another humiliation was when he returned to Olympos from Troy, wounded and bleeding ichor, the golden blood of the gods. As he entered the council, his father spat in his face,
Then looking at him darkly Zeus who gathers the clouds spoke to him:
'Do not sit beside me and whine, you double-faced liar.
To me you are the most hateful of all gods who hold Olympos.
Forever quarrelling is dear to your heart, wars and battles.
And yet I will not long endure to see you in pain, since
you are my child, and it was to me that your mother bore you.
But were you born of some other god and proved so ruinous
long since you would have been dropped beneath the gods of the bright sky."
This has been illustrated in Homer’s Iliad. Not only was this a huge humiliation coming from the top, but it also showed Ares that he was in a very unstable position and that his status as Zeus’s son was the only thing that was keeping him from being cast down from Olympos.
As Rome took over, Ares was re-invented as the Father of all Romans, Mars. All his past was erased and he was elevated to a status that could rival the three main Olympians.