Comparing The Greek Gods And Goddesses In Ancient Greece

In ancient times, gods and goddesses were very important to the Greek and Roman cultures. The Greeks and Romans believed that the gods controlled every aspect of their lives. Weather, fertility, love, and war are just few of the things the gods were believed to control. Ares, a Greek god, and Mars, a Roman god, were the gods of war. Ares and Mars played very similar roles in the Greek and Roman cultures, but they were viewed differently by the people.
Ares, the son of Zeus and Hera, was one of the 12 Olympian gods (“Greek Gods and Goddesses”).The Olympians were considered primary deities in ancient times. Ares fathered many children, many being mothered by Aphrodite (“The World Book Encyclopedia”). These children include: Eros, Phobos, Deimos, …show more content…
The Greek telling is about Ares, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus. Aphrodite was having an affair with Ares, but she was married to Hephaestus. Hephaestus was also unfaithful to his marriage, which was illustrated by several affairs. When Hephaestus found out that his wife was having an affair, he was livid and wanted revenge. He immediately started making an unbreakable net. He made a plan to trap Ares and Aphrodite while they were in bed together. When the time came, he trapped them in a net and would not let them go. He showed Ares and Aphrodite to all of the Olympians to humiliate them in front of everyone (“Greek Mythology: Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Ares and Her Other Lovers”). The Roman version is about Venus, her husband Vulcan, and Mars. Venus was not loyal to her husband Vulcan, but she was in love with Mars. When this information reached Vulcan, he was angry, upset, and wanted revenge. He then made an unbreakable mesh and planned to catch them while they were in bed.To catch the two, he released the net over them and captured them. To shame both of them, he brought them, while they were in the net, to the top of Mt. Olympus to show everyone what they had done (“Forbidden Love of Venus and …show more content…
They hated that he symbolized death and bloodshed. However, when he was worshiped, it was by small cults (“Profile of Ares, Greek God of War”). Also, before battles, Greek soldiers would offer themselves as a sacrifice, so Ares would aid them in winning the battle (Apger, Joey). Prisoners of war and dogs were also sacrificed to him. Dogs were sacrificed to him because they were one of his symbols (“Greek Mythology”). Mars, on the other hand, was widely worshipped and had many lavish temples built for him (“Myths About Mars”). He was celebrated on the Ides of October. The Ides of October is a day in the middle of the month used to calculate other days. He was also worshipped with a ceremony called Tubilustrium, which was celebrated on March 23rd. There was a lamb sacrificed in honor of Mars at this ceremony (“Mars”). Harvest time was also a celebration of Mars because he originated as a god of agriculture and fertility (“Mars: Fourth Planet from the Sun”). He was born in the month of March, so it is named after him. Because of its red color, like blood, the planet Mars is named after him (“Mars: Fourth Planet from the Sun”).
In conclusion, Ares and Mars are similar because they both are gods of war. The Greeks loathed Ares, while the Romans revered Mars. The myths surrounding the two gods are comparable. Their tales and the roles they played mirror each other in the two cultures.