It appears, however, that Alcippe did not reciprocate the same feelings. One day, a son of Poseidon named Halirrhothius came across Alcippe and deeply desired her. There is a story that tells of one of Ares’ daughters, whose name was Alcippe. This demeanor extended past his love life. It was, perhaps, his only ‘soft’ side or compassionate attribute. Still, Ares was known for generally showing respect towards his partners. He never used trickery or force to form a union with a woman – although he never married either. Did Ares Have Any Redeeming Qualities?Īlthough it was generally agreed that Ares was one of the most hated and least respected gods in Greek mythology, it is notable to mention that Ares has some of the best relationships with women out of all the gods. Later on, the Spartans would also be known to sacrifice dogs to the god – a strange practice during that time. The warriors of Sparta were devoted to supporting Ares’ cause and even made human sacrifices to the god with their prisoners of war. The one exception among the Greeks and their perspective of Ares was the Spartans. Those who prayed to Ares may enjoy his support early on in the beginnings of the struggle, but they would often be dismayed to find the god fighting for the other side to prolong the battle and increase the death and destruction caused by the war. The problem with this was that Ares was known to get caught up in the destruction of battle itself and had no loyalties when it came to fighting. The early Greeks knew that they would only be able to rely on Ares when it came to conflict. Perhaps the most important factor that came for the people’s fear and hatred of Ares can be found in the god’s tendencies to ignore the well being of his followers. While it makes sense that Ares wouldn’t be popular among the powerful Greek deities, there are some who wonder why he didn’t become more popular among the citizens of early Greece. This is one of the most well-known tales that speaks of Ares, partly because of the great shame that was brought upon the god for choosing to ignore the sanctity of his brother’s marriage. He started an affair with Aphrodite – the wife of his own brother, Hephaestus. It was also known that Ares wasn’t one to respect the boundaries of another’s happiness – even when it came to marriage. In fact, Zeus tells Ares that if he weren’t his son, he would have been cast into the depths of Tartarus long ago. Zeus responds by calling him a two faced liar and informing him that his is the most hated among all of Zeus’ children. One story tells of Ares returning, wounded, from the Trojan war and complaining to Zeus about his injuries. The few stories that do tell us of Ares’ deeds and accomplishments suggest that the god was not the bravest of his siblings despite his lust for war. This is likely because of his reckless and irresponsible behavior that often led him to be rash and act on his impulses instead of patiently contriving a thorough battle plan. Later sources also include Adrestia, and the four Erotes – Eros, Anteros, Pothos, and Himeros as being children of Aphrodite and Ares.Īlthough it would seem that a god who embodied war would be greatly respected and admired by the early Greeks, they seemed to have little use for Ares. The number varies depending on the source, but it has been confirmed that Deimos, Phobos, and Harmonia were all born to Ares. While she isn’t the only woman Ares had relations with, she is the most notable and bore him many influential children. The one exception seems to be the goddess Aphrodite. While Ares’ Roman counterpart (Mars) gained more respect among the people, the Greeks and their deities had little use for a god as reckless and violent as Ares. Coincidentally, Athena was one of Zeus’ favorite children while Ares was Zeus’ least favorite child and hated by many other gods and goddesses. Athena was known for her knowledge and strategies that were associated with war while Ares was known to be the personification of all the violence and rage that make up war. While it is known that Athena was also a goddess of war (and sibling to Ares) the two couldn’t be any more different. Ares is the Greek god of war that was known for his destructive behavior.
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