Fast Facts on Ares, Greek God of War - Greek Mythology

Appearance: A bearded, good-looking man in the prime of life (at least before TV interpretations, where he is portrayed as a vigorous, handsome young man).

Symbol or Attribute: The spear. He is also associated with vultures and dogs.

Strengths: Decisive, determined, fearless.

Weaknesses:Impulsive, bloodthirsty, raring for a fight regardless of the consequences.

Affairs: No spouse, and his main love is war, but he didn't have too many lonely nights. Repeatedly deceived the smith god Hephaestus by making love with his beautiful wife Aphrodite. The sun god Helios saw them and revealed the affair to the rest of the Olympians, the males of whom dropped down to watch, embarassing Aphrodite and Ares.

Children: Diomedes, by the nymph Cyrene; Cycnus by Pyrene; Oenomaus by Sterope, one of the seven sisters comprising the Pleiades constellation.

Major Temple Sites: Ares enjoyed his strongest worship in the Northern Greece territory of Thracia or Thrace. As few people wanted to invoke war, temple sites are rare.

Basic Story: Ares is the sole son of the supreme Greek god Zeus and his legitimate wife, Hera. Neither of his far-from-mild-mannered parents were said to be too fond of their even more irritable son; a little more loving nurturing from them might have resulted in Ares being just the God of Minor Conflicts.

Interesting Fact: Ares is considered to be similar to the Roman god Mars, but is generally thought to be more brutal and uncivilized.