His role was second only to Jupiter, the leader of the pantheon. While this story had countless variations, its core always remained the same. Most of the other gods stayed as far away from Mars as possible. Hoping to sever the royal line of Numitor, Amulius forced his brother’s daughter, the lovely and virtuous Rhea Silvia, to become a Vestal Virgin; this position carried with it a vow of abstinence. Ares, the Greek god of war was the son of Zeus and Hera. ↩. Furious Mars was the Roman god of rage, passion, destruction, and war. Mars was the tutelary god of Rome, and as the legendary father of its founder, Romulus, it was believed that all Romans were descended of Mars. There, Juno laid bare her grievances and implored the goddess for help: ‘My grief,’ quoth she, ‘is not to be assuaged with words. Accessed on . Privacy Policy, https://mythopedia.com/roman-mythology/gods/mars/. Aithon means red fire, Phlogios means flame, Konabos means tumult – which is a loud confusing noise – and Phobos means fear. He was also known to receive horse sacrifices, and was the only Roman deity to be so honored. Initially, Mars was the god of fertility and agriculture. She was impregnated by a magical flower. As a protector of Rome and t… The Romans likely grafted aspects of Ares onto Mars, although differences remained: to the Romans, Mars was an heroic warrior God, while, to the Greeks, Ares was cowardly, unpredictable, and held in much less esteem. He was an agricultural guardian. The god was invoked in the ancient hymn of the Arval Brothers, whose religious duties had as their object to keep off enemies of all kinds from crops and herds. Soon, he was also associated with the Greek god, Ares. He was also known as Marmor, Marmar and Maris, the latter from the Etruscan deity Maris. Mars’s festivals at Rome occurred in the spring and the fall—the beginning and the end of both the agricultural and the military seasons. The goddesses were Juno, Minerva, Venus, Diana, Vesta and Ceres. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Many of Mars' epithets resulted from mythological syncretism between Mars and foreign gods. The Romans would typically offer rams and bulls to Mars as sacrifices, or hostiae. Although most of the myths involving the god were borrowed from the Greek god of war Ares, Mars, nevertheless, had some features which were uniquely Roman.
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Mars, bronze statuette, Etruscan; in the Museo Archeologico, Florence. Thomas Apel is a historian of science and religion who received his Ph.D. in History from Georgetown University. When Mercury saw Venus making love with Mars in Vulcan’s marriage bed, he quickly informed the cuckolded god. He was among the most prominent Roman gods, second only to Jupiter. In another myth, Mars was the son of Juno only. https://mythopedia.com/roman-mythology/gods/mars/. His persona represented military power and the noise and blood of battle. As the Roman Empire began to expand, Mars became associated with battles. Read more interesting facts about Mars – the Roman God. Since he was the father of Romulus and Remus it was believed he would come to the aid of Rome during times of conflict or war. The planet Mars, known as the Red Planet, was named after him. Considered more level-headed than the often impulsive and disruptive Ares, Mars was also seen as a more virtuous figure by the more martial-oriented Romans. According to Roman mythology, Mars raped the innocent Rhea Silvia and sired Romulus and Remus, twins who would go on to establish the fabled city. © 2019 Wasai LLC – All Rights Reserved. Romans also held festivals and built temples to celebrate the Gods.
Seeking vengeance against Jupiter, Juno traveled to the realm of Flora, a goddess of flowers, spring, and fertility. At the festival of the October Horse on October 15, a two-horse chariot race was held in the Campus Martius, and on October 19 the Armilustrium marked the purification of the arms of war and their storage for the winter. Not one to be put off by a virgin’s wishes, Mars pursued the goddess anyway—to no avail. On February 27 and March 14, the horse races of the Equirria were held. Minerva had been conceived by Jupiter and the Titan Metis, but when Jupiter swallowed the pregnant Metis, a fully grown Minerva burst forth from his forehead. Mars was the son of Jupiter and Juno, the king and queen of the Roman deities. Mars was also the source of the name March, which in Latin was known as Martius. He was honored especially in March (a month named for him) with a host of festivals, including Mars’ dies natales (‘birthday’) on March 1, the Equirria of March 14, the Mamuralia of March 15, the Agonium Martiale of March 17, and the Tubilustrium of March 23. After Aeneas and his band of refugees arrived on Italian shores, he established a community that eventually came to be known as the kingdom of Alba Longa.
On March 23, the Tubilustrium was celebrated by purifying weapons and war-trumpets. Most festivals honouring Mars … Here are some facts about Mars. To keep the Gods happy, Romans often participated in animal sacrifices of lambs, pigs or bulls. Mars was the Roman God of War and the most important Roman god after Jupiter. Mars himself was the god of war and was, himself, seen as protector of the Roman Army. Romans worshiped a pantheon, also thought of as a council, of 12 major gods. The planet Mars and the male sex are both commonly represented by the astronomical or gender symbol ♂, which originally represented the shield and spear of Mars and was popularized as the alchemical symbol for iron. Festivals were held to honor him in March and October, which marked, respectively, the beginning and end of the campaigning season. He was shown often in the nude, perhaps a sign of the raw, unadorned forces he was thought to inspire.
Mars’ children Romulus and Remus are the founders of Rome. The planet Mars, known as the Red Planet, was named after him. Mars was the god of war.
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Mars also had an altar there, the Ara Martis. As the Roman Empire expanded in Northern Europe, Mars was equated with Celtic gods of war, particularly in Roman Britain, where he was commonly considered not only a war-bringer, but also a peaceful protector, healer and tribal god, to the Celts.[2]. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'newworldencyclopedia_org-medrectangle-4','ezslot_2',162,'0','0'])); In his agricultural aspect, Mars presided over springtime and crops in major festivals.
These 12 major gods were called the Dii Consentes. She represented valor and was the partner of Mars in various cult practices. Find the perfect Mars Roman God stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Mars, ancient Roman deity, in importance second only to Jupiter.
Daily Life for Patricianseval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'mrdonn_org-medrectangle-4','ezslot_5',109,'0','0'])); Roman Emperors - Augustus, Trajan, Diocletian, Constantine, Valens, Achievements, Contributions - Concrete, Aquaducts, and more, Play Free Interactive Online Games about Ancient Rome, Early Ancient Rome - The Founding and Kingdom, Ancient Roman Religion, Festivals, Holidays, Ancient Rome - Rights of Slaves, Children, and Women, Ancient Roman Art, Architecture, Inventions, Achievements, Investigate Real Life Artifacts in the Museum of the Ancients. Mars was further associated with Quirinus, a Sabine deity said to be the Spirit of Romulus. Certain animals are considered sacred to Mars. He was also one of the most important military gods worshiped by the Roman army. A lone priest of Mars was called a flamen Martialis. With time, these trees grew large enough to cover the entire world. He was represented both as a fully mature male with a beard and curly hair, and as a youth with smooth cheeks.
Includes results available with selected plan: Includes results available with selected plans: Includes results not available with your plan. This symbolism spoke to Mars’s status as the god who brought peace through war. Mars had many half-siblings as well thanks to his father’s indiscretions. And on October 19th, Armilustrium was celebrated during which the arms of the soldiers were cleaned and saved for winter.