Ares
Name | Ares (’ArhV)
Role | god of war
Symbols | spear
Ares in Greek Mythology
Ares was the Greek god of war, and according to mythology, war, battles, and bloodshed were his major preoccupations. In certain respects, there is not too much more to Ares than this connection to war, as he is portrayed as being somewhat one-dimensional. Or at least limited in his pleasures. However, there is one other area in which Ares was interested, and that is indeed pleasure - with the goddess Aphrodite, that is. He engaged in an ongoing tryst with Aphrodite which is the stuff of legend (and myth), in defiance of that fact that the lovely goddess was already married (to the god Hephaistos). There is a wonderfully charming tale in the Odyssey of Homer about how this couple's romantic rendezvous came to an abrupt, and comic, end.
Ares and Aphrodite
Ares and Aphrodite were dallying together when their interlude was rudely interrupted. You see, the god of the Sun, Helios, from whom little, if anything, could be kept secret, spied the pair in enjoying each other one day. Helios promptly reported the incident to Hephaistos, who was understandably angry. Hephaistos contrived to catch the couple "in the act", and so he fashioned a net to snare the illicit lovers. At the appropriate time, this net was sprung, and trapped Ares and Aphrodite locked in very private embrace. But Hephaistos was not yet satisfied with his revenge - he invited the Olympian gods and goddesses to view the unfortunate pair. For the sake of modesty, the goddesses demurred, but the male gods went and witnessed the sight. Some commented on the beauty of Aphrodite, others remarked that they would eagerly trade places with Ares, and they all laughed. Well, except for Ares, who was out of sorts, and Aphrodite, who, if goddesses can blush like maidens, surely did so.