Mars is the Roman God of war and agriculture. Whilst this may seem like an odd combination for a deity, it was actually fairly common in Ancient Rome for deities with a war-like streak to also be associated with agriculture. Virility was considered an association of Mars, and it was believed that he could use this power to make crops grow. With his warring quality, he could protect them from the hostility of nature, and the Arval Brothers would invoke Mars to drive off 'rust' (which could have been either wheat fungus, or the rust which eats away and destroys farming equipment).
His Greek counterpart is Ares, and although whilst Ares was often thought of poorly and treated as 'lesser' in Greek mythos, Mars was held in higher esteem by the Romans. In part, this is because unlike Ares whose war-like streak was destructive and often driven by anger or jealousy, Mars was more associated with strategic warfare and achieving peace through military strength.
In one tale, it is said that Mars was the father of Remus and Romulus, the founders of Rome. It seems fitting then that the partner of Mars was Venus, for it was Venus' son who fled the fall of Troy, and was said to be an ancestor of the mother of Remus and Romulus. Together these two deities are the mother and father figures of Ancient Rome.
However, Mars is also written as having another wife, and her name was Nerio or Neriene, which translates as 'valour'. She represents the power and vital force of Mars, and later Neriene became identified as Minerva. However, 'wife' may be a simplification, for it is suggested that Neriene was more of a personification of Mar's power, and it may be the influence of Greek mythology that caused Roman writers to instead interpret this as a 'marriage' or romantic partnership. Similarly, it is possible that Venus and Mars were never romantic partners, and instead a symbolic representation of the balance between man and woman, and love and warfare.
Mars is the son of Jupiter and Juno, or of Juno alone. Jupiter birthed the Goddess Minerva directly from his head, and Juno sought the help of the Goddess Flora to be able to do the same. Flora found and plucked a magic flower, and then with her thumb, impregnated Juno. She then left for Thrace, to give birth on the shore of Marmara to Mars. This is an interesting story, and it has been interpreted as showing how even a God of war needs the nurturing of a mother figure and a connection to nature (the magic flower) to grow into the father figure he became.
His Greek counterpart is Ares, and although whilst Ares was often thought of poorly and treated as 'lesser' in Greek mythos, Mars was held in higher esteem by the Romans. In part, this is because unlike Ares whose war-like streak was destructive and often driven by anger or jealousy, Mars was more associated with strategic warfare and achieving peace through military strength.
In one tale, it is said that Mars was the father of Remus and Romulus, the founders of Rome. It seems fitting then that the partner of Mars was Venus, for it was Venus' son who fled the fall of Troy, and was said to be an ancestor of the mother of Remus and Romulus. Together these two deities are the mother and father figures of Ancient Rome.
However, Mars is also written as having another wife, and her name was Nerio or Neriene, which translates as 'valour'. She represents the power and vital force of Mars, and later Neriene became identified as Minerva. However, 'wife' may be a simplification, for it is suggested that Neriene was more of a personification of Mar's power, and it may be the influence of Greek mythology that caused Roman writers to instead interpret this as a 'marriage' or romantic partnership. Similarly, it is possible that Venus and Mars were never romantic partners, and instead a symbolic representation of the balance between man and woman, and love and warfare.
Mars is the son of Jupiter and Juno, or of Juno alone. Jupiter birthed the Goddess Minerva directly from his head, and Juno sought the help of the Goddess Flora to be able to do the same. Flora found and plucked a magic flower, and then with her thumb, impregnated Juno. She then left for Thrace, to give birth on the shore of Marmara to Mars. This is an interesting story, and it has been interpreted as showing how even a God of war needs the nurturing of a mother figure and a connection to nature (the magic flower) to grow into the father figure he became.
There were several temples and festivals dedicated to Mars. The month of March was named after him, and in the Roman calendar this was considered the first month of the year. Other festivals include Equirria on February the 27th which involved chariot races; March the 1st which was considered his birthday; March the 14th or 15th where Mamurius Veturius (believed to be the 'old Mars' of the previous year) was driven out; and October the 19th which was called Armilustrium which translates to 'purification of arms'.
As an important God in the Roman tradition, he had many epithets. These include:
Mars Gradivus - Whom soldiers would swear an oath to for victory in battle
Mars Quirinus - Protector of the citizens
Mars Pater - Father Mars
Mars Ultor - Mars the avenger
When the Romans invaded and ruled Britain, they would often take existing deities and 'twin' them with their Roman deities to help integrate them. Mars was a popular one, providing us with 'Mars Camulus', 'Mars Condatis', and 'Mars Teutates' to name but a few.
Symbols of Mars include the spear, the shield, the wolf and the woodpecker, and in Roman Gaul, the goose was also associated with him. Mars is (in my opinion) one of the most interesting of the Roman Gods, and his importance in Roman mythology gives us valuable insight into the beliefs and ethos of the Roman people.
As an important God in the Roman tradition, he had many epithets. These include:
Mars Gradivus - Whom soldiers would swear an oath to for victory in battle
Mars Quirinus - Protector of the citizens
Mars Pater - Father Mars
Mars Ultor - Mars the avenger
When the Romans invaded and ruled Britain, they would often take existing deities and 'twin' them with their Roman deities to help integrate them. Mars was a popular one, providing us with 'Mars Camulus', 'Mars Condatis', and 'Mars Teutates' to name but a few.
Symbols of Mars include the spear, the shield, the wolf and the woodpecker, and in Roman Gaul, the goose was also associated with him. Mars is (in my opinion) one of the most interesting of the Roman Gods, and his importance in Roman mythology gives us valuable insight into the beliefs and ethos of the Roman people.
