In the ancient battle of Thurii in 282 BC, between Rome and the Greek colony of Tarentum, the Romans noticed a youth of extraordinary height marching in front of them and performing miracles of bravery. It was only afterwards, when no candidate for the crown of honor showed himself to claim it, that the soldiers realized and became convinced that it was the war god Mars himself who had come to the rescue of his people.
Attila and the Sword of Mars
Hundreds of years later, Attila the Hun became one of the most feared enemies of the western and eastern Roman Empires. Although his conquests extended far and wide, it was perhaps the rumor that Attila was said to possess the sword of Mars which made him especially frightening for the Romans. Legend has it that one of the shepherds of the Huns saw a heifer which had wounded herself in the foot. The shepherd curiously followed the track of the heifer’s blood until he discovered, among the tall grass, the point of an ancient sword sticking out from the soil. He then dug up the ancient sword and presented it to Attila, who claimed this sword as the sword of Mars himself. Attila accepted this sword as a celestial favor and as the rightful possessor of the sword of Mars, asserted his divine claim to the dominion of the earth.
Although under the influence of Greek culture in the ancient Roman society Mars was identified with the Greek war god Ares, the character and dignity of Mars was fundamentally different from that of his Greek counterpart. Apart from being considered as more level-headed than the more disruptive Ares, Mars was also seen as a more virtuous figure by the more martial-oriented Romans.
Ares the Bloodthirsty
Ares is the god of war, as well as the spirit of brutal warfare, in the ancient Greek religion. However, Ares was never very popular with the people in ancient Greece, his fellow gods and even his own family. The fact that Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera did not help him in his position among the Olympian gods. A passage in the Iliad tells us that Zeus, his own father, refers to Ares as the god that he hates the most, “To me you are the most hateful of all the gods who hold Olympus. Forever quarreling is dear to your heart, wars and battles”. The reason for this general distaste is that Ares specifically represented the brutal aspects of warfare – he is cruel and bloodthirsty, with a penchant of starting offensive wars for nothing more than the sheer love of combat. This reputation resulted in little respect which sprung mainly from fear instead of love or admiration.
Whereas Ares embodies strife and slaughter, it is Athena who represented strategy and forethought – the more ‘refined’ aspects of warfare. As a result of Ares’ and Athena’s different habits and viewpoints, various honors were given to them by different parts of the society. As Athena is regarded as the goddess of military leadership, protection and strategy, Ares is the god to whom regular warriors prayed to for inspiration and bravery.
More Than a God of War
Although usually taken to be the equivalent of the Greek war god Ares, Mars was more well-positioned in the ancient Roman society as he was well-liked and honored by the Romans, unlike Ares with the ancient Greeks. Apart from his role as the ancient Roman god of war, Mars was the protector of the Roman frontiers and the Roman way of life, as well as the guardian of the Roman agriculture. As an agricultural guardian, Mars directed his energies toward creating conditions that facilitate crops to grow, which may include warding off hostile forces of nature.
Although as an embodiment of masculine aggression Mars is viewed as the force that drives wars, he drives the kind of wars that deliver a secure peace. However, this does not mean that Mars was ‘softer’ than Ares. Mars’ potential for savagery is expressed in his connections to the wild woodlands beyond the boundaries set by humans. In his book on farming, Cato invokes Mars Silvanus for a ritual to be carried out in silva (in the woods) – an uncultivated place that, if controlled and held within its proper bounds, can threaten to overtake the fields needed for crops. Mars also seems to be placed at the center of the ancient Roman life. He sired Romulus and Remus, making the Roman people his children. The Romans named an area beyond the walls of their city the Campus Martius (Field of Mars). Temples honoring Mars were found in the center of the city of Rome and throwing open the gates of his temple symbolized war.
The Birth and Children of Mars
Like Ares who was the son of Zeus and Hera, Mars is usually said to be the son of Jupiter and Juno. However, in a version of Mars’ birth given by Ovid in Fasti, Mars was the son of Juno alone. As Jupiter had usurped the mother’s function when he gave birth to Minerva directly from his forehead, Juno sought the advice of the goddess nature and flowers, Flora, on how to do the same to restore the balance of the world. Flora obtained a magic flower and tested it on a heifer who immediately became fecund. Flora then ritually plucked a flower using her thumb, touched Juno’s belly and impregnated her. Juno withdrew to Thrace and the shore of Marmara for the birth of a little boy who later becomes known as Mars.
Later, Mars was known as the father of Romulus and Remus, the mythical twin founders of Rome. Mars raped the Vestal Virgin Rhea Silvia as she slept. In her dreams, Rhea Silvia had a vision where she dropped a hairpin to the ground, and from which there sprang two twin trees. Over time, one of the trees grew so large that it covered the entire world with its shade. This dream is a reference to the ultimate success of Romulus and the growth of the massive Roman Empire. Mars’ later association with the wolf also relates to this as it was Lupa, a she-wolf who suckled his infant sons when they were exposed by order of King Amulius. The wolf then appears often in Roman art and literature in masculine form as the animal of Mars. At the Battle of Sentinum in 295 BC, the appearance of the wolf of Mars (Martius lupus) was a sign of the upcoming Roman victory.
Mars, Minerva and Anna Perenna
Another myth concerning Mars which is also uniquely Roman, was his union with Anna Perenna, the ancient Roman goddess of long life and renewal. The story begins with Mars falling in love with none other than Minerva, the virgin goddess of wisdom and crafts. However, wholly unimpressed, Minerva rejected Mars’ amorous advances. Looking for ways to impress Minerva and win her favor, Mars sought the help of Anna Perenna. However, fancying the handsome young war god for herself, Anna Perenna disguised herself as Minerva and, wearing a veil, gains admission to Mars’ bedchamber, leading to the coarse jokes and songs used at Anna Perenna’s festivities. This union of Mars and Anna Perenna led to the two of them being associated as cult partners, as the festival of Anna Perenna falls in the month dedicated to Mars.
Martini Fisher 
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