Ares is the Greek god of War. His Roman equivalent is Mars.

In the Iliad, Zeus calls Ares "loathsome" because he loves quarrelling. In general, Ares was not the favourite god of the greeks. The Romans, however, liked him a lot more, and an area of Rome was called The Field of Mars.

Ares caught the eye of Aphrodite. The love-goddess's jealous husband, Hephaestus, caught her and Ares together in a net and they were ridiculed by the other gods.

In the Trojan war, Aphrodite persuaded Ares to support the Trojans. In battle, he was wounded by the Greek hero Diomedes, sending him flying back to Zeus in pain.

Ares was also a big supporter of the warlike tribe of women known as the Amazons.

Filed under : Who's Who of the Greek Gods.