Ares

Ἄρης

Olympian god of war: the raw courage and cost of battle

Ares (Ἄρης) is the Greek god of war, son of Zeus and Hera and one of the Olympians. He stands for the spirit of battle itself: its raw courage, its violence and its cost. Athena, by contrast, is the goddess of strategy and skill. The Greeks were of two minds about him. In Homer's Iliad, Zeus calls him the most hateful of the Olympians, yet the Athenian hill of the Areopagus, "Ares' Hill", bears his name.

Later texts call him saviour of cities and defence of Olympus. A modern Hellenic source lists manly courage and civil order among his spheres. His worship was not extensive in Greece and was strongest in the north and at Sparta. At Tegea he was honoured in a women's feast, the Gynaikothoinas, after the women defended the city. Today Hellenic polytheists still honour him, for example in Hellenion's monthly libation.

See the gallery

Ares Ludovisi Altemps Inv8602 n2. Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

How to recognise Ares

Bearded warriorLook for a mature, bearded man in battle dress with a stern, resolute face; Greek art also shows him as a beardless youth with helm and spear.
Crested helmetHis standard attribute; on the Ares Borghese statue the helmet is decorated with plant motifs, griffins and dogs.
Bronze-tipped spearHis second standard attribute, the weapon Homer gives him alongside helmet and shield.
Round shieldPart of his Homeric arms; some images show a serpent on the shield.
Shining armourGolden or bronze helm, cuirass, war-belt and greaves, said to shine with a burning light.
Chariot and companionsIn some accounts he rides a golden-reined chariot drawn by four fire-breathing horses, with his sons Phobos and Deimos (Fear and Panic) beside him, and his sister Eris (Strife) and Enyo also follow him.
Vulture and dogThese are named as his bird and animal; the vulture was a bird of ill omen.

Names and titles

Saviour of CitiesA title given to Ares in a later hymn, which also calls him defence of Olympus
Defence of OlympusAnother hymn title: Ares as a protector of the gods' home
Hill of AresThe Areopagus in Athens is named for the trial at which Ares was acquitted of killing Halirrhothius
Feasted by WomenAt Tegea he was honoured as Gynaikothoinas in a women-only feast after the women defended their city
Ally of ThemisIn the later hymn he is called the ally of Themis (Justice) and leader of righteous men

Feast days

Hellenion's Monthly Libation to Ares14 November 2026

Hellenion's November libation to Ares, the Olympian god of war and battle. It is one of a yearly cycle of libations to the Olympians. This is the same celebration as the other Ares entry in this list.
How it's celebrated. On the second Saturday of November, members pour a libation to Ares on the same day, from wherever they are, alone, with family or friends, or with a local group (demos), so the community acts together. Hellenion's page shows a 2010 Toronto group ritual to Ares; individual practitioners publish home rites with altar purification and hymns. It is a voluntary modern practice, not an ancient date.
Sources: Hellenion: Libation to Ares · Hellenion: Monthly Libations · Britannica: Ares