"He was red with blood as if he were slaying living men, and he stood in his chariot. Beside him stood Deimos and Phobos, eager to plunge amidst the fighting men."
Hesiod, The Shield of Heracles 191
🏛️ #Ares among Greeks and #Amazons, detail of an Apulian volute krater, 5th century BCE. Today in the National Archaeological Museum Jatta, Ruvo di Puglia.
The villa of the Emperor #Hadrian at Tivoli, called Villa Adriana, is even in ruined condition one of the most spectacular Roman gardens. This statue of a young warrior identified as #Ares used to overlook a lake as one of six statues in a single colonnade.
Intaglio from Roman Caerleon made of red jasper, depicting the Roman war god #Mars.
Mars was usually shown as a warrior carrying shield, spear, and sword whilst wearing armour and a created helmet.
"Where the milky region is set in a tranquil heaven, lay kindly Venus in her bower, whence night had but lately fled, faint in the rough embrace of her Getic lord [Mars]. About the posts and pillows of her couch swarm a troop of tender Amores."
Statius, Silvae 1.2.51
"Oh for a man mighty with the spear to deliver our house, an #Ares, brandishing in the fight the springing Scythian bow and wielding his hilted sword in close combat."
Aeschylus, Libation Bearers 160
🏛️ Ares-Mars statuette, Roman Empire, photo by Carole Madge @followinghadrian
#HappyHalloween, Fediverse 🎃 #Ares represents many nasty things as the God of War and he begets Fear (Phobos) and Terror (Deimos).
"Warlike #Mars [Ares] invented new modes of strife and a thousand forms of death. From this source streams of blood stained all lands and the sea grew red."
Seneca, Phaedra 540
#Ares gave him a push that sent him into the dirt of the agora. "On all fours, dog." #Sisyphos got up on his hands and knees as Ares had commanded.
"Good boy," Ares said with a cruel grin. "We are going to pay Lord #Thanatos a visit. Down in the underworld where you belong."
Ares-Mars embraced by his love Aphrodite-Venus with a dog at their feet. The club in his hand is usually part of the iconography of #Herakles so it could also be a fresco depicting #Hercules and Megaera or Deïaneira. Does anyone know if it's Mars of Hercules?
It's the Day of Zeus / Jupiter's Day / #Thursday! ⚡
A late #DayOfZeus entry today because I didn't manage to post before work:
It's the birth of #Athena: The tiny goddess jumps from #Zeus' head in full armour!
On the left, #Hermes and a rare bearded #Apollon watch the scene. On the right, an unknown goddess and #Ares look on.
🏛️ Black-figure vase painting dated about 540 BCE. Today in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
A humourous oil painting of the love of #Mars and #Venus that was created when the artist was only 15 or 16 years old.
Mars ist struck by an arrow in his chest but it is a love arrow 😘
🏛️ Mars, Venus and #Vulcan, by John Singleton Copley. Oil on canvas, dated 1754 CE. Today in the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, USA.
Aphrodite is pouring a libation into the phiale (libation bowl) held by her lover Ares over an altar. A servant or child stands behind her on the left.
🏛️ Attic votive relief of Aphrodite and Ares. Marble. Dated to the 5th century BCE. Today in the National Archaeological Museum in #Venice.
This is a comedic short involving #Ares and #Hermes I wrote for a friend when they were feeling down. Can Ares open himself up to experimentation like his girl Aphrodite suggested?
"Phaethon [#Helios] laughed, because #Ares in the seafight of [#Dionysos against the Indians] had fled again before the fire of #Hephaistos, as once before he fled from his chains."
Nonnus, Dionysiaca 39.403
🎨 Helios (possibly Alexander of Macedon) bronze bust, 1st century CE.
Meet this red jasper #intaglio from #Wales depicting the Roman god #Mars standing in the nude, wearing only a crested helmet and the folds of a cloak over one arm. He cradles a long spear and holds a sheathed sword with its belt.
🏛️ Mars, Roman intaglio, Amgueddfa #Cymru - National Museum Wales
This week's #MythologyMonday theme is artworks featuring mythology. There are, of course, countless depictions of mythological scenes from ancient times. Some myths, in fact, are ONLY known through artwork, for example the drinking contest between #Herakles and #Dionysos.
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There are quite a lot of artworks I love that were made in our modern day, especially from independent creators who just love #mythology. It is impossible to pick just one so here are four of my favourite artworks from contemporary artists.
Meet this Roman stone statue of the god #Mars, found in #York. It was carved from local sandstone in the 4th century CE. #Eboracum was a fort and later a city in the Roman province of Britannia that became the city of York. Eboracum was a busy port and a provincial capital with residents from all over the Roman Empire.
Tetrassarion #coin dated 162/163 CE. The reverse depicts Ares fully dressed in his armour with helmet, shield, and spear. Facing him stands Aphrodite of the Pudicitia type, holding one hand to her genitals and one hand to her breasts.
This week's #MythologyMonday theme is healing. The God of Healing is #Apollon but there are other gods who share in a subset of his power. Apollon's son #Asklepios famously brought dead people back to life. Deified after his untimely death by Zeus' thunderbolt, he received a cult of his own, the Temples of Asklepios serving as hospitals. Asklepios had children of his own, among them Panacea (Cure-all), and Hygieia (Health).
But he is not the only healing god associated with Apollon.
An older god of healing who appears in the #Iliad as the Healer of the Gods is #Paian. In the Iliad, Paian heals #Ares after the latter is injured by #Diomedes and #Athena through medicine that produces instant relief. #Hades is healed in a similar fashion after #Herakles' arrow (thankfully without hydra blood) pierces him.
Paian is later reduced to an epithet of both #Apollon and his son #Asklepios.
A god that is not usually associated with medicine but has a healing aspect is #Dionysos.