Ares Borghese at The Louvre, Paris

myminifactory

The Borghese Ares is a Roman marble statue from the imperial era (1st or 2nd century AD). Standing at 2.11m tall, this masterpiece identifies as Ares through his distinctive helmet and an ankle ring gifted by his lover Aphrodite. This statue possibly retains some original features of a lost bronze work created in the 5th century BC. Ares' cult and representation are rare in ancient Greece, especially in sculpture. Historians have suggested that this statue may be derived from one created by Alcamenes, an Athenian sculptor known for his Ares statue erected on the Athenian agora. However, the temple of Ares referenced by Pausanias had only been relocated from Acharnes and re-sited during Augustus' time, making this timeline impossible. Moreover, statues attributed to Alcamenes depict the god wearing a breastplate, casting doubt on the connection. This statue type was later dispersed and paired with female Venus de Milo-style statues for imperial Roman couples symbolizing military and peace unity, such as Mars and Venus. Once part of the Borghese collection, it was acquired by Napoleon in 1807.