Mars, God of War

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In ancient Roman mythology and faith, Mars was both the god of war and a guardian of agriculture, a dual role characteristic of Rome's early years. As second in importance only to Jupiter, he stood out as the most prominent military deity within the Roman army's spiritual practices. Most of his festivals took place in March, named after him (Martius), and October, which marked the start of military campaigns and ended the farming season. Under Greek cultural influence, Mars was associated with the Greek god Ares, whose myths were reinterpreted in Roman literature and art under Mars' name. However, unlike Ares, who is often depicted with contempt and disgust in Greek stories, Mars held a distinct character and dignity that set him apart from his Greek counterpart. Mars was part of the Archaic Triad along with Jupiter and Quirinus, whose role as guardian of the Roman people had no equivalent in Greek mythology. His altar in the Campus Martius, named after him, was said to have been dedicated by Numa, Rome's peace-loving second king. Although Mars' worship center initially lay outside Rome's sacred boundary (pomerium), Augustus made the god a renewed focus of Roman faith by establishing the Temple of Mars Ultor in his new forum. Unlike Ares, who was seen primarily as a destructive and destabilizing force, Mars represented military power as a means to secure peace. As father (pater) of the Roman people, he embodied a complex identity that blended war and peace. In Rome's founding myths, Mars was the father of Romulus and Remus with Rhea Silvia, while his love affair with Venus symbolically reconciled two opposing traditions: Venus was the divine mother of Aeneas, celebrated as the Trojan refugee who "founded" Rome generations before Romulus laid out the city walls. The significance of Mars in shaping Roman identity within the empire is evident from the numerous inscriptions that identified him with local deities, particularly in Western provinces.