When the Romans re-vamped the Greek Gods to fit in with their Planet Suite, Ares was upgraded to Mars. The bully boy was given a beard to impart greater dignity and his image was endowed with a more user-friendly identity.

He now became the father of Romulus and Remus via a vestal virgin named Rhea Silvia. This led to a most important historical act — the founding of Rome.

So if it wasn’t for Mars the God of War, there would be no Roman Empire, no Roman Catholics, no Pope and, er, no articles like this.

All that Roman culture did not go to his head. He was still a lusty God of War; just a little more gregarious and willing to patronize farmers and horticulture. You can’t beat a bit of cultivation after a good battle. Mustn’t let all that bone meal go to waste.

You’d think the least the Romans could do for their splendid deity would be to name a day after him. And they did. But oddly enough, as you may have noticed, we don’t have Marsday in the calendar — instead his Germanic equivalent Tiw snuck in there instead. Now poor old Mars just has chocolate bars named after him.

Share this page Cite this article

Article last revised on September 09, 2018 by Rowan Allen.
Editors: Peter J. Allen, Chas Saunders

References: Coming soon.

Permissions page

---