The God of War Mars was one of the most respected and revered celestials of the ancient Roman pantheon. The cult of Mars flourished widely in ancient Rome until its fall.
Mars - the god of war and the defender of Rome
Sculptors sculpted the god of war in the form of a commander in armor and a helmet decorated with a crest. Sometimes he was depicted in a chariot, with a spear and shield, which were symbols of the god Mars. The Romans considered the animals of the warlike deity to be woodpeckers and wolves, who were identified with a rapid flight and attack.
Mars for good reason was the most important among all the gods of the ancient Roman Empire - the Romans were proud of their warriors and their victories. The army of Ancient Rome was considered invincible due to excellent training and Mars - a powerful defender who accompanied the soldiers in all campaigns.
In addition, Mars - the son of Jupiter and Juno, was considered the father of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Ancient Rome. According to legend, the sons of Mars gave birth to the daughter of King Numitor Rhea Silvia. As a token of his patronage, Mars dumped his shield in Rome, which was stored in the sanctuary of God at the Forum and once a year, on the birthday of the Roman god Mars (March 1), solemnly swept through the city.
In a sign of respect, the Romans regularly arranged festivities dedicated to Mars. Annual celebrations were held from February 27 to March 14, more important celebrations - suovetavrili - were held every 5 years after the qualification (census). During the crowning of the feast of building troops on the Field of Mars, God was offered sacrifices - a bull, a pig and a sheep. This ceremony gave the Romans victories in battles for the subsequent five-year plan.
In addition to the festivities, many churches were built in honor of the god of war of Mars. The most ancient and revered stood on the left bank of the Tiber River on the Champ de Mars. This sacred place was used not only for parades and festivities, it was on the Champ de Mars that meetings, exercises and reviews were held, important decisions were made here, for example, about declaring war. A magnificent temple to the Roman god Mars was also built at the Forum. Every commander before going to war came to this temple, asked Mars for help and promised a part of the rich booty.
However, Mars was not always the god of war. Initially, he was ordered to protect fields and livestock from various threats, but Mars could also punish an unworthy person, causing the death of animals and crop failure.
One of the Roman legends is dedicated to the cruelty of Mars. One day, Mars met the beautiful goddess Minerva and fell in love with her. Not knowing how to approach the beauty, Mars turned to the matchmaker Anna Perenne, the goddess of the new year. Minerva did not like Mars, and she persuaded Anna Perenna to deceive the bridegroom and instead go on a date . After the disgrace of Mars became known to all the gods, he harbored deep resentment in his heart.
Today the pantheon of the Roman gods no longer exists. However, people remember Mars when looking at the sky - his name is the blood-red planet of the solar system, a symbol of war, horror and disaster.
Gods of other nations war
The gods of war also existed among other peoples. Greek
Slavic warriors considered Perun their heavenly protector. This god was very violent, but he was also just and noble. The birth of Perun occurred during a violent earthquake. Even in his infancy he was stolen by the monster Skiper and Perun grew up, deeply absorbed in sleep . After the liberation of God by his brothers, Perun fought the monster, freed his sisters, who were also kidnapped. When Orthodoxy was adopted in Russia, Ilya the Prophet acquired the features of Perun.