- Mars was the Roman god of war, but he was the god of agriculture, as well. It was Mars who would create the conditions which allowed crops to grow, warding off the hostile forces of nature. This aspect of him may have come about because he was first seen as a god of the wild woodlands, and one that needed to be placated so he wouldn't encroach on the fields needed to grow food.
- He was an important god, second only to Jupiter in authority. He was the son of Jupiter and Juno, although there is one tale told by Ovid which claims he is the son of Juno only; that she sought advice from the goddess Flora on how to have a baby on her own, to even the score after Jupiter gave birth to Minerva without her. Ovid is the only source of this story.
- In art, Mars is usually depicted with a curly beard and is often nude, wearing nothing but his helmet. In Renaissance art, the fact he is naked represents his lack of fear when going into battle. ("Armour? Armour's for cissies".) Sometimes he is depicted as a younger, clean shaven man.
- Officially, his consort was Nerio or Neriene, goddess of valour, representing his vital force. However, artists and poets' imaginations were much more often caught by the extra-marital affair he was having with Venus, the goddess of love. Love and War together - Venus dominated Mars but he never dominated her; they were both beautiful and were the parents of Concordia, the goddess of harmony.
- Animals sacred to Mars were the wolf and the bear (wild animals which roamed in the woods). The wolf, of course, is known to have suckled Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, who were the sons of Mars. Other sacred animals were the eagle, the Owl, the Dog, the Vulture, and the Woodpecker. The woodpecker was sacred to Mars because it is a spirited bird which can fell a mighty oak tree by pecking into the innermost part of the tree with its beak. A woodpecker's beak was therefore a lucky charm in Rome, carried to ward off bad luck, in particular bee stings and leech bites. Geese were also associated with Mars, because of their aggressive nature.
- In terms of personality, Mars was seen by his fellow gods as difficult and argumentative, so they didn't like him much. The people revered him, though, especially soldiers, who believed Mars ultimately decided who would win any battle - so they would worship Mars and appeal to him before going out to fight.
- While he might have been portrayed as thinking armour was for cissies, he did carry a shield - a scared one which is said to have fallen from heaven, and, as long as it was in Rome, the city would be protected. Priests of Mars were commissioned to protect the shield, known as the Ancile. They had eleven copies made to confuse any would-be thieves. All twelve shields would be paraded through the streets during festivals of Mars.
- He rode in a chariot drawn by four fire-breathing Horses. The names of the horses were Aithon (red fire), Phlogios (flame), Konabos (tumult) and Phobos (fear).
- His equivalent in Greece was the god Ares. The two gods were often portrayed almost as one, with the same legends and stories applying to them, but Ares was actually quite different. He was seen as more of a destructive, destabilising force, while Mars went to war in the hope of securing peace.
- The month of March and the planet Mars were both named after him. The symbol for Mars is a circle with an arrow extending from it, pointing to the upper right. This is also the symbol for the male gender and the planet Mars. We also get the word "martial", meaning warlike, as in "martial arts" from him.
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