Mars
Mars
Roman god of war and protector of agriculture, Mars is one of the most venerated deities in the Roman pantheon. Legendary father of Romulus and Remus, he embodies Rome's military power and its destiny of conquest.
Key Facts
- Mars was the second most important god in the Roman pantheon, after Jupiter
- He is identified with the Greek god Ares, god of war
- The month of March (Martius) takes its name from Mars, marking the beginning of the military season
- According to legend, Mars is the father of Romulus and Remus, the mythical founders of Rome (753 BC)
- Augustus had the Temple of Mars Ultor (Mars the Avenger) built in the Forum of Augustus, inaugurated in 2 BC
Works & Achievements
Commissioned by Augustus in fulfillment of a solemn vow, this temple with its 18-meter Corinthian columns is the most iconic monument of the cult of Mars. Its columns survive in part and stand as testimony to the splendor of Roman martial worship.
A poem in six books commenting on the Roman calendar. Ovid devotes Book III to the month of March, recounting the god's myths, his union with Rhea Silvia, the origin of the ancilia, and the rites of the Salii.
Rome's national epic casts Mars as a constant protective presence in the destiny of the Roman people. The god of war intervenes in battles and embodies the conquering vocation of Rome.
An ancient ritual hymn sung by the warrior-priest dancers known as the Salii during their armed processions in March and October. Considered so archaic that classical Romans could no longer understand it, it represents one of the oldest surviving traces of the cult of Mars.
Its spiral bas-reliefs depict Roman legions fighting under divine protection, within the martial iconographic tradition inherited from the cult of Mars. The column illustrates the enduring link between divine favor and imperial military power.
Anecdotes
Mars is considered the father of Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome. According to tradition, he united with the Vestal Virgin Rhea Silvia, condemned to celibacy by her tyrannical uncle Amulius. This divine act gave birth to the twins who would go on to found the greatest city of antiquity, making the entire Roman people descendants of the god of war.
The month of March (martius) takes its name directly from the god Mars. In the early Roman calendar, it was the first month of the year — the ideal time to resume military campaigns after winter. This name endured through the centuries and survives today in all Romance languages.
In Rome, the priests of Mars known as the Salii performed an annual ritual war dance through the city streets each March, striking their sacred shields with spears while chanting a hymn so archaic that the Romans themselves could no longer understand it. These shields, the ancilia, were believed to guarantee Rome's divine protection as long as they remained within the city.
The emperor Augustus built the Temple of Mars Ultor — Mars the Avenger — to honor the god following his victory over the assassins of Julius Caesar. He had made this vow before the Battle of Philippi in 42 BC. The temple was inaugurated in 2 BC and became one of the most magnificent sanctuaries in Rome, serving as the departure point for all major military expeditions.
Mars's sacred animals were the wolf and the woodpecker. The wolf symbolized martial ferocity and the founding of Rome, while the woodpecker, according to legend, fed and guided the abandoned Romulus and Remus in the forest. Both animals appeared frequently in artistic depictions of the god and in the military omens interpreted by the augurs.
Primary Sources
"First month of the ancient year, Mars, it is you who received it, and the first place in the calendar belongs to you. Remus and the founder of your city both celebrate you." Ovid traces the myths of the god and the origin of the rites held in his honor throughout the month.
"Whether in truth, or because it seemed more honorable to attribute so great an origin to a god, she declared that Mars was the father of the children she had borne." Livy thus records the divine birth of Romulus and Remus.
"From that stock shall arise a race of Trojan blood, who shall extend their dominion over the whole earth. Mars and his warlike might shall watch over this lineage." Virgil places Mars at the heart of Rome's imperial destiny.
"It is said that Mars appeared to Rhea Silvia and lay with her; and that when she had given birth to twins of beauty and stature beyond the ordinary, Amulius, struck with fear, ordered the children to be exposed."
"Numa instituted the Salii in honor of Mars, entrusted them with the ancilia, and taught them a war dance accompanied by chants, so that the god would protect Rome for eternity. These rites are among the most venerable in the Roman religion."
Key Places
A large plain along the banks of the Tiber, sacred to Mars, where Roman soldiers trained and citizens gathered to vote. It was here that military drills, troop reviews, and grand ceremonies in honor of the god took place.
Built by Augustus in fulfillment of a vow made before the Battle of Philippi, this monumental temple was the heart of the imperial cult of Mars. It was here that recaptured military standards were housed and where generals symbolically set out on campaign.
The official residence of the pontifex maximus and the place where the sacred spears and shields of Mars were kept. When the spears vibrated on their own, it was taken as an omen of war — one of the most dreaded divine signs in all of Roman religion.
The mythical peak where the Greco-Roman gods dwelled. Mars held his place among the twelve Olympians there, though he was often scorned by his peers for his brutality — Homer tells us that Zeus himself called him the most hateful of all gods.