MARS

MARS

"From peace to luxury the step is slight,

And Venus reigns when Mars withdraws his might."

H.P. Lovecraft, The Isaacsonio-Mortoniad

"Mars, the god of war, was the son of Jupiter and Juno."
 Thomas Bulfinch, Bulfinch's Mythology

"Ares was the great Olympian god of war, battlelust, civil order and manly courage. In Greek art he was depicted as either a mature, bearded warrior dressed in battle arms, or a nude beardless youth with helm and spear. Because of his lack of distinctive attributes he is often difficult to identify in classical art."

Aaron J. Atsma, The Theoi Project: Greek Mythology

"All the stories about Ares and his worship in the countries north of Greece seem to indicate that his worship was introduced in the latter country from Thrace; and the whole character of the god, as described by the most ancient poets of Greece, seems to have been thought little suited to be represented in works of art : in fact, we hear of no artistic representation of Ares previous to the time of Alcamenes, who appears to have created the ideal of Ares. There are few Greek monuments now extant with representations of the god; he appears principally on coins, reliefs, and gems. The Romans identified 

their god Mars with the Greek Ares."

Sir William Smith, Dictionary Of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology