Sunday, April 21, 2013

Mythical Gods empower, guide and warn us. The seem to be symbols motivating humanity into the future. A mighty warrior he was, Mars is known for his superior military power and wrath. Though he is vicious, war was a means to secure peace for his people.
 












Mars fathered twin boys Remus and Romulus. It is believed that Romulus later founded Rome and that's why we consider Mars to be the father of the Roman people. He is second in importance to Jupiter and is the dominant military God. Campus Matius became a place to worship him and generally two festivals where held each year to honor him. October is an important month when talking about Mars. October ended the season of farming and began military campaigning.


 As the legend goes, during the rule of King Numa Pompilius the battle shield of Mars fell from the sky into Rome. It was thought that his shield was essential to the well-being of the Roman people and their republic. It's believed that Pumpilius had 11 more shields made as replicas to dismay anyone who would try and steal the original. in total the 12 of them hung on the wall and were guarded by Roman Priests. This would signify that Mars and his efforts in war were just enough to protect.













Aside from war, Mars was first associated with agriculture, vegetation, and fertility. As Rome became more war-like so did Mars. He never lost his ties to agriculture though. In many pieces of art from that time period, he can be seen with vegetation on his spear.




4 comments:

  1. Fun. I don't really know a ton about Mars so this was interesting to read. He is a pretty big deal to be the father of the supposed founder of Rome. Being the huge god of war and such that he is, I wouldn't have expected him to also be associated with agriculture, vegetation, and fertility. Great facts. I love the layout and graphics you used. It looks like a professional blog. Good work.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great choice of images. I find the Mythical Gods so fascinating. War always seems to be a reoccurring theme in mythology and has great importance in the rank of leaders. I would imagine even today that being a victorious captain in battle would take a great deal of bravery, skill, athleticism, and willingness to pt other people's needs before your own. I think Mars showed a lot of those qualities. Great blog thanks for posting!

    ReplyDelete
  3. It continues to blow my mind how often we use terms and ideals from mythology. Romulus for instance has been used many times in stories and movies. It's like we can't let go of our past. Mythology is more remembered than our own history I think. This was more on Mars than I have seen before, mainly because I've never researched him before even though I like Rome. But I'm glad you chose this and I'm glad I read it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Cool looking blog! The background of helmets is just great - a fitting symbol for Mars. You brought up some interesting details about this Greek god that are important: first, that his violent nature has a purpose - to achieve peace. Second, that his primary association is with agriculture, which brings to mind the Biblical phrase "beating plowshares into swords and pruning hooks into spears" (Book of Joel). Sometimes the implements of peace must be turned to serve in war so as to protect that peace. It seems that Mars adapted and changed just as the Greek people needed to. I enjoyed your blog!

    ReplyDelete