This is likely because of his reckless and irresponsible behavior that often led him to be rash and act on his impulses instead of patiently contriving a thorough battle plan. Why Was Ares so Hated By the Other Gods?Īlthough it would seem that a god who embodied war would be greatly respected and admired by the early Greeks, they seemed to have little use for Ares. Later sources also include Adrestia, and the four Erotes – Eros, Anteros, Pothos, and Himeros as being children of Aphrodite and Ares. The number varies depending on the source, but it has been confirmed that Deimos, Phobos, and Harmonia were all born to Ares. While she isn’t the only woman Ares had relations with, she is the most notable and bore him many influential children. The one exception seems to be the goddess Aphrodite.

While Ares’ Roman counterpart (Mars) gained more respect among the people, the Greeks and their deities had little use for a god as reckless and violent as Ares. Coincidentally, Athena was one of Zeus’ favorite children while Ares was Zeus’ least favorite child and hated by many other gods and goddesses.

Athena was known for her knowledge and strategies that were associated with war while Ares was known to be the personification of all the violence and rage that make up war. While it is known that Athena was also a goddess of war (and sibling to Ares) the two couldn’t be any more different.

Ares is the Greek god of war that was known for his destructive behavior.

God of war mythology