#ares gynaikothoinas

[olympushit]

ARES DOESN'T DESERVE THE HATE HE GETS. 10 REASONS WHY:

Apart from being the god of war, he was also the god of generalship, manliness and civil order, which means that he was the god responsible for the correct function of every ancient city in order of laws and politics.

As the god of manliness, he was considered to be the patron of a fine man that every man looked up to. He was a fighter, not only as a merit from being the god of war, but he always fought for his beliefs, just like at the Trojan War when he complained to Zeus about Athena's unfair action. Also, he was the best father to his children and always supported them and their mothers, just like Cycnus fighting with Heracles, or when Aeropos' mother died during childbirth and he made it possible for the baby to drink milk from his dead mother's body.

He was the only greek god that never raped a woman. All his sexual encounters were consensual and he always seemed to respect his lovers, because he kept his private life low key and none of them suffered or were subjected to tortures, unlike Zeus' or Poseidon's lovers did.

He was the god of dance. Legend has it that before he was taught how to fight, Priapos, his tutor, refused to teach him unless young Ares knew how to dance. Afterall, war is considered to be the ultimate dance a man could perform in ancient times. Also, he appeared to dance for his daughter's Armonia wedding with joy, leaving behind the animosity for her husband Cadmus. Finally, in the feasts of the Gods, it was said that Apollo played the lyre, while the Harites, Artemis, Hermes and Ares danced with great joy.

He was a forgiving god. Despite his enraged and bloodthirsty behavior, Ares knew how to forgive someone and appreciated what they were doing to gain his trust. After Cadmus slaughtered the Dragon, he was put 8 years under servitude to indulge Ares. Finally, Ares not only forgave Cadmus for his crime, but he also blessed his wedding with his own daughter Armonia. Cadmus, in order to gratify the god, built the city of Thebes and made Ares its patron god.

He wasn't a coward. Many greek myths refer to Ares' lack of courage to face danger. This is far from true. At the Trojan War, when he found out about Ascalaphus' death, he disobeyed Zeus' order with the risk of his immortal life in order to go to the battle amd avenge his son's death. He was later stopped by Zeus' thunderbolts. Also, when the Aloadai were about to take Olympus, he was the first god to interfere in battle in order to save Olympus. Afterall, one of his epithets was "Olympus' Protector".

He was sentimental. At the Trojan War he was seen greaving for his children's loss and always wanted to inervene for their safety. Also, he understood the rejection of his parents towards him and he was a lonely god that lacked love. But he found the love he was seeking to Aphrodite, and did not only lust her, but he loved her deeply. Together they had 8 children, and both of them were jealous about each other's affairs, because of Adonis and Eos. They also had an open relationship, because he never refrained Aphrodite from her nature, which was love and sex. Afterall love is not meant to be given to only one person.

He was the protector of women. When Hallirothios attempted to rape his daughter Alcippe, he flashed in the scene and brutally killed the rapist. From that moment on, a temple in Athens was built for Ares "Gynaikothoinas", which means the one feasted/worshipped by women.

He knew the feeling of loss. A war has two sides, the winners and the defeated. A war isn't always to be won, and everyone must learn what it is to lose. He lost many wars, but he also won many. That's why he is among the Olympians.

He was a god of justice. That is because he was referred to be "Themis' Ally", which means that he was a helper to the goddess of justice. One of his least famous daughters, Adrestia, was the goddess of balance, justice and retaliation. Also, "Areios Pagos" or aka "The hill of Ares" was named after him because he was the first man ever to be tried for substatial homicide, for slaughtering Alcippe' rapist.

DON'T TREAT MY BOY LIKE THAT! HE IS JUST ADORABLE!

[enyalios-shrine]

𝘼𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 101

Hi! I’m Raven (or Ray), and I’ve been an Ares devotee for almost five years now. You want to start worshiping him? Great! Despite what today’s media makes of him - which I will talk about a lot in this post - , he’s actually a very caring, gentle and (dare I say) beginner-friendly deity! In general, a great choice! (Also, this is inspired by another post I saw but forgot to save - so, credits for the idea goes to that person) So, let's get started.

WHO IS ARES? - MODERN MISCONCEPTIONS

Since I’m assuming you already know the broad strokes of who he is (Greek god of war, bloodshed, violent and so forth), this section will be about some of the misconceptions most people have of Him. If you’ve ever consumed any Greek mythology-related media, I’m sure you’ve seen the following caricature: beefy, misogynistic, violent, stupid jerk, rude and always looking for a fight. While, yes, He IS violent (He's the god of war, afterall), that's far from all He has to offer.

Did you know Ares is actually historically a major feminist? That’s probably the first thing to get demystified about Him when you talk to an Ares devotee or worshiper, so I’m not really saying ground-breaking news here, but since a fair amount of people don’t know about it, I thought it was a fair mention. So, let’s get into the actual myths and proofs for this claim:

Ares was the father of and supported the Amazons in battle, a group of female-only warriors and hunters.

He’s one of the only male deities in Greek mythology to not have sexually harassed or raped someone. Yes, even other deities viewed as “nice” such as Apollo and Hermes have done so (I don’t mean any disrespect for those deities here - I’m also an Apollo devotee).

Ares was held in trial for the murder of Halirrhotius, a son of Poseidon, after he raped one of Ares’ daughters, Alkippe. He was acquited of murder by the gods. Remember, back in ancient Greece, women didn’t have ANY rights - raping one was not considered a crime or even frowned upon as far as I'm aware.

One of His epithets is “Ares Gynaikothoina", which means "feasted by women". During a war between the Tegeans and the Spartans, the women of Tegea defended the city from a invasion led by the Spartan king Charilaus. After arming themselves, they defeated the Spartans following an ambush. Among the prisoners was the Spartan king himself. In commemoration, they would hold a feast in honor of Ares, to which only women were invited.

All in all, Ares is protective, just, and encouraging of His children as well as worshipers and devotees. He’s not the piece of shit jock most people think of when you mention His name. Please stop doing my man this dishonor, He deserves so much better.

BASIC INFO

His Roman counterpart is Mars. He’s the son of Zeus and Hera, and his consourt is Aphrodite (even though they’re not officially married). His divine children are Phobos and Deimos (twin daimones/personified spirits of panic and terror, respectively), Harmonia (goddess of harmony and concord), Antero (erote/god of requited love) and Eros (erote/god of carnal love), all which he had with Aphrodite, as well as Drakon of Thebes (a giant serpent), which he apparently had by himself.

As for hero children; Cycnus (a bloody-thirsty men who was murdered by Herakles), Diomedes of Thrace (who had man-eating horses for some reason), Thrax (who founded Thrace), Oenomaus (Greek king of Pisa), and the Amazons (female warriors and hunters as mentioned above).

His symbols and associations are: spears, swords, helmets, armour, dogs, chariots, shields, The Chariot & The Emperor tarot cards, etc.

FESTIVALS AND DAYS

Tuesdays are holy to Ares and are ruled by the planet Mars (again, his Roman counterpart), which means they’re associated with action, energy, strength, and courage, as well as the color red.

As for festivals, He was typically honored with special rites in times of war or just before battles. There were also two annual festivals: one in the town of Geronthrae in ancient Laconia, celebrated only by men, and one in Tagea in Arcadia, celebrated only by women, where His "feasted by women" epithet came from. There's hardly any info on exact dates (from the Attic calendar or not) or info about any other festivals.

SACRED ANIMALS

Serpents

Dogs

Vultures

Woodpecker

Barn owls

Eagle owls

SACRED PLANTS

There’s no plant, flower or tree traditionally associated with Ares, unfortunately, so I’m gonna give a list of my UPG’s. Now, I’m not a witch, so I don’t know about the magical properties of the plants I’m about to list (if you’re a witch and were looking for something like that, my bad). However, I am a florist and have a special interest in floriography, so I assign them to Him based on vibe, meaning, etc.

Amaryllis (Means “Pride”)

Basil (Means “Hate”)

Water hemlock (Means “Death”)

Snapdragon (Means “Presumption”, but I think he just likes the way it looks)

Poppy (Means “Eternal sleep”, but has a long history with wars, being the first kind of flora to start growing in abandoned battlefields that were previously considered infertile)

Nettle (Means “Cruelty”)

Magnolia (Means “Dignity”)

Yarrow (Means “Cure for a broken heart”, and is said to have been used by Achilles to heal his men on the battlefield, which is why the scientific name is “Achillea”)

Ginger (Associated with “Heat”)

Pepper, spices, etc (idk he just gives the vibes)

OFFERINGS & DEVOTIONAL ACTS

Honestly, the only slander Ares should be getting is that He likes edgy teenage boy things. That being said, here's some ideas/suggestions, first for devotional acts and then offerings:

Workout or do any kind of physical activity

Take care of your mental and physical health

Stand up for yourseld and what you believe in

Learn about past wars, battles, and riots

Do things that make you feel badass/brave/empowered

Go to a protest

Work on managing your anger (especially for my fellow BPD havers)

Pet a dog

Honor His children and Aphrodite

For offerings; any kind of meat, especially red

Anything sharp (cool knives or daggers, broken glass, etc)

Bones!!

Halloween decor (I personally have those fake plastic snakes, spiders, and a skull on His altar)

Black coffee, the stronger the better

Any alcohol, but especially whiskey

Anything spicy

WHY WORSHIP ARES? - A PERSONAL RANT

Living in an extremely physically abusive household, I had to know and be acostumed to violence from a very young age. That violence left with many things - BPD and C-PTSD, to name a few - but mostly importantly, it left me only being able to feel one thing: anger.

I was angry at everything. Angry at the world for allowing me to have to live through such a horrible situation, angry at my mom for not standing up for me, angry at my abuser, even angry at myself for not ever trying to fight back or protect myself (though now I realize that was completely out of the question. I was only 8, what could I have done against a man in his 30's that was three times my size?).

That anger didn't go away after I got away from my abuser. If anything, it grew worse. I'd yell, break everything around me, say horrible things to the people I loved - I was a totally different person. I could barely recognize myself. I was an empty shell, filled with absolutely nothing else than the purest form of resentment and wrath, things that had been brewing inside of me since I was a child. I never had the choice to become anything else.

Ares understands violence. He's the god of it. He knows when it's justifiable and when it's not, when it serves a purpose and when it's out of pure malice. He helped me realize that instead of trying to fight against my anger out of the shame it made me feel, I had to embrace it - become one with it. It's a part of me, at the end of the day. I just had to figure out how to control it instead of letting it control me.

He embraced me when I was too disgusted with this ugly side of me to even look in a mirror. I was scared of myself - he wasn't. He's seen worse. I never had someone accept me and all my flaws before, god or otherwise.

That's why it's so upsetting to see the modern depictions so many people have of him. Someone so understanding and loving being defined by the worst parts of Himself, just like I used to do with myself in the past.

Ares is the god of war, war is not the god of Ares.

[dionysianfreak]

Arês Gynaecothoenas

patron of the brave women of Tegea; He who is feasted by women, valiant Ares

"There is also an image of Ares in the marketplace of Tegea [in Arkadia]. Carved in relief on a slab it is called Gynaikothoinas. At the time of the [historical] Lakonian war, when Kharillos king of Lakedaemon made the first invasion, the women armed themselves and lay in ambush under the hill they call today Phylaktris. When the armies met and the men on either side were performing many remarkable exploits, the women, they say, came on the scene and put the Lakedaemonians to flight. Marpessa, surnamed Khoira, surpassed, they say, the other women in daring . . . The story goes on to say . . . that the women offered to Ares a sacrifice of victory on their own account without the men, and gave to the men no share in the meat of the victim. For this reason Ares got his surname."

— Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 48. 4

[incorrectsmashbrosquotes]

Ares in Mythology:

Kills the guy who tried to assault his daughter and refused to apologize for it when he got put on trial (it was ruled justifiable homicide by Athena btw). 

The only time he’d been captured in battle was when he was protecting his mom from being captured by giants who wanted to forcibly marry her.

Found and Freed Thanatos when he was imprisoned by Sisyphus when no other Gods could

Helps found the Amazons by helping their founder escape her abusive husband and becomes their patron God.

Genuinely loves and respects Aphrodite as her own person

One of his epithets is “feasted by women”.

Ares in Modern Media: 

Meatheaded sexist asshole out of an eighties teen movie.

Conclusion: My boy is getting done dirtier than Hades in modern representation. Ares is one of the least problematic Gods in the pantheon (except for the murders, I will grant you) and ya’ll are sleeping on him.

[likeappletrees]

ares in myth: patron of the amazons, helps the founder of the amazons escape her abusive husband, murders his daughter's would-be rapist and is willing to go to tartarus for it, showers his children of all genders in gifts, encourages aphrodite's warlike aspect, loves and defends his mother, is called "ares gynaikothoinas", literally "feasted by women"

ares in modern media: a misogynist for some reason

[piristephes]

There is also an image of Ares in the marketplace of Tegea [in Arkadia]. Carved in relief on a slab it is called Gynaikothoinas (Feasted by the Women). At the time of the [historical] Lakonian war, when Kharillos king of Lakedaemon made the first invasion, the women armed themselves and lay in ambush under the hill they call today Phylaktris (Sentry Hill ). When the armies met and the men on either side were performing many remarkable exploits, the women, they say, came on the scene and put the Lakedaemonians to flight. Marpessa, surnamed Khoira, surpassed, they say, the other women in daring . . . The story goes on to say . . . that the women offered to Ares a sacrifice of victory on their own account without the men, and gave to the men no share in the meat of the victim. For this reason Ares got his surname.

Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 48. 4 :

[sukizula]

What are your favorite epithets/titles of hermes, hera and ares?

(Thank you for the ask nonnie! 🤍)

For Hermes:

Hermes Eriboas ("he who is loud") - this is my personal favorite because hermes is a positive deity; his loudness is like a shout of support to anyone who needs it

Hermes Argeiphontês ("he who slew the giant Argus") - this is reverend to the slaying of Argus, to what he's capable of doing, like Apollo with Python or Zeus with Typhon ***though I believe this title is never mentioned in the presence of Queen Hera out of respect***

Hermes Pikilóvoulos ("the clever one") - never underestimate the cleverness of Hermes. my boi was literally a baby when he tricked Apollo, god of knowledge mind you, with the cows. Zeus had to give him many responsiblities so that he won't carry on as a naughty trickster all the time.

Hermes Charidotes ("giver of joy") and Hermes Éfphrohn ("happy, joyful, kindly,  and gracious one") - Hermes is usually a happy deity. He brings joy from the lyre, from his stories, from his laugh. He's the type of god who'd make a kid laugh, but disappear at the second glance, to give the kid a sense of wonder.

Hermes Diaktoros ("the wayfinder") and Hermes Poimandres ("shepherd of men") - even though he has a lot of responsibilites, Hermes is also a god of travel and he makes sure when you travel, you are safe. If you are lost, he will be your guide, he will help you find your way back to the road.

For Hera:

Hera Zygia ("she who presides over marriage") - this is the epithet she shares with her husband Zeus Zygius, as the ones who presides over marriage.

Hera Pais, Hera Teleia, Hera Chêra ("the Maiden", "the Married Woman" and "the Widow") - this triad of surnames were given her by Temenus, the son of Pelasgus. In some accounts it was he who had brought up Hera, and had built at Old Stymphalus three sanctuaries under three different names for her. Hera Pais refers to her status as a maiden before her marriage; Hera Teleia as the wife of Zeus, and Hera Chêra as a "widow" alluding to her separation (and eventual reconciliation) from Zeus. Hera is the goddess of women, married women especially, so these epithets show the three stages of a married woman's life.

Hera Hupercheipia ("she who holds her protecting hand above") - Hera had this epithet at the sanctuary in Sparta, which had been built her at the command of an oracle, when the country was flooded by the river Eurotas. There is no myth of them drowning, so it's safe to assume she did protected them, and would protect anyone dear to her.

Hera Basíleia ("Hera the Queen") - Hera is THE lady of authority. While she may be characterized as simply "Zeus' wife", there is evidence that she had temples built for her even before Zeus was. She can also be seen as a challenger to many heroes. She is given the same respect as one would give Zeus being his wife AND older sister. While she is not physically as strong as Zeus, her endurance, wit and feisty personality makes up for it. In short, slay Queen, slay.

Hera Alexandros - ("Protector of Men") - prehaps my personal favorite for some unknown reason, this is given to her among the Sicyonians. Adrastus, a king of Argos, built a temple for her in Sicyon after he was expelled by his co-ruler Amphiaraus. This shows that Adrastus had not forgotten his patron goddess, and that he will be protected by her even in another land. Amphiaraus then reconciled with Adrastus, and returned to his kingdom of Argos upon the horse Arion. (Sadly, Adrastus' story does not end happily, but he is remembered and worshipped in several parts in Greece)

Hera Boôpis ("she who is cow-eyed") - just a tribute to Hera's beautiful brown eyes. A cow's eyes was considered beautiful in Ancient Greece (she and Persephone share this epithet.)

For Ares:

Ares Aphneios ("Abundant" or "giver of food") - attributing to my favorite Ares myth, this title was given to Ares in Arcadia, after Aerope (Ares’ lover) died in childbirth, but Ares caused her to nourish their son Aeropus nonetheless. This epithet is a reminder of Ares' duty to his son.

Ares Árriktos ("unbreakable") and Ares Adámastos ("unconquerable") - these epithets are just amazing for me. Of all the gods, it is Ares who knows what is like to be defeated. To be chained down, to be humiliated on more than one occasion, to be betrayed by your family. Even being trapped in a jar. And yet, the god of war still stands. His heart carries on, not because of manly pride, but because he loves himself enough to carry on. That's beautiful.

Ares Teichesipletes ("storms the cities in battle") - In the end of day, Ares still has a duty as the god of war. He, along with his retinue, enjoy the thrill of battle, storm and cause chaos to cities and unfortunate mortals. It's in their blood. He, Enyo, Eris, Deimos and Phobos are one chaotic war family, and he loves them.

Ares Oplokharís ("rejoicing in arms") - as wars have defeats, they also have victories. Ares also experiences victories in battles, especially in the hearts of the soldiers, and Nike is with him (in some accounts Nike is Ares' daughter). The soldiers rejoice and celebrate due to the courage and bravery Ares gives them.

Ares Gynaikothoinas (“feasted by women”) - It refers to the god’s intervention on behalf of the Tegean women who fought against Lacedaemonian king Charillus. They ambushed as a form of attack and won. A festival was held every year by the women in which men were, hilariously, not allowed to participate. (And good for them! ❤ this is also a cool epithet for the modern concept of Ares as a feminist)

[teawiththegods]

⚔️Ares Epithets⚔️

Aphneius - The Giver of Food, Abundant

Gynaikothoinas - Feasted by Women

Thêritas - Beastly

Miaiphonos - Blood-Stained

Laossoos - He Who Rallies Men

Brotoloigos - Manslaughtering

Andreiphontês - Destroyer of Men

Thoos - Swift

Thouros - Violent, Furious

Obrimos - Strong, Mighty

Deiros - Fearsome

Enyalios - Warlike

[antlering]

Hi i saw your Ares so i was wondering how does one become a devotee of him and how do i make him know im interested?

Hi there anon! Apologies for my slow response!

So the same day you sent this ask I got a very similar ask about worshiping Hera (I just happened to answer that one first). I’m going to link it here so you can see my thoughts in more detail!

I’m thrilled that you’d like to get to know Ares! My advice is to grab a simple offering like water or milk, light a candle, and just start talking to him. Don’t overthink your first meeting, or you will get caught up in the details and never do it.

If you’d like, you could check out Ares’ page on theoi.com - I do this to find epithets or aspects of a god I’m interested in. For example, I might pray to Ares Gynaikothoinas for strength and determination during my job (which is stressful and lies within Ares’ domain). If there’s something about Ares that you’re really interested in, just let him know!

The secret is that simple offerings and chatting are the best ways to develop a relationship with a god. Ares is no different! Light a candle, pour a glass of water, and say hello to Him! Or you could do an activity for him, like dedicating a workout to him.

I’ll make this note again, because I think it’s very important: don’t stress over being a devotee. Devotion can be complex and challenging. It took me years of active worship to dedicate myself to Hermes and Dionysos. Try not to go into your meeting with Ares worrying about becoming a devotee. Just go with the flow and get to know Him before you decide to devote yourself!

If anything is unclear, please let me know and I’ll do my best to clarify!

[boians-com]

Boians Vector Black And White God of war Ares Character. Olympus God Isolated Mars Illustration. (SKU: BVCD003381) http://www.boians.com/?p=48799 #Boians #Ares #Mars #Armilustrium #12OlympusGods #OlympusGods #OlympusTwelveGods #Olympus #God #AresCharacter #MarsCharacter #ArmilustriumCharacter #GynaikothoinasCharacter #RomaCharacter #MythologyCharacter #Gynaikothoinas #War #Weapon #Weapons #Window #Shield #Greece Vector #Character #Illustration #CharacterDesign #Mascot #Character #Cartoon

[halcybean]

30 Days of Ares 📃 Day 6

Find the original 30 Days of Aphrodite prompt here!

6) List your favorite epithets and why

Δεινος - deinos - dinus : beautiful, tranquil ;; Being the God-of-Love Worshipper that I am, I turned this epithet around to be defined by its antonyms. Originally “terrible, fearsome”, I spun this epithet to fit my worship and read it as “terrifying beauty, daunting peace”. Love and acceptance are battles, too.

Favorite non-violent epithets:

Χαλκεος - Khalkeos - Chalceus : brazen, of the bronze

Χρυσοπελεξ - Khrysopêlêx - Chrysopelex : of the golden helm

Honorable mention:

Γυναικοθιονας - Gynaikothoinas - Gynaecothoenas : feasted by women ;; Dionysos probably calls him this one tbh.

[proletariangothic]

Lord Ares, thank you for the courage of today.

[argonauticae]

ares gynaikothoinas (requested by mythoi)

at the time of the lakonian war, when kharillos, king of lakedaemon, made the first invasion, the women armed themselves and lay in ambush under the hill they call today phylaktris. when the armies met and the men on either side were performing many remarkable exploits, the women, they say, came on the scene and put the lakedaemonians to flight... the women offered to ares a sacrifice of victory on their own account without the men, and gave to the men no share in the meat of the victim. 

[boians-com]

Boians Vector God of war Ares Character. Mars Character. Olympus God Isolated Mars Illustration. (SKU: BVCD003380) http://www.boians.com/?p=48795 #Boians #Ares #Mars #Armilustrium #12OlympusGods #OlympusGods #OlympusTwelveGods #Olympus #God #AresCharacter #MarsCharacter #ArmilustriumCharacter #GynaikothoinasCharacter #RomaCharacter #MythologyCharacter #Gynaikothoinas #War #Weapon #Weapons #Window #Shield #Greece Vector #Character #Illustration #CharacterDesign #Mascot #Character #Cartoon