In mythology, like nothing else, it expresses what priorities a particular nation has in its spiritual life. For example, among the Scandinavians, the god of war is not only the most important among all gods, but also the most highly moral among all higher beings. He even donated his eye for the world to stand. The god of agriculture and merchants is a cunning and whirlwind. Constantly getting into ambiguous situations and refusing to fight.
Mirror of priorities
Mars, the Roman god of war, does not seem to be the most important among the heavenly divine pantheon, because he is too cruel and does not know how to forgive anyone. The Romans subtly noticed how personalities change when they begin to professionally kill their own kind. Frenzy is the most important character trait of their god of war. Maybe that's why the consciousness of the people married him to the goddess of love Venus, frivolous and windy. These are two extremes that complement each other. The Roman people honored him, but not very zealously, because the war never brought anything life-giving. It was as if to turn to the mighty Jupiter for helpout of order, so they turned to the rickety Pan. And he understood them, because he cultivated life and was friends with Lares and Penates.
There are only enemies around him
The top divine family of the Roman people was a pretty grumpy bunch. Mercury is friendly with Hephaestus today, and tomorrow he will find a mere mortal - and let's goad him so that he uttered insolence to the blacksmith god of underground fire. And similar stories happened with each of the gods, even with Jupiter. But it's so clear! It's so human…
And only the god Mars is immersed in one relentless thought - with whom to fight and shed blood. He is not even exchanged for love with Venus. His hardened heart is not subject to the arrows of Cupid, a playful god. It's scary. But wisdom can stop the god of war Mars. Under Troy, at a time when he was still called Ares, Athena stopped him by pointing a spear at his chest with the hand of Achilles. And divine blood was shed from the hero's hand. But the war continued, because the wounded man was immediately invited to the table of Jupiter to drink nectar. They brought a cup with him. It is the destiny of humanity to shed human blood.
The people who subjugated half of the ancient world to the Roman eagle and constantly sent copper legions to all corners of the world did not even make sacrifices to the deity. It was believed that Mars (the god of war) finds victims in sufficient quantities for himself. This Pan needs to be appeased and brought to his stump a loaf of unleavened bread and goat's milk so that he does not send his forest kingdom to the cultivated fields.
Not very ancientantiquity
But the ancient god of war is not so ancient! He is no more than 5 thousand years old. The ancient Sumerians and Egyptians did not have it. Among even more ancient Trypillian Aryans, the formidable Thunderer put on a helmet only when his face darkened and his wings fluttered. Then he called his daughter Slava and told her: “I am going to do the right thing in killing” (from the ancient warrior hymn). That is, most of the ancient peoples did not see much valor in the war.
Mars was singled out as a separate divine entity when state structures began to form. But the initial understanding of the essence of war was never completely expelled from the minds of the peoples by the forces of "state necessity". And even the Archangel Michael, a remake of the ancient image of Svetogor (higher, higher light), is not a professional warrior.
Without much prowess
The ancient Greeks and Romans singled out Mars as the god of war, but did not endow him with either attractive character traits or special valor. Only in some peoples did the god Mars appear to be the pinnacle of the mysterious hierarchies that govern the world. These peoples can be listed on the fingers of one hand - the Mongols, the ancient Jews, the Papuans from Papua New Guinea, the Scandinavians. Even the militant African Dogon tribe, whose men either slept or fought, kept their god of war in the form of a Serpent away from their dwellings - in a cave so that he would not see the white light and devour him.
God Mars tries to quarrel with God Phoebus
It seems an interesting legend,telling how Mars saw the world. The mythology of the Romans gives a clear idea of how war is born and by what means it must be prevented. In a quarrel, in a war, there is no truth. She disappears in the war. And a warrior is only worthy of his high name when he is not a soulless tool of Evil.
At one of the feasts of the gods, light Phoebus began to amaze everyone with his creative abilities. He revived the staff of Jupiter, decorating it with myrtle leaves, instead of a golden crown, which was made by Hephaestus in the form of two intertwined snakes with ruby eyes, he gave his wife Juno a laurel wreath, and instead of snakes - two living birds. The divine blacksmith himself, the lord of the underground fires, was delighted and began to praise the creative abilities of the bright sun god, recognizing that the underground forces are powerful, but they do not have living beauty.
Only one god Mars remained gloomy at a cheerful feast, over which peace and tranquility reigned. And suddenly he rose from his seat - wide and powerful, and blocked the graceful figure of Phoebus in front of Jupiter. He said: “Is he able to protect from me all the beauties he created?” and took out a heavy sword. Everyone quieted down. But bright Phoebus laughed. In his hand was a lyre, he came out from behind the back of the formidable god and began to play. The menacing clouds of quarrel instantly dissipated, and the heavy sword of Mars turned into a shepherd's staff from the sounds of music. The ancient god of war threw his staff on the floor, but it, with an iron clang, stopped at the feet of the bright Phoebus playing the lyre.
The moral of this mythological parable is simple and cannot be explainedneeds.
How to meet Mars?
When a war knocks on the door, the doors are opened by kind people, so that the war itself does not open them. That's what the ancient Greeks said. And they were right. The Romans expressed themselves even harsher and more precisely: "Whoever wants peace, he prepares for war." For better or worse, these are the realities of our lives.
Those who pray to the god of war suffer from the inability to create their own worlds. This comes from the paucity of imagination and lack of diligence. But even in war they remain as incapable as in peace. And their frenzy is scary only for those who are not armed. No wonder Scipio, the ancient Roman commander, said: “The best soldiers are peasants, because they are stubborn. And I don’t need militant ones in the war.”
