A Soldier's God, Bold and Brave.
Mars, the Roman warrior god, son of Juno and Jupiter, husband of Bellona, lover of Venus, was the most prominent of the military gods worshipped by the Roman legions. He is a soldier's god, bold and brave.
In the great golden city of Rome, Mars was second in importance to the great Jupiter himself! Many believed him to be father of Romulus, the legendary founder of the city, and reasoned that all Romans were descendants of Mars.
Mars is still with us today. Martius, the month of March, is named after him. So is the fourth planet from the sun and a bar of chocolate, but we know him mainly as the God of War.
Mars.....
Whose mighty power can make
The strongest walls from their foundations shake
Masculine Mars
He is definitely a male god, we use the astrological sigil of the planet Mars to represent men and masculine energy. Prominently displaying the arrow of action, it symbolises the male essence, the energy of yang - active and expanding.As an earlier fertility god, he was Mars Sylvanus, responsible for the shoots of grain which thrust upwards from the soil after planting.
In astrology, Mars is the ruler of Aries and signals the season when everything awakens, grows, rises and sprouts after winter. This is the planetary time of energy and action, with the element of fire bringing the very spark of life.
Mars in Rome
If you lived in ancient Rome, his name would be as familiar to you as your own, especially at the Springtime of year with all of the holidays and festivals dedicated to the City's favourite son.You would be choosing your prettiest ribbons, studying the form of the newest racehorse or bargaining for the best seats at a track and field meet.
Or perhaps preparing for war overseas, for Spring was the beginning of the Roman campaign season.
Mars the Soldier
The God Mars : Buy at AllPosters.com
There is a common belief that depictions of Mars show him as a warrior, but look a little closer and you see that he is no savage attacker but a disciplined soldier in regulation battle dress bearing regulation arms.
As Mars Gradivus, he was the patron of the legions and a fitting role model for the highly trained Roman infantryman.
He was the most prominent of the military gods that were worshipped by the Roman legions. The martial Romans considered him second in importance only to Jupiter.
It is his Greek equivalent, Ares, who has the character traits of the wild warrior
Mars the Father of Rome
Mars was also the Father of Rome. It was said that he was the father of the twins Romulus and Remus, the founders of the Eternal City.One of his names is Mars Pater, and as Father Mars he was the protector of all the people who lived within the gates.
Ancient Rome
Mars, the Wolf, and the Woodpecker
Like all deities, certain animals are associated with Mars, in this case the wolf and the woodpecker. His companions are Fuga and Timor, flight and fear.The moons of Mars are named for these companions.
Are you confused because the Martian Moons are actually called Phobos and Deimos? For some reason, the early astronomers gave the planet a Roman name, Mars, but named the companion moons in Greek. Phobos is the Greek for fear (as in phobia) and Deimos means flight.
The Wolf is the symbol of Rome, and goes back to the story of Romulus and Remus who were raised by a wolf pack and grew to build the great city.
Mars also had an earlier agricultural aspect, and was revered as the Protector of cattle and crops.
The month dedicated to him marked the beginning of the New Year, a time of sprouting seeds and rebirth.
Among his sacred animals is the woodpecker (Picus), who was especially associated with fertilisation of the fields with manure.The woodpecker was also an important bird in augury.
The Red Planet
The reddish tinge of Mars in the night sky made our ancestors think of blood, and consequently war, but don't for one moment believe that in modern times we are any more sophisticated.Even though we know the bloody appearance is caused by soil rich in iron oxide, (old-fashioned rust), the threat of invasion from the Red Planet plagued our imaginations only a couple of generations back.
Total War Gold Edition
During the chaotic years of the Roman Republic, the Italian peninsula remains divided--Gauls and Etruscans in the North, Carthaginians and Greeks threatening Rome from the south.
You play as one of three largely identical Roman factions, all great Patrician families trying to fulfill the Senate's ambitions of dominating the Mediterranean World. Though you begin allied with all the Roman factions, your eventual goal is to supplant the Senate as the leader of Rome and conquer the ancient world.
Rome: Total War Gold Edition
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Total War Gold Edition brings together Rome: Total War and its expansion, Barbarian Invasion. We've waited a while and here it is ......
March your Legions to conquest!
Rome Total War
Tuesday is for Mars
In English we call this day after Tyr, the boldest of the cold- climate gods, who inspires courage and heroism in battle, and is the Northern equivalent of Mars.
Tyr has soldier-like qualities as well, he is noble and self-sacrificing. On the day of Ragnarok, he will kill Garm, the guardian of hell, but will himself die from his wounds.
Mars Today
So March is a month for action. Decorate your house with some red blooms and bring a little male energy into your everyday affairs.
Think of the Wolf, a creature with a high sense of loyalty and strength, a friendly social creature. Time to contemplate our own friendships. Are we being true friends?
Think of that woodpecker. When the woodpecker comes tapping into our awareness, it's also a signal to use our heads. Just as the woodpecker uses its head (beak) to hammer out solutions (food, shelter), we too can use our intellect in finding solutions to our own barriers.
All Roads lead to Rome
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- Stazjia Stazjia Aug 24, 2008 @ 5:10 am
- I wonder why the woodpecker is associated with Mars. Great lens.
About Susanna Duffy
Lensmaster susannaduffy has been a member since September 25 2006, has rated 4,141 lenses, favorited 164, and has created 213 lenses from scratch. This member's top-ranked page is "Christmas in Australia". See all my lenses
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