Ares is the Greek god of war and bravery, one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. The Greeks had mixed feelings about him. He represents the physical courage needed for success in battle but can also embody violence and bloodthirstiness, unlike his sister Athena, whose role in warfare involves strategy and leadership. A connection with Ares gives places, objects, and other gods a fierce, dangerous, or militaristic character.

Although Ares' name hints at his Mycenaean origins, his reputation for savagery was often attributed to his possible roots as a Thracian deity. Several Greek cities and cities in Asia Minor held yearly festivals to bind and secure him as their protector. In some regions of Asia Minor, Ares was considered an oracular god. Even farther from Greece, the Scythians were said to sacrifice one in every hundred prisoners of war as an offering to their version of Ares. The belief that the ancient Spartans practiced human sacrifice to Ares may stem more from myth, misunderstandings, and reputation than from actual practice.

Although Ares is mentioned in many stories about his love life and children, his role in Greek mythology is relatively minor. When he does appear, he is often portrayed in an unflattering light. In the Trojan War, Aphrodite, protector of Troy, convinces Ares to support the Trojans, but they are defeated while Athena, his sister, helps the Greeks win. Most famously, when the god Hephaestus discovers that his wife Aphrodite is having an affair with Ares, he traps them in a net and exposes them to the mockery of the other gods.

Paper synthesis with cardboard, handmade papers from Bhutan, Nepal, Thailand and Japan, painted with ink and pastel.

The photo is the japanese actor Tatsuya Nakadai from "Harakiri" directed by Masaki Kobayashi, 1962.