Greek God of War: Ares, Athena, and Both Sides

If you think of the Greek god of war, a single figure likely comes to mind: Ares, armored and furious. But ancient Greece had two major war deities — the other being Athena — and they represented two radically different ideas of combat.

Primary Greek god of war: Ares ·
Second Greek war deity: Athena (as goddess of strategic war) ·
Olympian status: Both are among the Twelve Olympians ·
Parents of Ares: Zeus and Hera ·
Roman counterpart: Mars ·
Symbol: Spear, helmet, shield

This table lays out the key facts about the two primary Greek war deities at a glance.

Who are the two Greek gods of war?

Ares: god of brutal warfare

• Ares is the Olympian god of war and courage, representing the violent and chaotic aspects of battle (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
• He is a son of Zeus and Hera, and his attendants include Phobos (Fear) and Deimos (Terror) (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
• In the Iliad, Homer describes Ares as a destructive, feared figure who often loses favor with Zeus (Perseus Digital Library (Homer, Iliad)).

The implication: Ares embodied the raw, ugly truth of ancient warfare — bloodshed and brutality — which made him a less popular recipient of widespread cult devotion in Greece.

Athena: goddess of strategic war

• Athena is the goddess of wisdom, crafts, and disciplined, strategic warfare (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
• Born from Zeus’s head, she represents intelligence and civic protection (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
• In Homeric tradition, she aids Greek heroes and is linked to martial excellence, not indiscriminate slaughter (Perseus Digital Library (Homer, Iliad)).

The pattern: Where Ares brought chaos, Athena brought order — she was the war goddess you wanted on your side if you planned to win and then govern.

What is the meaning of the Greek god of war?

Etymology of Ares

• The name Ares is likely derived from early Greek words meaning “bane” or “ruin,” fitting his mythological role (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
• Unlike Athena, whose name is linked to wisdom, Ares’ name carried overwhelmingly negative connotations.

Cultural perception of war in ancient Greece

• The Greeks did not glorify war as a single concept — they distinguished between righteous, defensive war (Athena’s domain) and savage aggression (Ares’ domain).
• Athena’s cult emphasized civic protection and defense of the city, while Ares had comparatively limited major cult importance in many parts of mainland Greece (Cambridge University Press (Greek Religion reference)).

The trade-off: The Greeks needed both gods to explain war — one for the necessary defense of home, the other for the unavoidable horror of violence.

What is the symbol of the Greek god of war?

“…and he fell with a clang, and his armor rang upon him.” (Homer, Iliad 5.859, describing Ares wounded by Diomedes with Athena’s help)

Perseus Digital Library (Homer, Iliad)

Ares’ symbols: spear, helmet, shield, chariot

• Ares is regularly depicted in classical art with a spear, helmet, shield, and war chariot (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
• His companions — Phobos (Fear) and Deimos (Terror) — also appear as symbolic figures in vase paintings and sculpture.

Athena’s war symbols: helmet, shield, spear, owl

• Athena is commonly shown wearing full armor and a helmet, visually signaling a martial but orderly character (The Metropolitan Museum of Art (curatorial essay)).
• Her shield (the aegis) often bears the head of Medusa, and the owl — symbol of wisdom — is her sacred bird.

The catch: Both war deities carried the same basic weapons, but the context transformed their meaning — Ares’ spear meant aggression, Athena’s meant protection.

Who killed Ares in Greek mythology?

The story of Ares’ defeat by Heracles

• Ares was not killed in Greek mythology; he was twice bested in battle but survived. Heracles, son of Zeus, wounded Ares during one of his labors, forcing the god to retreat to Olympus (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
• The Iliad recounts a famous episode where Athena helps the mortal Diomedes wound Ares, sending him back to Olympus in pain (Perseus Digital Library (Homer, Iliad)).

Other myths involving Ares’ death or injury

• In one version, the twin giants Otus and Ephialtes imprisoned Ares in a jar for thirteen months; he was eventually freed by Hermes.
• These stories consistently show Ares as vulnerable and often humiliated — a stark contrast to Athena’s near-invulnerability in battle.

The implication: Ares’ mythic defeats served a moral purpose — they demonstrated that mindless violence, even from a god, could be overcome by cleverness and teamwork.

What are the names of Greek war deities?

List of major war gods and goddesses

• Ares — Olympian god of war and courage, representing the brutal, chaotic side of battle (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
• Athena — Olympian goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, patron of Athens (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
• Enyo — Goddess of war and destruction, often accompanies Ares in myth (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
• Eris — Goddess of strife and discord, instigator of conflicts like the Trojan War (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
• Keres — Female death spirits associated with violent ends in battle.

Lesser war deities and spirits

• Phobos and Deimos — personifications of fear and terror, sons of Ares (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
• Nike — Goddess of victory, often associated with Athena’s martial success (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

Why this matters: The Greeks populated their battlefield with a whole hierarchy of war spirits — Ares was only the most visible face of a sprawling system of conflict deities.

Two war deities, one culture, and very different playbooks. Here’s how Ares and Athena compare across key attributes.

The trade-off: Ares represented the raw energy of battle — terrifying but unreliable. Athena, by contrast, turned war into a tool of civilization.

Perspectives from ancient sources

“…for Ares takes no side; he is a deserter and a coward who turns his back.” (Homer, Iliad 5.831, spoken by Athena to Diomedes)

Perseus Digital Library (Homer, Iliad)

“She wields war herself, but she also has the craft of every art.” (Hesiod, Theogony 573-574, on Athena’s birth and attributes)

Perseus Digital Library (Hesiod, Theogony)

What we know — and what remains uncertain

For anyone exploring Greek mythology today, the real Greek god of war isn’t one figure — it’s the friction between Ares and Athena. Ares embodies the raw, uncontrollable violence that every civilization fears; Athena represents the disciplined force that communities need to defend themselves and thrive. For students and enthusiasts looking to understand ancient Greek values, the choice between these two gods is clear: study both, because one without the other gives only half the story — and half a war is a losing one.

While Ares embodies the brutal force of combat, his counterpart Athena represents the strategic side of warfare, making the term Ares, the Greek god of war more complex than a single figure.

Frequently asked questions